Professor Patton

English B1A

04  November 2024

THESIS:The specific challenges confronted by immigrants in regard to alcoholism include; a negative stigma attached to its practice, lack of health facilities that cater to mental issues and the trees acquired during the immigration process which can worsen the addiction problem. Alleviation of these problems could involve the use of socioculturally tailored approaches and supportive resources considering the socio-cultural dimensions of the client and the level of acculturation of the client into the society.

Main Idea: Alcohol can be a cruel substance in many people's lives. They often struggle with this silent battle when migrating to a new country for the first time either alone or with others. They also tend to struggle adapting to their new society, isolation, financial pressures,and discrimination. Mental Health is very important as well immigrants tend to struggle deeply with their mental health.It also ties in with their trauma and family issues, and what they have dealt with in their past.It also gives them the ability to create instability, strain on relationships, financial difficulties, and can even lead to neglect or abuse of children. Many immigrants migrate to other countries to get a better job and provide for their families, it puts a weight on their shoulders by dealing with the economy and employment pressure. 

In this article about Puerto Rican Alcohol Abuse when migrating. 

  “Alcohol abuse and acculturation among Puerto Ricans in the United States; a sociological study”. The text states that, when migrating it can be difficult to adjust to a new place. So immigrants deal with the fact of loneliness and other things. So the only way they can cope with their depression is abusing their alcohol limit. “No statistically significant differences were found among subjects in the low, partial and high acculturation categories in terms of their levels of acculturative stress, or their frequency and amount of alcohol consumption. Significant associations were found, however, between stress and alcohol and illegal drug use. Findings suggest that the associations between alcohol/drug use and stress were significantly stronger among female and United States-born subjects. Study findings also suggest differences between Puerto Rican and other Latino alcohol users in the United States.”

This next article“Alcohol Use of First-Generation Immigrants.” is about First Generation immigrants abusing their alcohol limit. It states that, “While the reported percentage of first-generation immigrants struggling with alcohol abuse is lower than second-generation immigrants, getting access to treatment is more difficult for this group. Additionally, the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder increases depending on the age the person was when they entered the US.” The percentages in this article states that when you're a second generation immigrant you have more pressure put on you because you want to make your generation above you proud. So with that it puts more might on their shoulders and can cause depression and substance abuse. 

Works Cited:

“Alcohol Use of First-Generation Immigrants.” Alcohol.org, alcohol.org/alcoholism-and-race/immigrants/.

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WebTYs.com. “Academic Book: Alcohol Abuse and Acculturation among Puerto Ricans in the United States: A Sociological Study.” Mellenpress.com, 2024, mellenpress.com/book/Alcohol-Abuse-and-Acculturation-Among-Puerto-Ricans-in-the-United-States-A-Sociological-Study/6339/. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

“Alcohol Use of First-Generation Immigrants.” Alcohol.org, alcohol.org/alcoholism-and-race/immigrants/.

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WebTYs.com. “Academic Book: Alcohol Abuse and Acculturation among Puerto Ricans in the United States: A Sociological Study.” Mellenpress.com, 2024, mellenpress.com/book/Alcohol-Abuse-and-Acculturation-Among-Puerto-Ricans-in-the-United-States-A-Sociological-Study/6339/. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

Grande, Reyna. The Distance Between Us: A Memoir. Atria Books, 2012.

This supports the idea that children who are separated from their families often suffer from mental health problems like anxiety and depression that can last a long time.

This proves that while resilience is possible, the stress caused by separation and other challenges still harms children's mental health, supporting the need for care and support.

"Immigrant Children and Youth: Psychological Challenges." ProtoView, Sept. 2015. 

Latino Families Broken by Immigration : The Adolescents' Perceptions. By Ceres I. Artico. New York: LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC, 2003.

 Alpysbekova, Aigerim, et al. "A comparative study of Venezuelan immigrants' pre- and post-migration concerns for their children in the United States and Colombia." PLoS ONE, vol. 19, no. 12, 23 Dec. 2024, p. E0313215.

Shadid, Olivia, and Shawn Singh Sidhu. “The Mental Health Effects of Migrant Family Separation.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatryvol. 60,9 (2021): 1052-1055. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2021.02.018

MacLean, Sarah A et al. “Characterization of the mental health of immigrant children separated from their mothers at the U.S.-Mexico border.” Psychiatry research vol. 286 (2020): 112555. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112555

Professor Patton

English B1AL

April 26th 2025

THESIS: Being separated from their families causes children to feel abandoned, which often leads to long-term mental health problems like anxiety and depression.

Main Idea: A children often cry, feel scared or feel lost when they are separated from their parents. The bond between a child and a parent is a key part of emotional safety. When that bond is broken suddenly, the child may not feel safe anymore. Children show signs of fear, sadness and confusion during and after separation. This stress can have a long term effect on their mental health and behavior. Some children begin to have trouble sleeping or eating. Others stop talking or withdraw from others. Children often feel helpless and hopeless without their parents. They may think their family is never coming back. This can lead to depression or even trauma. Separation during childhood can lead tom lifelong struggles. Adults who went through separation as kids still carry emotional pain. Without mental health care the damage may grow worse over time. Some policies. allow or even require family separation at the border. These decisions don't always consider the emotional harm caused. Families are often separated without clear explanations or timelines. These policies add more fear to already difficult immigration journeys. Children already fleeing danger now face more trauma. The lack of mental health support makes it worse. A children who receive counseling or therapy often show improvement. Safe spaces and trusted adults help kids express their feelings. Programs that focus on emotional healing are effective. Reuniting families also helps children feel safe again. Once they're back with their parents, children begin to feel normal again. Healing begins with love, support and safety. Children feel most stable when they stay with their families. Even during difficult immigration journeys family support helps. Policies should aim to protect. not separate. Experts agree that preventing separation is key to protecting mental health. Long term outcomes are better when children are not separated.

Works Cited:

Shadid, Olivia, and Shawn Singh Sidhu. “The Mental Health Effects of Migrant Family Separation.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatryvol.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33691151/

“The Mental Health Effects of Migrant Family Separation.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatryvol. 60,9 (2021): 1052-1055. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2021.02.018

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33691151/

Shadid, Olivia, and Shawn Singh Sidhu. “The Mental Health Effects of Migrant Family Separation.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatryvol. 60,9 (2021): 1052-1055. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2021.02.018