IMMIGRATION REFORM & MENTAL HEALTH

At the core of the current debate on immigration is the focus on quality of life. From this perspective, immigration is a mental health issue

The vast majority of those who immigrate to this country do so because they want to make a decent life for their children and families, they value having a job and want to be productive members of society.

Having a “merit system” that fails to take into consideration the importance of family is actually short sighted and counterproductive.

Family members play an invaluable role in the overall well being of an individual. Coming to a new country is in and of itself a stressful situation, but research shows that new immigrants actually have fewer mental health problems when given the support of their community which includes the extended family. If they continue to live in a supportive environment and receive quality services when necessary, the immigrant and future generations can become very productive members of society. They enrich the mosaic and add to the diversity that is a strength of this country.

Keeping family members apart is extremely anxiety provoking, can lead to depression and other mental health or behavioral problems that in the long run only results in poorer work performance and productivity. This can be avoided by insuring a fair and humane system that places a high priority on the reunification of families for immigrants.

The proposed legislation reflects an elitist system that places a higher value on education than the family. This implies that working class immigrants aren't as important as those with a higher education and fails to take into consideration the contribution of family members and what they add to the economy.

Choosing education over family as a selection criteria creates a false dichotomy that is completely unnecessary and only results in conflict that could readily be dissolved by respecting both. There is no reason to not value the education and skill level of new immigrants while still respecting and understanding the value of the family.

The proposed elimination of family categories comes at a time when many working class Southeast Asians who entered as refugees are becoming naturalized citizens. They will not be able to reunify with their close relatives who were left behind. This can have devastating emotional consequences for these individuals who have already experienced tremendous trauma and multiple losses because of the war in Southeast Asia . To then be denied the hope of being reunited with families is cruel and unjust and all but guarantees adding to the mental health problems for family members on both sides of the ocean.

NAAPIMHA is very concerned that the current discussion on immigration reform will have a negative impact on the families of immigrants and refugees. We are strongly opposed to any bill that would severely reduce or eliminate any of the current family categories that allows an immigrant to sponsor other family members to join them.

NAAPIMHA will be working with AAPI serving community based organizations as well as those from the Latino, African American and American Indian communities to continue the discussion on mental health disparities and how this disproportionately impacts communities of color. We will also be working with national mental health advocacy groups to make sure that the mental health receives the attention it deserves in the upcoming election.