Separation beyond Borders
Separation beyond Borders
It was September 12, 2011 when I left my home country and settled in another. 7 years have passed and I have never been more thankful to Canada for allowing us to have the life that we have now. At the beginning, I questioned my parent’s decision but every time I ask, they would reply “we did it for you”. It took me while before I could have understood what they meant. Now, I wouldn’t change it for anything.
As an immigrant myself, I do know the hardships that come with leaving your home and starting a new life. However, my situation was clearly different from those who are fleeing their countries to save their lives and their families. For a few months now, I have been watching stories about families being separated under the newly imposed Zero Tolerance Immigration Policy of President Trump. Looking at the story from both sides, I could understand the logic between the policy as it aims to protect its border, its laws, and citizens. However, I do feel that the forcible separation of families pose traumatic effects on the development of children and family relationships.
Poverty is one of the biggest factors for immigration. Families are leaving their home countries to seek better lives in thriving countries such as the United States. According to Blair and Raver (2012), “it is well established that the material and psychosocial contexts of poverty adversely affect multiple aspects of development in children” (p. 309-318). Families have risked their lives to ensure a better future for their children but they have experienced the opposite. As reported by The Intercept (2018), “children separated from their parents are at a higher risk of developing long-term health problems from toxic stress”. Aside from health factors, trauma can impact an individual’s mental, emotional, and psychological aspect (Bartol and Bartol, 2016). Traumatic experiences in childhood such as family separation can lead to adverse effects such as violence and delinquency (Thornberry, Smith, Rivera, Huizinga, and Stouthamer-Loeber, 1999).
I have brought up this topic to give my opinion on both sides of the story. To gain entry and residence in another country, one needs to go through the legal process. At the same time, is it justifiable to punish children and parents by separating them? Instead of resorting to unethical means, we should consider a solution that will benefit both sides. Before we do, there should be public discussion regarding the pros and cons of separating families before passing the zero tolerance immigration policies. With that, I do believe that separation goes beyond borders.
Reference
Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2016). Criminal behavior: A psychological approach. 11th Edition. Boston: Pearson.
Blair, C., & Raver, C. C. (2012). Child development in the context of adversity: Experiential canalization of brain and behavior. American Psychologist, 67, 309–318.
The Intercept (26 Aug 2018). Children separated under Trump’s “Zero Tolerance” Policy say their trauma continues. Retrieved Dec 9, 2018 from https://theintercept.com/2018/08/26/children-separated-under-trumps-zero-tolerance-policy-say-their-trauma-continues/
Thornberry, T. P., Smith, C. A., Rivera, C., Huizinga, D., and Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (1999). Family Disruption and Delinquency. Juvenile Justice Bulletin, 1-5.