International Perspectives On Trauma And Resilience Among Immigrant Students

Abstract

Schools with immigrant populations must find ways to support their students' success when there may be many culturally-and psychologically-diverse factors influencing their progress, including trauma and resilience. We asked whether there are causes and manifestations of trauma and resilience for immigrant students that can be identified through narratives and whether educators can develop supports for immigrants using research on trauma and resilience. Our purpose was to analyze narratives of immigrant students in U.S. schools, as well as review relevant studies, to guide development of school supports. We analyzed 28 stories of immigrant students (of equal gender) in New York City (Grades 8-12), originating from 10 countries across 4 continents using relevant research on trauma and resilience.Through coding and comparisons of themes, we found that the majority of students experienced traumarelated stressors of racism, xenophobia, loss of family, and language/social isolation while also describing resiliency-related factors, including peer interactions and family supports. The number of stressors and factors in the students' stories reflect the varied and complex nature of students' experiences in schools, suggesting that school responses to students must be equally varied, emphasizing the unique assets and needs of each. Part of a larger study on micro-, meso-and macro-analysis, we address the findings and offer implications for school policy and practices.