PSYC 137: Seminar In Multicultural Psychology (SC)

Psychosocial Experiences and Adjustment of Migrants: Coming to the USA explores the emotional experiences of migrants seeking to come to America, including psychological sequelae of such relocation from one's home country to another country. This book is divided into three main parts. The first introduces the reader to the foundational principles of migration. Next, the chapter authors review individuals and families who come to the United States through "orderly" migration, profiling the experiences of immigrants from various countries and regions. The next set of chapters discuss "forced" migration, examining the relative impact of social and legal challenges and the psychological impact. The book wraps up with research, advocacy and mental health and social services options for migrants.

Exploring immigration from psychological, historical, clinical, and mythical perspectives, this book considers the varied and complex answers to questions of why people immigrate to entirely new places and leave behind their familiar surroundings and culture. Using research reviews, extensive case material, and literary examples (such as Virgil's The Aeneid), Robert Tyminski's work will deepen readers' understanding of what is both unique and universal about migratory experiences. He addresses the negative consequences of xenophobia, the acculturation experiences of children compared to adults, the trauma and psychological issues that arise when seeking refuge or relocating to a new country, and the more recent implications of COVID-19 upon border crossings. Tyminski also re-evaluates the term identity as a psychological shorthand, suggesting that it can flatten our understanding of human complexity and erase migrant and refugee life stories and differences. As one of few books to investigate immigration from a Jungian-oriented perspective, Robert Tyminski's work offers a new and broad perspective on the mental health issues related to immigration. This book will prove essential for clinicians working with refugees and migrants, when in training and in practice, as well as students and practitioners of psychoanalysis seeking to deepen their understanding of migratory experiences.