What is it about?
Many unaccompanied immigrant minors (UIM) have been through multiple traumatic events, without their parents to accompany or shield them, but exhibit strength through adversity. This study illustrates UIMs' personal strengths and how families, communities and policy can be interconnected and supportive of youth resilience. Individual strengths include youth assets and beliefs that come from their culture and faith. Family strengths include social support, reunification, and messages of resilience. Community strengths include access to services, support for culture and faith, sense of belonging, allyship and advocacy, and supportive shelter environments. Policy strengths include humanitarian immigration relief and support for family reunification, access to services, and standards of care.
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Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Why is it important?
UIM migration from Central America to the U.S. is one of the largest, most complex youth migrations worldwide. This work informs recommendations for family, community and policy support for UIM and clinical services based on their strengths and needs. Understanding UIMs' resilience shines a light on protective factors and informs actionable recommendations for strengths-based services, community resources, and policy initiatives that can enhance community capacity to receive them. Together, these recommendations can provide critical layers of support for these youth who have risked so much in search of safety in the United States.
Perspectives
Many stories are being told about migrant youth and their families that are shaping community conversations and immigration policy, but these are incomplete and their resilience is often overlooked. Immigration poses challenges, but also opportunities, for youth and families and also for the U.S. As the proud child of immigrant parents, including an unaccompanied minor, I felt it was important to document the strengths and needs of UIM. These youth express a desire to prove that they can make positive contributions to the U.S., and those who came before them often have. They draw from their personal and family strengths and from their culture and faith and also benefit from community support and policy protections. Together, and with the help of many dedicated professionals, these layers of support open doors to safety and a brighter future in the U.S.
Diana Formoso
Nova Southeastern University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: “This is a story of resilience!” A multicontextual view of protective factors for unaccompanied immigrant minors., Translational Issues in Psychological Science, November 2024, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/tps0000422.
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