Indigenous Perspective: Hope, Resilience, and Adaptation of Migrants and Refugees

Background and Purpose:

Resilience in refugees is not only influenced by the nature of pre-migration trauma but also by post-migration psychosocial circumstances and living conditions. Coping with a lack of resources, external social support and systemic factors are vital to sustain refugees' resilience. Traumatic loss is associated with strengthening religious coping, daily spiritual experiences, and organized religiousness and despite the great hardships and trauma, immigrants are remarkably resilient and adaptive with positive coping skills. The proposed study examines how migrants and refugees from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Middle East experience hope and resilience despite discrimination and oppression, and how they adapt to a new environment. The research questions of this study are: (1) How do migrants and refugees experience hope and resilience despite discrimination and oppression?; (2) How do migrants and refugees adjust to their new home in the U.S.?; and (3) How do hope and resilience influence the adjustment of migrants and refugees in the U.S.?

Methods:

The study was conducted with 20 migrants and refugees from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Middle East 18 years of age and over. The study employed a qualitative research method with individual interviews in-person, via Zoom or phone. The two instruments were used in this study: the participant interview guide and the participant demographic questionnaire. Interviews were conducted either in the participant’s native language (Spanish or Arabic) or English, depending on the preference of research participants. Native language speaking interpreters were used for the participants. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify common themes within the transcribed interviews.

Results:

Key findings that emerged as coping mechanisms that immigrants and refugees utilize to adjust to their new home in the U.S. include the following: sense of belonging, religious faith, praying, collective healing (crying together, remembrance/reminiscence, sharing food, sharing stories, helping others, playing music in community), gratitude, and intergenerational strength.

Participants feel part of the United States and feel like they have the right to be able to celebrate all festivities more completely when they become citizen. Religious faith and praying are powerful methods to overcome challenges they face. They experience collective healing through crying together and sharing memories, foods, and stories of hope and success. Playing music and helping others in the community helped them feel relieved from the chaos and trauma that they experienced during the war as well as build a sense of belonging in their community. They are grateful for hardships and difficulties because they gain strengths, wisdom, and positive perspective on life. They want to pass their faith, hope, resilience, and their experience of making traditional food down to their children along with their stories of how they could get through the challenges.

Conclusions and Implications:

The study contributes to acknowledging how migrants and refugees experience hope and resilience as well as what are the unique experiences and challenges that they encounter during the journey to the U.S. Furthermore, the study helps to develop culturally competent assessment and interventions in working with this population.