Immigration Reform and the Potential for Psychosocial Trauma: The Missing Link of Lived Human Experience
Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy
Published online on July 07, 2011
Abstract
Immigration reform has come to the forefront of the political arena again, most recently sparked by the controversy surrounding Arizona Senate Bill (ASB) 1070. Mostly missing from these discussions is a focus on the impact upon lived human conditions that may result from such legislative reform. This article examines the literature regarding the stress and potential psychosocial trauma that may be associated with immigration and the acculturation process, with an emphasis on the effects of the ASB 1070. The article concludes by identifying relevant implications for research.