A UTA researcher examines the challenges and hope of immigrants – News Center

Wednesday, August 14, 2024 • Neph Rivera :
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Some refer to the United States as a land of opportunity for those who want to improve their lives. A research team led by a social worker at the University of Texas at Arlington recently asked a group of immigrants if they agreed.

Led by Saltanat Childress, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, researchers interviewed 24 Arabic-speaking North African Middle Eastern refugees in the United States about their experiences of immigrating to the country.

“Our research was driven by the expressed needs and concerns of the community and service providers. There was a strong anecdotal and community-based recognition of the challenges immigrants face, particularly in terms of family conflict and adjustment processes,” said Dr. Childress.

The team’s findings were published in Families in Society: Journal of Contemporary Social Services.

During the conversations, two main themes became clear: the challenges these immigrants face on a daily basis and the opportunities and hopes they have for a better future here in the US.

Their main challenges include the language barrier they face upon entering the country, intimate partner violence and dealing with stress or mental health issues, with some respondents downplaying the latter as a critical issue.

“Key issues on the instrumental side include language barriers, legal status, affordable housing, jobs, transportation and access to health care and child care,” Childress said. “On the ideological side, the challenges of cultural adjustment, particularly around gender roles and family dynamics and the stigmatization of mental health issues, add another layer of difficulty to the refugee experience.”

Childress says the community, including local organizations, can help these immigrants begin their journeys in their new homeland.

“A key recommendation is to provide more robust language support for the early stages of adaptation, and it’s possible that all the new machine translation tools can help with that,” she said. “Furthermore, improving access to affordable housing and employment opportunities is crucial.”

When it comes to opportunity and hope, the research team found that common responses include the quality of the US government, the support of fellow immigrants, and the quality of their children’s education.

“The US is seen by many immigrants and refugees as a desirable destination because of economic opportunities, political and religious freedoms, and the presence of pre-existing communities that provide support,” Childress said. “These factors make the US an attractive option for those seeking a better life for themselves and their children.”

Ultimately, Childress says, it will take a team effort to help immigrants succeed in the face of the difficult problems that brought them to the U.S. in search of a new start.

“The key message is that refugee populations are full of wonderful, hard-working families who are silently struggling with significant challenges, and it is essential that the profession, services and the general population are more aware, informed and better equipped to help them. meet these challenges effectively.”