13
This article was downloaded by: [University of Chicago Library] On: 17 November 2014, At: 21:53 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/whum20 The Adultification of Refugee Children Maria Elena Puig PhD a a Department of Social Work , Colorado State University , Fort Collins, CO, USA Published online: 12 Oct 2008. To cite this article: Maria Elena Puig PhD (2002) The Adultification of Refugee Children, Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 5:3-4, 85-95, DOI: 10.1300/J137v05n03_05 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J137v05n03_05 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan,

The Adultification of Refugee Children

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Page 1: The Adultification of Refugee Children

This article was downloaded by [University of Chicago Library]On 17 November 2014 At 2153Publisher RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number 1072954Registered office Mortimer House 37-41 Mortimer Street London W1T 3JHUK

Journal of Human Behavior inthe Social EnvironmentPublication details including instructions forauthors and subscription informationhttpwwwtandfonlinecomloiwhum20

The Adultification of RefugeeChildrenMaria Elena Puig PhD aa Department of Social Work Colorado StateUniversity Fort Collins CO USAPublished online 12 Oct 2008

To cite this article Maria Elena Puig PhD (2002) The Adultification of RefugeeChildren Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment 53-4 85-95 DOI101300J137v05n03_05

To link to this article httpdxdoiorg101300J137v05n03_05

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor amp Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all theinformation (the ldquoContentrdquo) contained in the publications on our platformHowever Taylor amp Francis our agents and our licensors make norepresentations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy completenessor suitability for any purpose of the Content Any opinions and viewsexpressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors andare not the views of or endorsed by Taylor amp Francis The accuracy of theContent should not be relied upon and should be independently verified withprimary sources of information Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for anylosses actions claims proceedings demands costs expenses damagesand other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly orindirectly in connection with in relation to or arising out of the use of theContent

This article may be used for research teaching and private study purposesAny substantial or systematic reproduction redistribution reselling loan

sub-licensing systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone isexpressly forbidden Terms amp Conditions of access and use can be found athttpwwwtandfonlinecompageterms-and-conditions

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The Adultification of Refugee ChildrenImplications for Cross-Cultural

Social Work Practice

Maria Elena Puig

SUMMARY This paper presents the findings of a study that examinesthe social and emotional adjustment of adultified Cuban refugee childrenfrom the 1994-1995 Guantanamo wave It also discusses how changes infamily roles affect intergenerational relations and family well-being andhow the migration and resettlement experience affects parentchild rolesand disrupts the refugee family [Article copies available for a fee from TheHaworth Document Delivery Service 1-800-HAWORTH E-mail addressltgetinfohaworthpressinccomgt Website lthttpwwwHaworthPresscomgt copy 2002by The Haworth Press Inc All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS Migration refugees adultification Cubans

My daughter openly defies us I believe it is because we are busyworking and because we donrsquot speak English We always have toask her for help (Excerpt from an interview with a Cuban refugeefamily)

Maria Elena Puig PhD is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work atColorado State University in Fort Collins CO She is the former Refugee and Entrant Di-rector for the State of Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Servicesrsquo Officeof Refugee Affairs Dr Puigrsquos research focuses primarily on Cuban refugee issues

[Haworth co-indexing entry note] ldquoThe Adultification of Refugee Children Implications for Cross-Cul-tural Social Work Practicerdquo Puig Maria Elena Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Human Behaviorin the Social Environment (The Haworth Social Work Practice Press an imprint of The Haworth Press Inc)Vol 5 No 34 2002 pp 85-95 and LatinoHispanic Liaisons and Visions for Human Behavior in the SocialEnvironment (ed Joseacute B Torres and Felix G Rivera) The Haworth Social Work Practice Press an imprint ofThe Haworth Press Inc 2002 pp 85-95 Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee fromThe Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HAWORTH 900 am - 500 pm (EST) E-mail addressgetinfohaworthpressinccom]

2002 by The Haworth Press Inc All rights reserved 85

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INTRODUCTION

Since 1959 when the first group of Cubans arrived in the UnitedStates as political refugees two aspects of this migration have remainedthe same First Cuban refugees have come in waves and second eachwave has brought Cubans with distinct cultural beliefs cultural valuesnorms and behaviors As a result each refugeersquos reaction to living inthe US has varied and added to the diversity of Cubansrsquo migration andresettlement experiences

Often the Cuban migration experience has involved the unsettling offamilies as the difficulty of maintaining the culture of origin combinedwith the effects of assimilation and acculturation render parents power-less to deal with the new environment Oftentimes as parents struggleto keep traditions and resist cultural norms from the country of settle-ment refugee children quickly learn to adjust and adapt to the new con-ditions and environment The roles of parents and children are usuallydisrupted and unwittingly responsibilities shift as refugee children as-sume obligations that do not correspond to their chronological emo-tional or psychological age The adjustment of the refugee family isfrequently agitated by this differential process of assimilation (CaninoEarley amp Rogler 1980)

For social work practitioners working with refugees from any coun-try the need to understand the emotional psychological and culturalconsequences of displacement and differential assimilation is criticalFirst practitioners need to appreciate that what happens to individualrefugees and their families depends on a myriad of factors includingwhy and how they left their country and culture of origin and how re-settlement efforts were effected Second because migration and reset-tlement automatically disrupt family life social workers must helprefugee families deal with the trauma and stress of the displacement ex-perience Issues surrounding loss and bereavement must be exploredbecause these families have lost contact with relatives friends commu-nities and parts of their cultural self-identity Third social workersshould assist refugee parents and children in dealing with the disloca-tion their families experience as a result of their unfamiliarity with cul-tural norms and values of the host country (Cervantes Salgado deSnyder amp Padilla 1989) The recognition that these families have spe-cific emotional and behavioral reactions to coping and adapting to a dif-ferent cultural environment will lead practitioners to have a greaterunderstanding of the psychological reactions of refugee adults and chil-dren

86 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Although this paper presents the findings of a study on Cuban refu-gee families the application of these findings however are relevant tosocial work practice with all other refugee populations This paper ex-plores the social and emotional adjustment of adultified Cuban refugeechildren from the 1994-1995 Guantanamo wave and how changes infamily roles affects intergenerational relations and family well-being Italso opens the door for further inquiry on the resiliency of refugee chil-dren as there is much to learn about how children and adults cope withtheir refugee experiences

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY POPULATION

In 1994 the existence of balseros or Cubans who left their homelandin rafts became the focus of both national and international politicaland media attention Unlike previous waves of Cuban refugees thebalseros were part of a group of exiles whose departure did not grantthem immediate entry into the United States Instead these Cubans wereintercepted at sea and taken to the US Naval Base in GuantanamoEventually more than 37000 Cuban balseros were detained inGuantanamo including 2833 accompanied minors under the age of 17and 69 unaccompanied children (US Seventh Coast Guard District Cu-ban Rescue Statistics 1995) On January 261996 the last 127 balseroswere flown out of Guantanamo and brought to the US ending an18-month detention period for the majority of these refugees

Review of the Literature

Research studies on refugee children indicate that these children gen-erally have an easier time with assimilation and acculturation becausethey are exposed to various socialization systems including the schoolteachers classmates and friends (Eisenbruch 1988 Gopaul-McNicol1995 Huyck amp Fields 1981 Nikelly 1997 Szapocznik KurtinezHervis amp Spencer 1983) The literature describes how refugee chil-dren acculturate and assimilate and how culture is transmitted per-ceived interpreted and internalized (Ho 1995 Okum 1990 Sue ampSue 1990 Tarpley 1993 Triandis 1994 Wolcott 1991) Much of thisis reported in positive terms as narratives recount how newly arrivedrefugee children learn to develop appropriate coping skills and re-sponses that correspond to their new social and cultural environment

Maria Elena Puig 87

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In spite of the number of children who can cope and adjust to theirnew environment there is growing concern among mental health prac-titioners that many of these children are not as irrepressible as the ste-reotype would suggest (Eisenbruch 1988 Hulewat 1996 Roer-Strier1997 Thomas 1995) Studies corroborate that problems among refu-gee populations particularly children are likely to surface during ado-lescence or even later in life in second- and third-generation refugeechildren (Pittman 1987 Sluski 1979 Szapocznik et al 1983)

One of the most significant human problems confronting refugeechildren is adultification or when a child assumes adult roles beforeadulthood (Galan 1992) Adultification usually occurs among this pop-ulation as a result of parentsrsquo inability to cope with the aftermath of themigration experience Rinsley (1971) sees child adultification as adult-omorphization in which the parent ldquoprojects into the child their ownreservoir of magic-omnipotence and infantile grandiosity Such a childbecomes in the parentrsquos mind a powerful omniscient beingrdquo (p 11)Much of this child adultification centers parentsrsquo relative powerlessnessto manage life in a new environment in a new language and in a newculture with a different value system (Eisenbruch 1988) This role re-versal has been linked to parentsrsquo general inability to function in thenew culture and environment (Eisenbruch 1988)

As refugee children assimilate studies show that they are more apt todevelop bilingual and bicultural skills and coping responses that pro-vide them with greater ability and power to manage social situations(Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Refugee children are called uponto translate intervene and use their dual-frame of reference to helptheir parents relate and understand the host culture and society Conse-quently they learn sophisticated code-switching responses as well ashigh levels of social sensitivity skills that allow these children to de-velop an acute appreciation of the difficulties their monolingualmonocultural parents experience (Puig 1997) In addition the literatureon the interrelated problems of separation loss coping and adaptationin childhood points to the fact that human coping and adaptation de-pends on the interplay between the individual and his or her environ-ment (Berry 1986 Roer-Strier 1997 Thomas 1995) For refugeechildren much of this coping and adaptation is brought about as a resultof their ability to acculturate and assimilate

As acculturation occurs refugee children understand the need tomake personal adjustments that allow for the integration of their ethnicidentity into the new culture (Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Thisintegration includes adopting a new value system and developing cul-

88 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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tural competence within that system (Puig 1997) Esquivel and Keitel(1990) Goodstein (1990) and Thomas (1995) further point to the in-creased amount of conflict among refugee families as children begin todevelop autonomy and differentiation When refugee children realizethey have acquired the ability to manage most social situations conflictgenerally occurs with one or both parents lacking bicultural capabilitiesThese conflicts often contribute to the increased vulnerability of family re-lationships as cross-generational cross-cultural and interactional prob-lems begin to escalate among refugee families Threats to family unitywhether real or imagined are part of the crises with which refugees mustcontend and social workers must redress The lack of adequate researchon the benefits or drawbacks of assimilation among Cuban refugeeshas resulted in mental health professionals assuming that many of thesechildren will be seen as clients in later years when they are no longerclassified as either children or refugees (Eisenbruch 1988)

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether Cu-ban refugee children from the Guantanamo immigration wave experi-enced adultification upon their arrival in the US It also explored howchanges in family roles affected intergenerational relations and familywell-being as a result of parentsrsquo inability to mediate societal situationsin the new environment

Grounding this study was the work of Karp and Yoels (1993) andMcCall and Simmons (1982) concerning the development of self andsocial interaction Using social interaction as a theoretical base thisstudy explored how Cuban refugee children and their parents definedtheir roles and how these were interpreted in terms of both the expecta-tions others had of them and the expectations they had of themselves

METHODOLOGY

Using a non-experimental design and qualitative and quantitative meth-odologies this study involved the administration of a Spanish languagestructured questionnaire to collect data concerning the adultification of thechildren and the parentsrsquo perception of this process Respondents wereasked to react in writing to a set of open-ended questions that addressed

Maria Elena Puig 89

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acculturation and assimilation issues and the familyrsquos perception oftheir well-being

Sample

A non-probability sampling procedure was used to select 75 Cubanrefugee families (n = 50 adults n = 25 children) who had been part ofthe balserosGuantanamo refugee wave This method was selected be-cause of the nature of the research the authorrsquos knowledge of the popu-lation and the purpose of the study

Eighty percent of the adult sample population (n = 50) was predom-inantly White with Black Cubans and mulattoes respectively mak-ing up the other twenty percent The majority of adult respondentswere females (82) with males comprising eighteen percent of thesample The mean age for adults was 368 years with a mean familyincome of $12191 Sixty percent of the adults were married nonespoke English and all reported having been detained in GuantanamoThe sample for children (n = 25) reflected the same racial make-up asthe parents Fifty-three percent of the children were males with fe-males comprising forty-seven percent of the sample The mean age forchildren was 117 years and all reported attending school and speak-ing English

FINDINGS

In relation to the findings concerning the adultification of Cuban ref-ugee children sixty-four percent of parents reported having to rely ontheir children to help translate deal with landlords and manage situa-tions involving school personnel government officials and social ser-vices providers Oftentimes children paid the bills dealt with socialinstitutions such as banks and schools and also did the shopping partic-ularly if it required going to non-Spanish owned stores Seventy-twopercent of the parents confirmed that when they received a call or writ-ten notice from their childrenrsquos teachers they relied on the children totranslate andor explain the communication in their native languageFifty-seven percent of parents acknowledged that the use of their chil-dren in this manner ldquofelt wrongrdquo Many believed that it was leading to alack of trust cooperation and respect within the family

Sixty-nine percent of the parents attributed these changing family dy-namics to the constant conflict between the ldquonew ways and traditional

90 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Cuban valuesrdquo When parents were asked to assess who had more influ-ence and control in the family the majority (78) acknowledged thattheir children had the power because they provided ldquo the connectionto the outside worldrdquo Language was often cited by a majority of theparents (98) as the reason for the childrenrsquos influence and control

Responses from the children confirmed their having to assume manyadult related responsibilities Seventy-four percent of the children indi-cated it was their fluency in English that caused them to be given and ac-cept these obligations The majority of them (89) admitted beingembarrassed about their parentsrsquo inability to speak or understand Eng-lish One-third indicated their parents ldquodid not existrdquo Approximatelyforty-five percent of the children reported feeling frustrated at having todeal with these situations In their narratives children often stated theywere ldquo tired of always having to explain things to them (parents)rdquoSixty-six percent asserted that they ldquojust wanted to be left alonerdquo

Examining the parentsrsquo and childrenrsquos perception of their familywell-being adult respondents who were white Cubans rated their fam-ily well-being higher than those who were black or mulattoes Analysisof variance and chi-square tests indicated that race as a variable wassignificantly related to family well-being (see Table 1)

Even though ldquoracerdquo was not a primary construct for evaluation in thisstudy this finding points to its continued importance in US cultureFor recently arrived Cuban refugees of color the prejudice racism anddiscrimination they confronted provided a rude awakening to Americanculture and life

For the children age was an important variable that helped to modifytheir perception of personal well-being Younger children were foundto experience greater confusion over their roles and understanding ofsituations than older children This sense of uncertainty was alluded toin their narratives and appears to have distorted their sense of self andwell-being For older children their opinions concerning personalwell-being fluctuated Those who identified with their parents had ahigher perception of well-being in comparison to those who did notThese children generally had withdrawn from the family and appearedanxious Many wrote about the confusion they experienced betweenwanting to take care of their parents and wanting to retreat from them al-together

In their narratives parents recounted their struggles since coming tothe United States and wrote about their realization that life in this coun-try was much more difficult than previously envisioned Most parentsindicated feeling overwhelmed due to a combination of factors includ-

Maria Elena Puig 91

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ing nostalgia for their homeland and family anger and frustration overtheir inabilities to deal with the culture their language limitations andconcerns over the changes they were experiencing as a family

One mother wrote

Una nota positiva es que he encontrado libertad y que le he podidodar a mi hijo la oportunidad de ser lo que el quiera Pero sientomuch nostalgia por un pasado que se que jamas volvere a tener

(On a positive note I have found liberty and I have been able togive my son the opportunity to become whatever he wishes But Ifeel a great sadness for a past that I know I will never have again)

Other parents wrote of their frustrations and disappointment in mak-ing the transition from their homeland to their new environment in theUS Several mothers shared comparable feelings when they wrote

Venir a estepais ha sido muy dificil Mi familia ha cambiadomucho Muchas veces me siento oprimida

(Coming to this country has been very difficult My family haschanged greatly Many times I felt have felt depressed and over-whelmed)

Mi hija se opone abiertamente contra nosotros Creo que es porqueestamos muy ocupados trabajando y por que no hablamos InglesSiempre tenemos que pedirle que nos ayude Tambien tenemosmuy poco tiempo para la familia (My daughter openly defies us Ibelieve it is because we are very busy working and because wedonrsquot speak English We always have to ask for her help We alsohave very little time for the family)

92 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TABLE 1 Analysis of Variance

Source of Variation Sum ofSquares

DF MeanSquare

F Sig of F

Main effects

Family well-being 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Explained 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Residual 13295 42 317

Total 17159 43 399

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A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

Maria Elena Puig 93

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ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

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Page 2: The Adultification of Refugee Children

sub-licensing systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone isexpressly forbidden Terms amp Conditions of access and use can be found athttpwwwtandfonlinecompageterms-and-conditions

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nloa

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The Adultification of Refugee ChildrenImplications for Cross-Cultural

Social Work Practice

Maria Elena Puig

SUMMARY This paper presents the findings of a study that examinesthe social and emotional adjustment of adultified Cuban refugee childrenfrom the 1994-1995 Guantanamo wave It also discusses how changes infamily roles affect intergenerational relations and family well-being andhow the migration and resettlement experience affects parentchild rolesand disrupts the refugee family [Article copies available for a fee from TheHaworth Document Delivery Service 1-800-HAWORTH E-mail addressltgetinfohaworthpressinccomgt Website lthttpwwwHaworthPresscomgt copy 2002by The Haworth Press Inc All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS Migration refugees adultification Cubans

My daughter openly defies us I believe it is because we are busyworking and because we donrsquot speak English We always have toask her for help (Excerpt from an interview with a Cuban refugeefamily)

Maria Elena Puig PhD is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work atColorado State University in Fort Collins CO She is the former Refugee and Entrant Di-rector for the State of Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Servicesrsquo Officeof Refugee Affairs Dr Puigrsquos research focuses primarily on Cuban refugee issues

[Haworth co-indexing entry note] ldquoThe Adultification of Refugee Children Implications for Cross-Cul-tural Social Work Practicerdquo Puig Maria Elena Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Human Behaviorin the Social Environment (The Haworth Social Work Practice Press an imprint of The Haworth Press Inc)Vol 5 No 34 2002 pp 85-95 and LatinoHispanic Liaisons and Visions for Human Behavior in the SocialEnvironment (ed Joseacute B Torres and Felix G Rivera) The Haworth Social Work Practice Press an imprint ofThe Haworth Press Inc 2002 pp 85-95 Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee fromThe Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HAWORTH 900 am - 500 pm (EST) E-mail addressgetinfohaworthpressinccom]

2002 by The Haworth Press Inc All rights reserved 85

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INTRODUCTION

Since 1959 when the first group of Cubans arrived in the UnitedStates as political refugees two aspects of this migration have remainedthe same First Cuban refugees have come in waves and second eachwave has brought Cubans with distinct cultural beliefs cultural valuesnorms and behaviors As a result each refugeersquos reaction to living inthe US has varied and added to the diversity of Cubansrsquo migration andresettlement experiences

Often the Cuban migration experience has involved the unsettling offamilies as the difficulty of maintaining the culture of origin combinedwith the effects of assimilation and acculturation render parents power-less to deal with the new environment Oftentimes as parents struggleto keep traditions and resist cultural norms from the country of settle-ment refugee children quickly learn to adjust and adapt to the new con-ditions and environment The roles of parents and children are usuallydisrupted and unwittingly responsibilities shift as refugee children as-sume obligations that do not correspond to their chronological emo-tional or psychological age The adjustment of the refugee family isfrequently agitated by this differential process of assimilation (CaninoEarley amp Rogler 1980)

For social work practitioners working with refugees from any coun-try the need to understand the emotional psychological and culturalconsequences of displacement and differential assimilation is criticalFirst practitioners need to appreciate that what happens to individualrefugees and their families depends on a myriad of factors includingwhy and how they left their country and culture of origin and how re-settlement efforts were effected Second because migration and reset-tlement automatically disrupt family life social workers must helprefugee families deal with the trauma and stress of the displacement ex-perience Issues surrounding loss and bereavement must be exploredbecause these families have lost contact with relatives friends commu-nities and parts of their cultural self-identity Third social workersshould assist refugee parents and children in dealing with the disloca-tion their families experience as a result of their unfamiliarity with cul-tural norms and values of the host country (Cervantes Salgado deSnyder amp Padilla 1989) The recognition that these families have spe-cific emotional and behavioral reactions to coping and adapting to a dif-ferent cultural environment will lead practitioners to have a greaterunderstanding of the psychological reactions of refugee adults and chil-dren

86 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Although this paper presents the findings of a study on Cuban refu-gee families the application of these findings however are relevant tosocial work practice with all other refugee populations This paper ex-plores the social and emotional adjustment of adultified Cuban refugeechildren from the 1994-1995 Guantanamo wave and how changes infamily roles affects intergenerational relations and family well-being Italso opens the door for further inquiry on the resiliency of refugee chil-dren as there is much to learn about how children and adults cope withtheir refugee experiences

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY POPULATION

In 1994 the existence of balseros or Cubans who left their homelandin rafts became the focus of both national and international politicaland media attention Unlike previous waves of Cuban refugees thebalseros were part of a group of exiles whose departure did not grantthem immediate entry into the United States Instead these Cubans wereintercepted at sea and taken to the US Naval Base in GuantanamoEventually more than 37000 Cuban balseros were detained inGuantanamo including 2833 accompanied minors under the age of 17and 69 unaccompanied children (US Seventh Coast Guard District Cu-ban Rescue Statistics 1995) On January 261996 the last 127 balseroswere flown out of Guantanamo and brought to the US ending an18-month detention period for the majority of these refugees

Review of the Literature

Research studies on refugee children indicate that these children gen-erally have an easier time with assimilation and acculturation becausethey are exposed to various socialization systems including the schoolteachers classmates and friends (Eisenbruch 1988 Gopaul-McNicol1995 Huyck amp Fields 1981 Nikelly 1997 Szapocznik KurtinezHervis amp Spencer 1983) The literature describes how refugee chil-dren acculturate and assimilate and how culture is transmitted per-ceived interpreted and internalized (Ho 1995 Okum 1990 Sue ampSue 1990 Tarpley 1993 Triandis 1994 Wolcott 1991) Much of thisis reported in positive terms as narratives recount how newly arrivedrefugee children learn to develop appropriate coping skills and re-sponses that correspond to their new social and cultural environment

Maria Elena Puig 87

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In spite of the number of children who can cope and adjust to theirnew environment there is growing concern among mental health prac-titioners that many of these children are not as irrepressible as the ste-reotype would suggest (Eisenbruch 1988 Hulewat 1996 Roer-Strier1997 Thomas 1995) Studies corroborate that problems among refu-gee populations particularly children are likely to surface during ado-lescence or even later in life in second- and third-generation refugeechildren (Pittman 1987 Sluski 1979 Szapocznik et al 1983)

One of the most significant human problems confronting refugeechildren is adultification or when a child assumes adult roles beforeadulthood (Galan 1992) Adultification usually occurs among this pop-ulation as a result of parentsrsquo inability to cope with the aftermath of themigration experience Rinsley (1971) sees child adultification as adult-omorphization in which the parent ldquoprojects into the child their ownreservoir of magic-omnipotence and infantile grandiosity Such a childbecomes in the parentrsquos mind a powerful omniscient beingrdquo (p 11)Much of this child adultification centers parentsrsquo relative powerlessnessto manage life in a new environment in a new language and in a newculture with a different value system (Eisenbruch 1988) This role re-versal has been linked to parentsrsquo general inability to function in thenew culture and environment (Eisenbruch 1988)

As refugee children assimilate studies show that they are more apt todevelop bilingual and bicultural skills and coping responses that pro-vide them with greater ability and power to manage social situations(Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Refugee children are called uponto translate intervene and use their dual-frame of reference to helptheir parents relate and understand the host culture and society Conse-quently they learn sophisticated code-switching responses as well ashigh levels of social sensitivity skills that allow these children to de-velop an acute appreciation of the difficulties their monolingualmonocultural parents experience (Puig 1997) In addition the literatureon the interrelated problems of separation loss coping and adaptationin childhood points to the fact that human coping and adaptation de-pends on the interplay between the individual and his or her environ-ment (Berry 1986 Roer-Strier 1997 Thomas 1995) For refugeechildren much of this coping and adaptation is brought about as a resultof their ability to acculturate and assimilate

As acculturation occurs refugee children understand the need tomake personal adjustments that allow for the integration of their ethnicidentity into the new culture (Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Thisintegration includes adopting a new value system and developing cul-

88 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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tural competence within that system (Puig 1997) Esquivel and Keitel(1990) Goodstein (1990) and Thomas (1995) further point to the in-creased amount of conflict among refugee families as children begin todevelop autonomy and differentiation When refugee children realizethey have acquired the ability to manage most social situations conflictgenerally occurs with one or both parents lacking bicultural capabilitiesThese conflicts often contribute to the increased vulnerability of family re-lationships as cross-generational cross-cultural and interactional prob-lems begin to escalate among refugee families Threats to family unitywhether real or imagined are part of the crises with which refugees mustcontend and social workers must redress The lack of adequate researchon the benefits or drawbacks of assimilation among Cuban refugeeshas resulted in mental health professionals assuming that many of thesechildren will be seen as clients in later years when they are no longerclassified as either children or refugees (Eisenbruch 1988)

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether Cu-ban refugee children from the Guantanamo immigration wave experi-enced adultification upon their arrival in the US It also explored howchanges in family roles affected intergenerational relations and familywell-being as a result of parentsrsquo inability to mediate societal situationsin the new environment

Grounding this study was the work of Karp and Yoels (1993) andMcCall and Simmons (1982) concerning the development of self andsocial interaction Using social interaction as a theoretical base thisstudy explored how Cuban refugee children and their parents definedtheir roles and how these were interpreted in terms of both the expecta-tions others had of them and the expectations they had of themselves

METHODOLOGY

Using a non-experimental design and qualitative and quantitative meth-odologies this study involved the administration of a Spanish languagestructured questionnaire to collect data concerning the adultification of thechildren and the parentsrsquo perception of this process Respondents wereasked to react in writing to a set of open-ended questions that addressed

Maria Elena Puig 89

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acculturation and assimilation issues and the familyrsquos perception oftheir well-being

Sample

A non-probability sampling procedure was used to select 75 Cubanrefugee families (n = 50 adults n = 25 children) who had been part ofthe balserosGuantanamo refugee wave This method was selected be-cause of the nature of the research the authorrsquos knowledge of the popu-lation and the purpose of the study

Eighty percent of the adult sample population (n = 50) was predom-inantly White with Black Cubans and mulattoes respectively mak-ing up the other twenty percent The majority of adult respondentswere females (82) with males comprising eighteen percent of thesample The mean age for adults was 368 years with a mean familyincome of $12191 Sixty percent of the adults were married nonespoke English and all reported having been detained in GuantanamoThe sample for children (n = 25) reflected the same racial make-up asthe parents Fifty-three percent of the children were males with fe-males comprising forty-seven percent of the sample The mean age forchildren was 117 years and all reported attending school and speak-ing English

FINDINGS

In relation to the findings concerning the adultification of Cuban ref-ugee children sixty-four percent of parents reported having to rely ontheir children to help translate deal with landlords and manage situa-tions involving school personnel government officials and social ser-vices providers Oftentimes children paid the bills dealt with socialinstitutions such as banks and schools and also did the shopping partic-ularly if it required going to non-Spanish owned stores Seventy-twopercent of the parents confirmed that when they received a call or writ-ten notice from their childrenrsquos teachers they relied on the children totranslate andor explain the communication in their native languageFifty-seven percent of parents acknowledged that the use of their chil-dren in this manner ldquofelt wrongrdquo Many believed that it was leading to alack of trust cooperation and respect within the family

Sixty-nine percent of the parents attributed these changing family dy-namics to the constant conflict between the ldquonew ways and traditional

90 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Cuban valuesrdquo When parents were asked to assess who had more influ-ence and control in the family the majority (78) acknowledged thattheir children had the power because they provided ldquo the connectionto the outside worldrdquo Language was often cited by a majority of theparents (98) as the reason for the childrenrsquos influence and control

Responses from the children confirmed their having to assume manyadult related responsibilities Seventy-four percent of the children indi-cated it was their fluency in English that caused them to be given and ac-cept these obligations The majority of them (89) admitted beingembarrassed about their parentsrsquo inability to speak or understand Eng-lish One-third indicated their parents ldquodid not existrdquo Approximatelyforty-five percent of the children reported feeling frustrated at having todeal with these situations In their narratives children often stated theywere ldquo tired of always having to explain things to them (parents)rdquoSixty-six percent asserted that they ldquojust wanted to be left alonerdquo

Examining the parentsrsquo and childrenrsquos perception of their familywell-being adult respondents who were white Cubans rated their fam-ily well-being higher than those who were black or mulattoes Analysisof variance and chi-square tests indicated that race as a variable wassignificantly related to family well-being (see Table 1)

Even though ldquoracerdquo was not a primary construct for evaluation in thisstudy this finding points to its continued importance in US cultureFor recently arrived Cuban refugees of color the prejudice racism anddiscrimination they confronted provided a rude awakening to Americanculture and life

For the children age was an important variable that helped to modifytheir perception of personal well-being Younger children were foundto experience greater confusion over their roles and understanding ofsituations than older children This sense of uncertainty was alluded toin their narratives and appears to have distorted their sense of self andwell-being For older children their opinions concerning personalwell-being fluctuated Those who identified with their parents had ahigher perception of well-being in comparison to those who did notThese children generally had withdrawn from the family and appearedanxious Many wrote about the confusion they experienced betweenwanting to take care of their parents and wanting to retreat from them al-together

In their narratives parents recounted their struggles since coming tothe United States and wrote about their realization that life in this coun-try was much more difficult than previously envisioned Most parentsindicated feeling overwhelmed due to a combination of factors includ-

Maria Elena Puig 91

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ing nostalgia for their homeland and family anger and frustration overtheir inabilities to deal with the culture their language limitations andconcerns over the changes they were experiencing as a family

One mother wrote

Una nota positiva es que he encontrado libertad y que le he podidodar a mi hijo la oportunidad de ser lo que el quiera Pero sientomuch nostalgia por un pasado que se que jamas volvere a tener

(On a positive note I have found liberty and I have been able togive my son the opportunity to become whatever he wishes But Ifeel a great sadness for a past that I know I will never have again)

Other parents wrote of their frustrations and disappointment in mak-ing the transition from their homeland to their new environment in theUS Several mothers shared comparable feelings when they wrote

Venir a estepais ha sido muy dificil Mi familia ha cambiadomucho Muchas veces me siento oprimida

(Coming to this country has been very difficult My family haschanged greatly Many times I felt have felt depressed and over-whelmed)

Mi hija se opone abiertamente contra nosotros Creo que es porqueestamos muy ocupados trabajando y por que no hablamos InglesSiempre tenemos que pedirle que nos ayude Tambien tenemosmuy poco tiempo para la familia (My daughter openly defies us Ibelieve it is because we are very busy working and because wedonrsquot speak English We always have to ask for her help We alsohave very little time for the family)

92 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TABLE 1 Analysis of Variance

Source of Variation Sum ofSquares

DF MeanSquare

F Sig of F

Main effects

Family well-being 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Explained 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Residual 13295 42 317

Total 17159 43 399

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A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

Maria Elena Puig 93

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ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

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Page 3: The Adultification of Refugee Children

The Adultification of Refugee ChildrenImplications for Cross-Cultural

Social Work Practice

Maria Elena Puig

SUMMARY This paper presents the findings of a study that examinesthe social and emotional adjustment of adultified Cuban refugee childrenfrom the 1994-1995 Guantanamo wave It also discusses how changes infamily roles affect intergenerational relations and family well-being andhow the migration and resettlement experience affects parentchild rolesand disrupts the refugee family [Article copies available for a fee from TheHaworth Document Delivery Service 1-800-HAWORTH E-mail addressltgetinfohaworthpressinccomgt Website lthttpwwwHaworthPresscomgt copy 2002by The Haworth Press Inc All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS Migration refugees adultification Cubans

My daughter openly defies us I believe it is because we are busyworking and because we donrsquot speak English We always have toask her for help (Excerpt from an interview with a Cuban refugeefamily)

Maria Elena Puig PhD is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work atColorado State University in Fort Collins CO She is the former Refugee and Entrant Di-rector for the State of Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Servicesrsquo Officeof Refugee Affairs Dr Puigrsquos research focuses primarily on Cuban refugee issues

[Haworth co-indexing entry note] ldquoThe Adultification of Refugee Children Implications for Cross-Cul-tural Social Work Practicerdquo Puig Maria Elena Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Human Behaviorin the Social Environment (The Haworth Social Work Practice Press an imprint of The Haworth Press Inc)Vol 5 No 34 2002 pp 85-95 and LatinoHispanic Liaisons and Visions for Human Behavior in the SocialEnvironment (ed Joseacute B Torres and Felix G Rivera) The Haworth Social Work Practice Press an imprint ofThe Haworth Press Inc 2002 pp 85-95 Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee fromThe Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HAWORTH 900 am - 500 pm (EST) E-mail addressgetinfohaworthpressinccom]

2002 by The Haworth Press Inc All rights reserved 85

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INTRODUCTION

Since 1959 when the first group of Cubans arrived in the UnitedStates as political refugees two aspects of this migration have remainedthe same First Cuban refugees have come in waves and second eachwave has brought Cubans with distinct cultural beliefs cultural valuesnorms and behaviors As a result each refugeersquos reaction to living inthe US has varied and added to the diversity of Cubansrsquo migration andresettlement experiences

Often the Cuban migration experience has involved the unsettling offamilies as the difficulty of maintaining the culture of origin combinedwith the effects of assimilation and acculturation render parents power-less to deal with the new environment Oftentimes as parents struggleto keep traditions and resist cultural norms from the country of settle-ment refugee children quickly learn to adjust and adapt to the new con-ditions and environment The roles of parents and children are usuallydisrupted and unwittingly responsibilities shift as refugee children as-sume obligations that do not correspond to their chronological emo-tional or psychological age The adjustment of the refugee family isfrequently agitated by this differential process of assimilation (CaninoEarley amp Rogler 1980)

For social work practitioners working with refugees from any coun-try the need to understand the emotional psychological and culturalconsequences of displacement and differential assimilation is criticalFirst practitioners need to appreciate that what happens to individualrefugees and their families depends on a myriad of factors includingwhy and how they left their country and culture of origin and how re-settlement efforts were effected Second because migration and reset-tlement automatically disrupt family life social workers must helprefugee families deal with the trauma and stress of the displacement ex-perience Issues surrounding loss and bereavement must be exploredbecause these families have lost contact with relatives friends commu-nities and parts of their cultural self-identity Third social workersshould assist refugee parents and children in dealing with the disloca-tion their families experience as a result of their unfamiliarity with cul-tural norms and values of the host country (Cervantes Salgado deSnyder amp Padilla 1989) The recognition that these families have spe-cific emotional and behavioral reactions to coping and adapting to a dif-ferent cultural environment will lead practitioners to have a greaterunderstanding of the psychological reactions of refugee adults and chil-dren

86 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Although this paper presents the findings of a study on Cuban refu-gee families the application of these findings however are relevant tosocial work practice with all other refugee populations This paper ex-plores the social and emotional adjustment of adultified Cuban refugeechildren from the 1994-1995 Guantanamo wave and how changes infamily roles affects intergenerational relations and family well-being Italso opens the door for further inquiry on the resiliency of refugee chil-dren as there is much to learn about how children and adults cope withtheir refugee experiences

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY POPULATION

In 1994 the existence of balseros or Cubans who left their homelandin rafts became the focus of both national and international politicaland media attention Unlike previous waves of Cuban refugees thebalseros were part of a group of exiles whose departure did not grantthem immediate entry into the United States Instead these Cubans wereintercepted at sea and taken to the US Naval Base in GuantanamoEventually more than 37000 Cuban balseros were detained inGuantanamo including 2833 accompanied minors under the age of 17and 69 unaccompanied children (US Seventh Coast Guard District Cu-ban Rescue Statistics 1995) On January 261996 the last 127 balseroswere flown out of Guantanamo and brought to the US ending an18-month detention period for the majority of these refugees

Review of the Literature

Research studies on refugee children indicate that these children gen-erally have an easier time with assimilation and acculturation becausethey are exposed to various socialization systems including the schoolteachers classmates and friends (Eisenbruch 1988 Gopaul-McNicol1995 Huyck amp Fields 1981 Nikelly 1997 Szapocznik KurtinezHervis amp Spencer 1983) The literature describes how refugee chil-dren acculturate and assimilate and how culture is transmitted per-ceived interpreted and internalized (Ho 1995 Okum 1990 Sue ampSue 1990 Tarpley 1993 Triandis 1994 Wolcott 1991) Much of thisis reported in positive terms as narratives recount how newly arrivedrefugee children learn to develop appropriate coping skills and re-sponses that correspond to their new social and cultural environment

Maria Elena Puig 87

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Nov

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In spite of the number of children who can cope and adjust to theirnew environment there is growing concern among mental health prac-titioners that many of these children are not as irrepressible as the ste-reotype would suggest (Eisenbruch 1988 Hulewat 1996 Roer-Strier1997 Thomas 1995) Studies corroborate that problems among refu-gee populations particularly children are likely to surface during ado-lescence or even later in life in second- and third-generation refugeechildren (Pittman 1987 Sluski 1979 Szapocznik et al 1983)

One of the most significant human problems confronting refugeechildren is adultification or when a child assumes adult roles beforeadulthood (Galan 1992) Adultification usually occurs among this pop-ulation as a result of parentsrsquo inability to cope with the aftermath of themigration experience Rinsley (1971) sees child adultification as adult-omorphization in which the parent ldquoprojects into the child their ownreservoir of magic-omnipotence and infantile grandiosity Such a childbecomes in the parentrsquos mind a powerful omniscient beingrdquo (p 11)Much of this child adultification centers parentsrsquo relative powerlessnessto manage life in a new environment in a new language and in a newculture with a different value system (Eisenbruch 1988) This role re-versal has been linked to parentsrsquo general inability to function in thenew culture and environment (Eisenbruch 1988)

As refugee children assimilate studies show that they are more apt todevelop bilingual and bicultural skills and coping responses that pro-vide them with greater ability and power to manage social situations(Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Refugee children are called uponto translate intervene and use their dual-frame of reference to helptheir parents relate and understand the host culture and society Conse-quently they learn sophisticated code-switching responses as well ashigh levels of social sensitivity skills that allow these children to de-velop an acute appreciation of the difficulties their monolingualmonocultural parents experience (Puig 1997) In addition the literatureon the interrelated problems of separation loss coping and adaptationin childhood points to the fact that human coping and adaptation de-pends on the interplay between the individual and his or her environ-ment (Berry 1986 Roer-Strier 1997 Thomas 1995) For refugeechildren much of this coping and adaptation is brought about as a resultof their ability to acculturate and assimilate

As acculturation occurs refugee children understand the need tomake personal adjustments that allow for the integration of their ethnicidentity into the new culture (Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Thisintegration includes adopting a new value system and developing cul-

88 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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nloa

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tural competence within that system (Puig 1997) Esquivel and Keitel(1990) Goodstein (1990) and Thomas (1995) further point to the in-creased amount of conflict among refugee families as children begin todevelop autonomy and differentiation When refugee children realizethey have acquired the ability to manage most social situations conflictgenerally occurs with one or both parents lacking bicultural capabilitiesThese conflicts often contribute to the increased vulnerability of family re-lationships as cross-generational cross-cultural and interactional prob-lems begin to escalate among refugee families Threats to family unitywhether real or imagined are part of the crises with which refugees mustcontend and social workers must redress The lack of adequate researchon the benefits or drawbacks of assimilation among Cuban refugeeshas resulted in mental health professionals assuming that many of thesechildren will be seen as clients in later years when they are no longerclassified as either children or refugees (Eisenbruch 1988)

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether Cu-ban refugee children from the Guantanamo immigration wave experi-enced adultification upon their arrival in the US It also explored howchanges in family roles affected intergenerational relations and familywell-being as a result of parentsrsquo inability to mediate societal situationsin the new environment

Grounding this study was the work of Karp and Yoels (1993) andMcCall and Simmons (1982) concerning the development of self andsocial interaction Using social interaction as a theoretical base thisstudy explored how Cuban refugee children and their parents definedtheir roles and how these were interpreted in terms of both the expecta-tions others had of them and the expectations they had of themselves

METHODOLOGY

Using a non-experimental design and qualitative and quantitative meth-odologies this study involved the administration of a Spanish languagestructured questionnaire to collect data concerning the adultification of thechildren and the parentsrsquo perception of this process Respondents wereasked to react in writing to a set of open-ended questions that addressed

Maria Elena Puig 89

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acculturation and assimilation issues and the familyrsquos perception oftheir well-being

Sample

A non-probability sampling procedure was used to select 75 Cubanrefugee families (n = 50 adults n = 25 children) who had been part ofthe balserosGuantanamo refugee wave This method was selected be-cause of the nature of the research the authorrsquos knowledge of the popu-lation and the purpose of the study

Eighty percent of the adult sample population (n = 50) was predom-inantly White with Black Cubans and mulattoes respectively mak-ing up the other twenty percent The majority of adult respondentswere females (82) with males comprising eighteen percent of thesample The mean age for adults was 368 years with a mean familyincome of $12191 Sixty percent of the adults were married nonespoke English and all reported having been detained in GuantanamoThe sample for children (n = 25) reflected the same racial make-up asthe parents Fifty-three percent of the children were males with fe-males comprising forty-seven percent of the sample The mean age forchildren was 117 years and all reported attending school and speak-ing English

FINDINGS

In relation to the findings concerning the adultification of Cuban ref-ugee children sixty-four percent of parents reported having to rely ontheir children to help translate deal with landlords and manage situa-tions involving school personnel government officials and social ser-vices providers Oftentimes children paid the bills dealt with socialinstitutions such as banks and schools and also did the shopping partic-ularly if it required going to non-Spanish owned stores Seventy-twopercent of the parents confirmed that when they received a call or writ-ten notice from their childrenrsquos teachers they relied on the children totranslate andor explain the communication in their native languageFifty-seven percent of parents acknowledged that the use of their chil-dren in this manner ldquofelt wrongrdquo Many believed that it was leading to alack of trust cooperation and respect within the family

Sixty-nine percent of the parents attributed these changing family dy-namics to the constant conflict between the ldquonew ways and traditional

90 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Cuban valuesrdquo When parents were asked to assess who had more influ-ence and control in the family the majority (78) acknowledged thattheir children had the power because they provided ldquo the connectionto the outside worldrdquo Language was often cited by a majority of theparents (98) as the reason for the childrenrsquos influence and control

Responses from the children confirmed their having to assume manyadult related responsibilities Seventy-four percent of the children indi-cated it was their fluency in English that caused them to be given and ac-cept these obligations The majority of them (89) admitted beingembarrassed about their parentsrsquo inability to speak or understand Eng-lish One-third indicated their parents ldquodid not existrdquo Approximatelyforty-five percent of the children reported feeling frustrated at having todeal with these situations In their narratives children often stated theywere ldquo tired of always having to explain things to them (parents)rdquoSixty-six percent asserted that they ldquojust wanted to be left alonerdquo

Examining the parentsrsquo and childrenrsquos perception of their familywell-being adult respondents who were white Cubans rated their fam-ily well-being higher than those who were black or mulattoes Analysisof variance and chi-square tests indicated that race as a variable wassignificantly related to family well-being (see Table 1)

Even though ldquoracerdquo was not a primary construct for evaluation in thisstudy this finding points to its continued importance in US cultureFor recently arrived Cuban refugees of color the prejudice racism anddiscrimination they confronted provided a rude awakening to Americanculture and life

For the children age was an important variable that helped to modifytheir perception of personal well-being Younger children were foundto experience greater confusion over their roles and understanding ofsituations than older children This sense of uncertainty was alluded toin their narratives and appears to have distorted their sense of self andwell-being For older children their opinions concerning personalwell-being fluctuated Those who identified with their parents had ahigher perception of well-being in comparison to those who did notThese children generally had withdrawn from the family and appearedanxious Many wrote about the confusion they experienced betweenwanting to take care of their parents and wanting to retreat from them al-together

In their narratives parents recounted their struggles since coming tothe United States and wrote about their realization that life in this coun-try was much more difficult than previously envisioned Most parentsindicated feeling overwhelmed due to a combination of factors includ-

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ing nostalgia for their homeland and family anger and frustration overtheir inabilities to deal with the culture their language limitations andconcerns over the changes they were experiencing as a family

One mother wrote

Una nota positiva es que he encontrado libertad y que le he podidodar a mi hijo la oportunidad de ser lo que el quiera Pero sientomuch nostalgia por un pasado que se que jamas volvere a tener

(On a positive note I have found liberty and I have been able togive my son the opportunity to become whatever he wishes But Ifeel a great sadness for a past that I know I will never have again)

Other parents wrote of their frustrations and disappointment in mak-ing the transition from their homeland to their new environment in theUS Several mothers shared comparable feelings when they wrote

Venir a estepais ha sido muy dificil Mi familia ha cambiadomucho Muchas veces me siento oprimida

(Coming to this country has been very difficult My family haschanged greatly Many times I felt have felt depressed and over-whelmed)

Mi hija se opone abiertamente contra nosotros Creo que es porqueestamos muy ocupados trabajando y por que no hablamos InglesSiempre tenemos que pedirle que nos ayude Tambien tenemosmuy poco tiempo para la familia (My daughter openly defies us Ibelieve it is because we are very busy working and because wedonrsquot speak English We always have to ask for her help We alsohave very little time for the family)

92 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TABLE 1 Analysis of Variance

Source of Variation Sum ofSquares

DF MeanSquare

F Sig of F

Main effects

Family well-being 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Explained 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Residual 13295 42 317

Total 17159 43 399

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A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

Maria Elena Puig 93

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ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

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Page 4: The Adultification of Refugee Children

INTRODUCTION

Since 1959 when the first group of Cubans arrived in the UnitedStates as political refugees two aspects of this migration have remainedthe same First Cuban refugees have come in waves and second eachwave has brought Cubans with distinct cultural beliefs cultural valuesnorms and behaviors As a result each refugeersquos reaction to living inthe US has varied and added to the diversity of Cubansrsquo migration andresettlement experiences

Often the Cuban migration experience has involved the unsettling offamilies as the difficulty of maintaining the culture of origin combinedwith the effects of assimilation and acculturation render parents power-less to deal with the new environment Oftentimes as parents struggleto keep traditions and resist cultural norms from the country of settle-ment refugee children quickly learn to adjust and adapt to the new con-ditions and environment The roles of parents and children are usuallydisrupted and unwittingly responsibilities shift as refugee children as-sume obligations that do not correspond to their chronological emo-tional or psychological age The adjustment of the refugee family isfrequently agitated by this differential process of assimilation (CaninoEarley amp Rogler 1980)

For social work practitioners working with refugees from any coun-try the need to understand the emotional psychological and culturalconsequences of displacement and differential assimilation is criticalFirst practitioners need to appreciate that what happens to individualrefugees and their families depends on a myriad of factors includingwhy and how they left their country and culture of origin and how re-settlement efforts were effected Second because migration and reset-tlement automatically disrupt family life social workers must helprefugee families deal with the trauma and stress of the displacement ex-perience Issues surrounding loss and bereavement must be exploredbecause these families have lost contact with relatives friends commu-nities and parts of their cultural self-identity Third social workersshould assist refugee parents and children in dealing with the disloca-tion their families experience as a result of their unfamiliarity with cul-tural norms and values of the host country (Cervantes Salgado deSnyder amp Padilla 1989) The recognition that these families have spe-cific emotional and behavioral reactions to coping and adapting to a dif-ferent cultural environment will lead practitioners to have a greaterunderstanding of the psychological reactions of refugee adults and chil-dren

86 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Although this paper presents the findings of a study on Cuban refu-gee families the application of these findings however are relevant tosocial work practice with all other refugee populations This paper ex-plores the social and emotional adjustment of adultified Cuban refugeechildren from the 1994-1995 Guantanamo wave and how changes infamily roles affects intergenerational relations and family well-being Italso opens the door for further inquiry on the resiliency of refugee chil-dren as there is much to learn about how children and adults cope withtheir refugee experiences

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY POPULATION

In 1994 the existence of balseros or Cubans who left their homelandin rafts became the focus of both national and international politicaland media attention Unlike previous waves of Cuban refugees thebalseros were part of a group of exiles whose departure did not grantthem immediate entry into the United States Instead these Cubans wereintercepted at sea and taken to the US Naval Base in GuantanamoEventually more than 37000 Cuban balseros were detained inGuantanamo including 2833 accompanied minors under the age of 17and 69 unaccompanied children (US Seventh Coast Guard District Cu-ban Rescue Statistics 1995) On January 261996 the last 127 balseroswere flown out of Guantanamo and brought to the US ending an18-month detention period for the majority of these refugees

Review of the Literature

Research studies on refugee children indicate that these children gen-erally have an easier time with assimilation and acculturation becausethey are exposed to various socialization systems including the schoolteachers classmates and friends (Eisenbruch 1988 Gopaul-McNicol1995 Huyck amp Fields 1981 Nikelly 1997 Szapocznik KurtinezHervis amp Spencer 1983) The literature describes how refugee chil-dren acculturate and assimilate and how culture is transmitted per-ceived interpreted and internalized (Ho 1995 Okum 1990 Sue ampSue 1990 Tarpley 1993 Triandis 1994 Wolcott 1991) Much of thisis reported in positive terms as narratives recount how newly arrivedrefugee children learn to develop appropriate coping skills and re-sponses that correspond to their new social and cultural environment

Maria Elena Puig 87

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In spite of the number of children who can cope and adjust to theirnew environment there is growing concern among mental health prac-titioners that many of these children are not as irrepressible as the ste-reotype would suggest (Eisenbruch 1988 Hulewat 1996 Roer-Strier1997 Thomas 1995) Studies corroborate that problems among refu-gee populations particularly children are likely to surface during ado-lescence or even later in life in second- and third-generation refugeechildren (Pittman 1987 Sluski 1979 Szapocznik et al 1983)

One of the most significant human problems confronting refugeechildren is adultification or when a child assumes adult roles beforeadulthood (Galan 1992) Adultification usually occurs among this pop-ulation as a result of parentsrsquo inability to cope with the aftermath of themigration experience Rinsley (1971) sees child adultification as adult-omorphization in which the parent ldquoprojects into the child their ownreservoir of magic-omnipotence and infantile grandiosity Such a childbecomes in the parentrsquos mind a powerful omniscient beingrdquo (p 11)Much of this child adultification centers parentsrsquo relative powerlessnessto manage life in a new environment in a new language and in a newculture with a different value system (Eisenbruch 1988) This role re-versal has been linked to parentsrsquo general inability to function in thenew culture and environment (Eisenbruch 1988)

As refugee children assimilate studies show that they are more apt todevelop bilingual and bicultural skills and coping responses that pro-vide them with greater ability and power to manage social situations(Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Refugee children are called uponto translate intervene and use their dual-frame of reference to helptheir parents relate and understand the host culture and society Conse-quently they learn sophisticated code-switching responses as well ashigh levels of social sensitivity skills that allow these children to de-velop an acute appreciation of the difficulties their monolingualmonocultural parents experience (Puig 1997) In addition the literatureon the interrelated problems of separation loss coping and adaptationin childhood points to the fact that human coping and adaptation de-pends on the interplay between the individual and his or her environ-ment (Berry 1986 Roer-Strier 1997 Thomas 1995) For refugeechildren much of this coping and adaptation is brought about as a resultof their ability to acculturate and assimilate

As acculturation occurs refugee children understand the need tomake personal adjustments that allow for the integration of their ethnicidentity into the new culture (Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Thisintegration includes adopting a new value system and developing cul-

88 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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tural competence within that system (Puig 1997) Esquivel and Keitel(1990) Goodstein (1990) and Thomas (1995) further point to the in-creased amount of conflict among refugee families as children begin todevelop autonomy and differentiation When refugee children realizethey have acquired the ability to manage most social situations conflictgenerally occurs with one or both parents lacking bicultural capabilitiesThese conflicts often contribute to the increased vulnerability of family re-lationships as cross-generational cross-cultural and interactional prob-lems begin to escalate among refugee families Threats to family unitywhether real or imagined are part of the crises with which refugees mustcontend and social workers must redress The lack of adequate researchon the benefits or drawbacks of assimilation among Cuban refugeeshas resulted in mental health professionals assuming that many of thesechildren will be seen as clients in later years when they are no longerclassified as either children or refugees (Eisenbruch 1988)

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether Cu-ban refugee children from the Guantanamo immigration wave experi-enced adultification upon their arrival in the US It also explored howchanges in family roles affected intergenerational relations and familywell-being as a result of parentsrsquo inability to mediate societal situationsin the new environment

Grounding this study was the work of Karp and Yoels (1993) andMcCall and Simmons (1982) concerning the development of self andsocial interaction Using social interaction as a theoretical base thisstudy explored how Cuban refugee children and their parents definedtheir roles and how these were interpreted in terms of both the expecta-tions others had of them and the expectations they had of themselves

METHODOLOGY

Using a non-experimental design and qualitative and quantitative meth-odologies this study involved the administration of a Spanish languagestructured questionnaire to collect data concerning the adultification of thechildren and the parentsrsquo perception of this process Respondents wereasked to react in writing to a set of open-ended questions that addressed

Maria Elena Puig 89

Dow

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by [

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ibra

ry]

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Nov

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r 20

14

acculturation and assimilation issues and the familyrsquos perception oftheir well-being

Sample

A non-probability sampling procedure was used to select 75 Cubanrefugee families (n = 50 adults n = 25 children) who had been part ofthe balserosGuantanamo refugee wave This method was selected be-cause of the nature of the research the authorrsquos knowledge of the popu-lation and the purpose of the study

Eighty percent of the adult sample population (n = 50) was predom-inantly White with Black Cubans and mulattoes respectively mak-ing up the other twenty percent The majority of adult respondentswere females (82) with males comprising eighteen percent of thesample The mean age for adults was 368 years with a mean familyincome of $12191 Sixty percent of the adults were married nonespoke English and all reported having been detained in GuantanamoThe sample for children (n = 25) reflected the same racial make-up asthe parents Fifty-three percent of the children were males with fe-males comprising forty-seven percent of the sample The mean age forchildren was 117 years and all reported attending school and speak-ing English

FINDINGS

In relation to the findings concerning the adultification of Cuban ref-ugee children sixty-four percent of parents reported having to rely ontheir children to help translate deal with landlords and manage situa-tions involving school personnel government officials and social ser-vices providers Oftentimes children paid the bills dealt with socialinstitutions such as banks and schools and also did the shopping partic-ularly if it required going to non-Spanish owned stores Seventy-twopercent of the parents confirmed that when they received a call or writ-ten notice from their childrenrsquos teachers they relied on the children totranslate andor explain the communication in their native languageFifty-seven percent of parents acknowledged that the use of their chil-dren in this manner ldquofelt wrongrdquo Many believed that it was leading to alack of trust cooperation and respect within the family

Sixty-nine percent of the parents attributed these changing family dy-namics to the constant conflict between the ldquonew ways and traditional

90 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Cuban valuesrdquo When parents were asked to assess who had more influ-ence and control in the family the majority (78) acknowledged thattheir children had the power because they provided ldquo the connectionto the outside worldrdquo Language was often cited by a majority of theparents (98) as the reason for the childrenrsquos influence and control

Responses from the children confirmed their having to assume manyadult related responsibilities Seventy-four percent of the children indi-cated it was their fluency in English that caused them to be given and ac-cept these obligations The majority of them (89) admitted beingembarrassed about their parentsrsquo inability to speak or understand Eng-lish One-third indicated their parents ldquodid not existrdquo Approximatelyforty-five percent of the children reported feeling frustrated at having todeal with these situations In their narratives children often stated theywere ldquo tired of always having to explain things to them (parents)rdquoSixty-six percent asserted that they ldquojust wanted to be left alonerdquo

Examining the parentsrsquo and childrenrsquos perception of their familywell-being adult respondents who were white Cubans rated their fam-ily well-being higher than those who were black or mulattoes Analysisof variance and chi-square tests indicated that race as a variable wassignificantly related to family well-being (see Table 1)

Even though ldquoracerdquo was not a primary construct for evaluation in thisstudy this finding points to its continued importance in US cultureFor recently arrived Cuban refugees of color the prejudice racism anddiscrimination they confronted provided a rude awakening to Americanculture and life

For the children age was an important variable that helped to modifytheir perception of personal well-being Younger children were foundto experience greater confusion over their roles and understanding ofsituations than older children This sense of uncertainty was alluded toin their narratives and appears to have distorted their sense of self andwell-being For older children their opinions concerning personalwell-being fluctuated Those who identified with their parents had ahigher perception of well-being in comparison to those who did notThese children generally had withdrawn from the family and appearedanxious Many wrote about the confusion they experienced betweenwanting to take care of their parents and wanting to retreat from them al-together

In their narratives parents recounted their struggles since coming tothe United States and wrote about their realization that life in this coun-try was much more difficult than previously envisioned Most parentsindicated feeling overwhelmed due to a combination of factors includ-

Maria Elena Puig 91

Dow

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ing nostalgia for their homeland and family anger and frustration overtheir inabilities to deal with the culture their language limitations andconcerns over the changes they were experiencing as a family

One mother wrote

Una nota positiva es que he encontrado libertad y que le he podidodar a mi hijo la oportunidad de ser lo que el quiera Pero sientomuch nostalgia por un pasado que se que jamas volvere a tener

(On a positive note I have found liberty and I have been able togive my son the opportunity to become whatever he wishes But Ifeel a great sadness for a past that I know I will never have again)

Other parents wrote of their frustrations and disappointment in mak-ing the transition from their homeland to their new environment in theUS Several mothers shared comparable feelings when they wrote

Venir a estepais ha sido muy dificil Mi familia ha cambiadomucho Muchas veces me siento oprimida

(Coming to this country has been very difficult My family haschanged greatly Many times I felt have felt depressed and over-whelmed)

Mi hija se opone abiertamente contra nosotros Creo que es porqueestamos muy ocupados trabajando y por que no hablamos InglesSiempre tenemos que pedirle que nos ayude Tambien tenemosmuy poco tiempo para la familia (My daughter openly defies us Ibelieve it is because we are very busy working and because wedonrsquot speak English We always have to ask for her help We alsohave very little time for the family)

92 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TABLE 1 Analysis of Variance

Source of Variation Sum ofSquares

DF MeanSquare

F Sig of F

Main effects

Family well-being 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Explained 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Residual 13295 42 317

Total 17159 43 399

Dow

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14

A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

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ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

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Page 5: The Adultification of Refugee Children

Although this paper presents the findings of a study on Cuban refu-gee families the application of these findings however are relevant tosocial work practice with all other refugee populations This paper ex-plores the social and emotional adjustment of adultified Cuban refugeechildren from the 1994-1995 Guantanamo wave and how changes infamily roles affects intergenerational relations and family well-being Italso opens the door for further inquiry on the resiliency of refugee chil-dren as there is much to learn about how children and adults cope withtheir refugee experiences

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY POPULATION

In 1994 the existence of balseros or Cubans who left their homelandin rafts became the focus of both national and international politicaland media attention Unlike previous waves of Cuban refugees thebalseros were part of a group of exiles whose departure did not grantthem immediate entry into the United States Instead these Cubans wereintercepted at sea and taken to the US Naval Base in GuantanamoEventually more than 37000 Cuban balseros were detained inGuantanamo including 2833 accompanied minors under the age of 17and 69 unaccompanied children (US Seventh Coast Guard District Cu-ban Rescue Statistics 1995) On January 261996 the last 127 balseroswere flown out of Guantanamo and brought to the US ending an18-month detention period for the majority of these refugees

Review of the Literature

Research studies on refugee children indicate that these children gen-erally have an easier time with assimilation and acculturation becausethey are exposed to various socialization systems including the schoolteachers classmates and friends (Eisenbruch 1988 Gopaul-McNicol1995 Huyck amp Fields 1981 Nikelly 1997 Szapocznik KurtinezHervis amp Spencer 1983) The literature describes how refugee chil-dren acculturate and assimilate and how culture is transmitted per-ceived interpreted and internalized (Ho 1995 Okum 1990 Sue ampSue 1990 Tarpley 1993 Triandis 1994 Wolcott 1991) Much of thisis reported in positive terms as narratives recount how newly arrivedrefugee children learn to develop appropriate coping skills and re-sponses that correspond to their new social and cultural environment

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In spite of the number of children who can cope and adjust to theirnew environment there is growing concern among mental health prac-titioners that many of these children are not as irrepressible as the ste-reotype would suggest (Eisenbruch 1988 Hulewat 1996 Roer-Strier1997 Thomas 1995) Studies corroborate that problems among refu-gee populations particularly children are likely to surface during ado-lescence or even later in life in second- and third-generation refugeechildren (Pittman 1987 Sluski 1979 Szapocznik et al 1983)

One of the most significant human problems confronting refugeechildren is adultification or when a child assumes adult roles beforeadulthood (Galan 1992) Adultification usually occurs among this pop-ulation as a result of parentsrsquo inability to cope with the aftermath of themigration experience Rinsley (1971) sees child adultification as adult-omorphization in which the parent ldquoprojects into the child their ownreservoir of magic-omnipotence and infantile grandiosity Such a childbecomes in the parentrsquos mind a powerful omniscient beingrdquo (p 11)Much of this child adultification centers parentsrsquo relative powerlessnessto manage life in a new environment in a new language and in a newculture with a different value system (Eisenbruch 1988) This role re-versal has been linked to parentsrsquo general inability to function in thenew culture and environment (Eisenbruch 1988)

As refugee children assimilate studies show that they are more apt todevelop bilingual and bicultural skills and coping responses that pro-vide them with greater ability and power to manage social situations(Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Refugee children are called uponto translate intervene and use their dual-frame of reference to helptheir parents relate and understand the host culture and society Conse-quently they learn sophisticated code-switching responses as well ashigh levels of social sensitivity skills that allow these children to de-velop an acute appreciation of the difficulties their monolingualmonocultural parents experience (Puig 1997) In addition the literatureon the interrelated problems of separation loss coping and adaptationin childhood points to the fact that human coping and adaptation de-pends on the interplay between the individual and his or her environ-ment (Berry 1986 Roer-Strier 1997 Thomas 1995) For refugeechildren much of this coping and adaptation is brought about as a resultof their ability to acculturate and assimilate

As acculturation occurs refugee children understand the need tomake personal adjustments that allow for the integration of their ethnicidentity into the new culture (Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Thisintegration includes adopting a new value system and developing cul-

88 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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tural competence within that system (Puig 1997) Esquivel and Keitel(1990) Goodstein (1990) and Thomas (1995) further point to the in-creased amount of conflict among refugee families as children begin todevelop autonomy and differentiation When refugee children realizethey have acquired the ability to manage most social situations conflictgenerally occurs with one or both parents lacking bicultural capabilitiesThese conflicts often contribute to the increased vulnerability of family re-lationships as cross-generational cross-cultural and interactional prob-lems begin to escalate among refugee families Threats to family unitywhether real or imagined are part of the crises with which refugees mustcontend and social workers must redress The lack of adequate researchon the benefits or drawbacks of assimilation among Cuban refugeeshas resulted in mental health professionals assuming that many of thesechildren will be seen as clients in later years when they are no longerclassified as either children or refugees (Eisenbruch 1988)

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether Cu-ban refugee children from the Guantanamo immigration wave experi-enced adultification upon their arrival in the US It also explored howchanges in family roles affected intergenerational relations and familywell-being as a result of parentsrsquo inability to mediate societal situationsin the new environment

Grounding this study was the work of Karp and Yoels (1993) andMcCall and Simmons (1982) concerning the development of self andsocial interaction Using social interaction as a theoretical base thisstudy explored how Cuban refugee children and their parents definedtheir roles and how these were interpreted in terms of both the expecta-tions others had of them and the expectations they had of themselves

METHODOLOGY

Using a non-experimental design and qualitative and quantitative meth-odologies this study involved the administration of a Spanish languagestructured questionnaire to collect data concerning the adultification of thechildren and the parentsrsquo perception of this process Respondents wereasked to react in writing to a set of open-ended questions that addressed

Maria Elena Puig 89

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acculturation and assimilation issues and the familyrsquos perception oftheir well-being

Sample

A non-probability sampling procedure was used to select 75 Cubanrefugee families (n = 50 adults n = 25 children) who had been part ofthe balserosGuantanamo refugee wave This method was selected be-cause of the nature of the research the authorrsquos knowledge of the popu-lation and the purpose of the study

Eighty percent of the adult sample population (n = 50) was predom-inantly White with Black Cubans and mulattoes respectively mak-ing up the other twenty percent The majority of adult respondentswere females (82) with males comprising eighteen percent of thesample The mean age for adults was 368 years with a mean familyincome of $12191 Sixty percent of the adults were married nonespoke English and all reported having been detained in GuantanamoThe sample for children (n = 25) reflected the same racial make-up asthe parents Fifty-three percent of the children were males with fe-males comprising forty-seven percent of the sample The mean age forchildren was 117 years and all reported attending school and speak-ing English

FINDINGS

In relation to the findings concerning the adultification of Cuban ref-ugee children sixty-four percent of parents reported having to rely ontheir children to help translate deal with landlords and manage situa-tions involving school personnel government officials and social ser-vices providers Oftentimes children paid the bills dealt with socialinstitutions such as banks and schools and also did the shopping partic-ularly if it required going to non-Spanish owned stores Seventy-twopercent of the parents confirmed that when they received a call or writ-ten notice from their childrenrsquos teachers they relied on the children totranslate andor explain the communication in their native languageFifty-seven percent of parents acknowledged that the use of their chil-dren in this manner ldquofelt wrongrdquo Many believed that it was leading to alack of trust cooperation and respect within the family

Sixty-nine percent of the parents attributed these changing family dy-namics to the constant conflict between the ldquonew ways and traditional

90 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Cuban valuesrdquo When parents were asked to assess who had more influ-ence and control in the family the majority (78) acknowledged thattheir children had the power because they provided ldquo the connectionto the outside worldrdquo Language was often cited by a majority of theparents (98) as the reason for the childrenrsquos influence and control

Responses from the children confirmed their having to assume manyadult related responsibilities Seventy-four percent of the children indi-cated it was their fluency in English that caused them to be given and ac-cept these obligations The majority of them (89) admitted beingembarrassed about their parentsrsquo inability to speak or understand Eng-lish One-third indicated their parents ldquodid not existrdquo Approximatelyforty-five percent of the children reported feeling frustrated at having todeal with these situations In their narratives children often stated theywere ldquo tired of always having to explain things to them (parents)rdquoSixty-six percent asserted that they ldquojust wanted to be left alonerdquo

Examining the parentsrsquo and childrenrsquos perception of their familywell-being adult respondents who were white Cubans rated their fam-ily well-being higher than those who were black or mulattoes Analysisof variance and chi-square tests indicated that race as a variable wassignificantly related to family well-being (see Table 1)

Even though ldquoracerdquo was not a primary construct for evaluation in thisstudy this finding points to its continued importance in US cultureFor recently arrived Cuban refugees of color the prejudice racism anddiscrimination they confronted provided a rude awakening to Americanculture and life

For the children age was an important variable that helped to modifytheir perception of personal well-being Younger children were foundto experience greater confusion over their roles and understanding ofsituations than older children This sense of uncertainty was alluded toin their narratives and appears to have distorted their sense of self andwell-being For older children their opinions concerning personalwell-being fluctuated Those who identified with their parents had ahigher perception of well-being in comparison to those who did notThese children generally had withdrawn from the family and appearedanxious Many wrote about the confusion they experienced betweenwanting to take care of their parents and wanting to retreat from them al-together

In their narratives parents recounted their struggles since coming tothe United States and wrote about their realization that life in this coun-try was much more difficult than previously envisioned Most parentsindicated feeling overwhelmed due to a combination of factors includ-

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ing nostalgia for their homeland and family anger and frustration overtheir inabilities to deal with the culture their language limitations andconcerns over the changes they were experiencing as a family

One mother wrote

Una nota positiva es que he encontrado libertad y que le he podidodar a mi hijo la oportunidad de ser lo que el quiera Pero sientomuch nostalgia por un pasado que se que jamas volvere a tener

(On a positive note I have found liberty and I have been able togive my son the opportunity to become whatever he wishes But Ifeel a great sadness for a past that I know I will never have again)

Other parents wrote of their frustrations and disappointment in mak-ing the transition from their homeland to their new environment in theUS Several mothers shared comparable feelings when they wrote

Venir a estepais ha sido muy dificil Mi familia ha cambiadomucho Muchas veces me siento oprimida

(Coming to this country has been very difficult My family haschanged greatly Many times I felt have felt depressed and over-whelmed)

Mi hija se opone abiertamente contra nosotros Creo que es porqueestamos muy ocupados trabajando y por que no hablamos InglesSiempre tenemos que pedirle que nos ayude Tambien tenemosmuy poco tiempo para la familia (My daughter openly defies us Ibelieve it is because we are very busy working and because wedonrsquot speak English We always have to ask for her help We alsohave very little time for the family)

92 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TABLE 1 Analysis of Variance

Source of Variation Sum ofSquares

DF MeanSquare

F Sig of F

Main effects

Family well-being 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Explained 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Residual 13295 42 317

Total 17159 43 399

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A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

Maria Elena Puig 93

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ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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nloa

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Uni

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ry]

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17

Nov

embe

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14

Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

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Page 6: The Adultification of Refugee Children

In spite of the number of children who can cope and adjust to theirnew environment there is growing concern among mental health prac-titioners that many of these children are not as irrepressible as the ste-reotype would suggest (Eisenbruch 1988 Hulewat 1996 Roer-Strier1997 Thomas 1995) Studies corroborate that problems among refu-gee populations particularly children are likely to surface during ado-lescence or even later in life in second- and third-generation refugeechildren (Pittman 1987 Sluski 1979 Szapocznik et al 1983)

One of the most significant human problems confronting refugeechildren is adultification or when a child assumes adult roles beforeadulthood (Galan 1992) Adultification usually occurs among this pop-ulation as a result of parentsrsquo inability to cope with the aftermath of themigration experience Rinsley (1971) sees child adultification as adult-omorphization in which the parent ldquoprojects into the child their ownreservoir of magic-omnipotence and infantile grandiosity Such a childbecomes in the parentrsquos mind a powerful omniscient beingrdquo (p 11)Much of this child adultification centers parentsrsquo relative powerlessnessto manage life in a new environment in a new language and in a newculture with a different value system (Eisenbruch 1988) This role re-versal has been linked to parentsrsquo general inability to function in thenew culture and environment (Eisenbruch 1988)

As refugee children assimilate studies show that they are more apt todevelop bilingual and bicultural skills and coping responses that pro-vide them with greater ability and power to manage social situations(Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Refugee children are called uponto translate intervene and use their dual-frame of reference to helptheir parents relate and understand the host culture and society Conse-quently they learn sophisticated code-switching responses as well ashigh levels of social sensitivity skills that allow these children to de-velop an acute appreciation of the difficulties their monolingualmonocultural parents experience (Puig 1997) In addition the literatureon the interrelated problems of separation loss coping and adaptationin childhood points to the fact that human coping and adaptation de-pends on the interplay between the individual and his or her environ-ment (Berry 1986 Roer-Strier 1997 Thomas 1995) For refugeechildren much of this coping and adaptation is brought about as a resultof their ability to acculturate and assimilate

As acculturation occurs refugee children understand the need tomake personal adjustments that allow for the integration of their ethnicidentity into the new culture (Puig 1997 Szapocznik et al 1983) Thisintegration includes adopting a new value system and developing cul-

88 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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by [

Uni

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ry]

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14

tural competence within that system (Puig 1997) Esquivel and Keitel(1990) Goodstein (1990) and Thomas (1995) further point to the in-creased amount of conflict among refugee families as children begin todevelop autonomy and differentiation When refugee children realizethey have acquired the ability to manage most social situations conflictgenerally occurs with one or both parents lacking bicultural capabilitiesThese conflicts often contribute to the increased vulnerability of family re-lationships as cross-generational cross-cultural and interactional prob-lems begin to escalate among refugee families Threats to family unitywhether real or imagined are part of the crises with which refugees mustcontend and social workers must redress The lack of adequate researchon the benefits or drawbacks of assimilation among Cuban refugeeshas resulted in mental health professionals assuming that many of thesechildren will be seen as clients in later years when they are no longerclassified as either children or refugees (Eisenbruch 1988)

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether Cu-ban refugee children from the Guantanamo immigration wave experi-enced adultification upon their arrival in the US It also explored howchanges in family roles affected intergenerational relations and familywell-being as a result of parentsrsquo inability to mediate societal situationsin the new environment

Grounding this study was the work of Karp and Yoels (1993) andMcCall and Simmons (1982) concerning the development of self andsocial interaction Using social interaction as a theoretical base thisstudy explored how Cuban refugee children and their parents definedtheir roles and how these were interpreted in terms of both the expecta-tions others had of them and the expectations they had of themselves

METHODOLOGY

Using a non-experimental design and qualitative and quantitative meth-odologies this study involved the administration of a Spanish languagestructured questionnaire to collect data concerning the adultification of thechildren and the parentsrsquo perception of this process Respondents wereasked to react in writing to a set of open-ended questions that addressed

Maria Elena Puig 89

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ity o

f C

hica

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ry]

at 2

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Nov

embe

r 20

14

acculturation and assimilation issues and the familyrsquos perception oftheir well-being

Sample

A non-probability sampling procedure was used to select 75 Cubanrefugee families (n = 50 adults n = 25 children) who had been part ofthe balserosGuantanamo refugee wave This method was selected be-cause of the nature of the research the authorrsquos knowledge of the popu-lation and the purpose of the study

Eighty percent of the adult sample population (n = 50) was predom-inantly White with Black Cubans and mulattoes respectively mak-ing up the other twenty percent The majority of adult respondentswere females (82) with males comprising eighteen percent of thesample The mean age for adults was 368 years with a mean familyincome of $12191 Sixty percent of the adults were married nonespoke English and all reported having been detained in GuantanamoThe sample for children (n = 25) reflected the same racial make-up asthe parents Fifty-three percent of the children were males with fe-males comprising forty-seven percent of the sample The mean age forchildren was 117 years and all reported attending school and speak-ing English

FINDINGS

In relation to the findings concerning the adultification of Cuban ref-ugee children sixty-four percent of parents reported having to rely ontheir children to help translate deal with landlords and manage situa-tions involving school personnel government officials and social ser-vices providers Oftentimes children paid the bills dealt with socialinstitutions such as banks and schools and also did the shopping partic-ularly if it required going to non-Spanish owned stores Seventy-twopercent of the parents confirmed that when they received a call or writ-ten notice from their childrenrsquos teachers they relied on the children totranslate andor explain the communication in their native languageFifty-seven percent of parents acknowledged that the use of their chil-dren in this manner ldquofelt wrongrdquo Many believed that it was leading to alack of trust cooperation and respect within the family

Sixty-nine percent of the parents attributed these changing family dy-namics to the constant conflict between the ldquonew ways and traditional

90 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Cuban valuesrdquo When parents were asked to assess who had more influ-ence and control in the family the majority (78) acknowledged thattheir children had the power because they provided ldquo the connectionto the outside worldrdquo Language was often cited by a majority of theparents (98) as the reason for the childrenrsquos influence and control

Responses from the children confirmed their having to assume manyadult related responsibilities Seventy-four percent of the children indi-cated it was their fluency in English that caused them to be given and ac-cept these obligations The majority of them (89) admitted beingembarrassed about their parentsrsquo inability to speak or understand Eng-lish One-third indicated their parents ldquodid not existrdquo Approximatelyforty-five percent of the children reported feeling frustrated at having todeal with these situations In their narratives children often stated theywere ldquo tired of always having to explain things to them (parents)rdquoSixty-six percent asserted that they ldquojust wanted to be left alonerdquo

Examining the parentsrsquo and childrenrsquos perception of their familywell-being adult respondents who were white Cubans rated their fam-ily well-being higher than those who were black or mulattoes Analysisof variance and chi-square tests indicated that race as a variable wassignificantly related to family well-being (see Table 1)

Even though ldquoracerdquo was not a primary construct for evaluation in thisstudy this finding points to its continued importance in US cultureFor recently arrived Cuban refugees of color the prejudice racism anddiscrimination they confronted provided a rude awakening to Americanculture and life

For the children age was an important variable that helped to modifytheir perception of personal well-being Younger children were foundto experience greater confusion over their roles and understanding ofsituations than older children This sense of uncertainty was alluded toin their narratives and appears to have distorted their sense of self andwell-being For older children their opinions concerning personalwell-being fluctuated Those who identified with their parents had ahigher perception of well-being in comparison to those who did notThese children generally had withdrawn from the family and appearedanxious Many wrote about the confusion they experienced betweenwanting to take care of their parents and wanting to retreat from them al-together

In their narratives parents recounted their struggles since coming tothe United States and wrote about their realization that life in this coun-try was much more difficult than previously envisioned Most parentsindicated feeling overwhelmed due to a combination of factors includ-

Maria Elena Puig 91

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Nov

embe

r 20

14

ing nostalgia for their homeland and family anger and frustration overtheir inabilities to deal with the culture their language limitations andconcerns over the changes they were experiencing as a family

One mother wrote

Una nota positiva es que he encontrado libertad y que le he podidodar a mi hijo la oportunidad de ser lo que el quiera Pero sientomuch nostalgia por un pasado que se que jamas volvere a tener

(On a positive note I have found liberty and I have been able togive my son the opportunity to become whatever he wishes But Ifeel a great sadness for a past that I know I will never have again)

Other parents wrote of their frustrations and disappointment in mak-ing the transition from their homeland to their new environment in theUS Several mothers shared comparable feelings when they wrote

Venir a estepais ha sido muy dificil Mi familia ha cambiadomucho Muchas veces me siento oprimida

(Coming to this country has been very difficult My family haschanged greatly Many times I felt have felt depressed and over-whelmed)

Mi hija se opone abiertamente contra nosotros Creo que es porqueestamos muy ocupados trabajando y por que no hablamos InglesSiempre tenemos que pedirle que nos ayude Tambien tenemosmuy poco tiempo para la familia (My daughter openly defies us Ibelieve it is because we are very busy working and because wedonrsquot speak English We always have to ask for her help We alsohave very little time for the family)

92 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TABLE 1 Analysis of Variance

Source of Variation Sum ofSquares

DF MeanSquare

F Sig of F

Main effects

Family well-being 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Explained 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Residual 13295 42 317

Total 17159 43 399

Dow

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17

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14

A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

Maria Elena Puig 93

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17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Uni

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ity o

f C

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ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

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Page 7: The Adultification of Refugee Children

tural competence within that system (Puig 1997) Esquivel and Keitel(1990) Goodstein (1990) and Thomas (1995) further point to the in-creased amount of conflict among refugee families as children begin todevelop autonomy and differentiation When refugee children realizethey have acquired the ability to manage most social situations conflictgenerally occurs with one or both parents lacking bicultural capabilitiesThese conflicts often contribute to the increased vulnerability of family re-lationships as cross-generational cross-cultural and interactional prob-lems begin to escalate among refugee families Threats to family unitywhether real or imagined are part of the crises with which refugees mustcontend and social workers must redress The lack of adequate researchon the benefits or drawbacks of assimilation among Cuban refugeeshas resulted in mental health professionals assuming that many of thesechildren will be seen as clients in later years when they are no longerclassified as either children or refugees (Eisenbruch 1988)

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This purpose of this exploratory study was to examine whether Cu-ban refugee children from the Guantanamo immigration wave experi-enced adultification upon their arrival in the US It also explored howchanges in family roles affected intergenerational relations and familywell-being as a result of parentsrsquo inability to mediate societal situationsin the new environment

Grounding this study was the work of Karp and Yoels (1993) andMcCall and Simmons (1982) concerning the development of self andsocial interaction Using social interaction as a theoretical base thisstudy explored how Cuban refugee children and their parents definedtheir roles and how these were interpreted in terms of both the expecta-tions others had of them and the expectations they had of themselves

METHODOLOGY

Using a non-experimental design and qualitative and quantitative meth-odologies this study involved the administration of a Spanish languagestructured questionnaire to collect data concerning the adultification of thechildren and the parentsrsquo perception of this process Respondents wereasked to react in writing to a set of open-ended questions that addressed

Maria Elena Puig 89

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

acculturation and assimilation issues and the familyrsquos perception oftheir well-being

Sample

A non-probability sampling procedure was used to select 75 Cubanrefugee families (n = 50 adults n = 25 children) who had been part ofthe balserosGuantanamo refugee wave This method was selected be-cause of the nature of the research the authorrsquos knowledge of the popu-lation and the purpose of the study

Eighty percent of the adult sample population (n = 50) was predom-inantly White with Black Cubans and mulattoes respectively mak-ing up the other twenty percent The majority of adult respondentswere females (82) with males comprising eighteen percent of thesample The mean age for adults was 368 years with a mean familyincome of $12191 Sixty percent of the adults were married nonespoke English and all reported having been detained in GuantanamoThe sample for children (n = 25) reflected the same racial make-up asthe parents Fifty-three percent of the children were males with fe-males comprising forty-seven percent of the sample The mean age forchildren was 117 years and all reported attending school and speak-ing English

FINDINGS

In relation to the findings concerning the adultification of Cuban ref-ugee children sixty-four percent of parents reported having to rely ontheir children to help translate deal with landlords and manage situa-tions involving school personnel government officials and social ser-vices providers Oftentimes children paid the bills dealt with socialinstitutions such as banks and schools and also did the shopping partic-ularly if it required going to non-Spanish owned stores Seventy-twopercent of the parents confirmed that when they received a call or writ-ten notice from their childrenrsquos teachers they relied on the children totranslate andor explain the communication in their native languageFifty-seven percent of parents acknowledged that the use of their chil-dren in this manner ldquofelt wrongrdquo Many believed that it was leading to alack of trust cooperation and respect within the family

Sixty-nine percent of the parents attributed these changing family dy-namics to the constant conflict between the ldquonew ways and traditional

90 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

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f C

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ry]

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17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Cuban valuesrdquo When parents were asked to assess who had more influ-ence and control in the family the majority (78) acknowledged thattheir children had the power because they provided ldquo the connectionto the outside worldrdquo Language was often cited by a majority of theparents (98) as the reason for the childrenrsquos influence and control

Responses from the children confirmed their having to assume manyadult related responsibilities Seventy-four percent of the children indi-cated it was their fluency in English that caused them to be given and ac-cept these obligations The majority of them (89) admitted beingembarrassed about their parentsrsquo inability to speak or understand Eng-lish One-third indicated their parents ldquodid not existrdquo Approximatelyforty-five percent of the children reported feeling frustrated at having todeal with these situations In their narratives children often stated theywere ldquo tired of always having to explain things to them (parents)rdquoSixty-six percent asserted that they ldquojust wanted to be left alonerdquo

Examining the parentsrsquo and childrenrsquos perception of their familywell-being adult respondents who were white Cubans rated their fam-ily well-being higher than those who were black or mulattoes Analysisof variance and chi-square tests indicated that race as a variable wassignificantly related to family well-being (see Table 1)

Even though ldquoracerdquo was not a primary construct for evaluation in thisstudy this finding points to its continued importance in US cultureFor recently arrived Cuban refugees of color the prejudice racism anddiscrimination they confronted provided a rude awakening to Americanculture and life

For the children age was an important variable that helped to modifytheir perception of personal well-being Younger children were foundto experience greater confusion over their roles and understanding ofsituations than older children This sense of uncertainty was alluded toin their narratives and appears to have distorted their sense of self andwell-being For older children their opinions concerning personalwell-being fluctuated Those who identified with their parents had ahigher perception of well-being in comparison to those who did notThese children generally had withdrawn from the family and appearedanxious Many wrote about the confusion they experienced betweenwanting to take care of their parents and wanting to retreat from them al-together

In their narratives parents recounted their struggles since coming tothe United States and wrote about their realization that life in this coun-try was much more difficult than previously envisioned Most parentsindicated feeling overwhelmed due to a combination of factors includ-

Maria Elena Puig 91

Dow

nloa

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by [

Uni

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17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

ing nostalgia for their homeland and family anger and frustration overtheir inabilities to deal with the culture their language limitations andconcerns over the changes they were experiencing as a family

One mother wrote

Una nota positiva es que he encontrado libertad y que le he podidodar a mi hijo la oportunidad de ser lo que el quiera Pero sientomuch nostalgia por un pasado que se que jamas volvere a tener

(On a positive note I have found liberty and I have been able togive my son the opportunity to become whatever he wishes But Ifeel a great sadness for a past that I know I will never have again)

Other parents wrote of their frustrations and disappointment in mak-ing the transition from their homeland to their new environment in theUS Several mothers shared comparable feelings when they wrote

Venir a estepais ha sido muy dificil Mi familia ha cambiadomucho Muchas veces me siento oprimida

(Coming to this country has been very difficult My family haschanged greatly Many times I felt have felt depressed and over-whelmed)

Mi hija se opone abiertamente contra nosotros Creo que es porqueestamos muy ocupados trabajando y por que no hablamos InglesSiempre tenemos que pedirle que nos ayude Tambien tenemosmuy poco tiempo para la familia (My daughter openly defies us Ibelieve it is because we are very busy working and because wedonrsquot speak English We always have to ask for her help We alsohave very little time for the family)

92 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TABLE 1 Analysis of Variance

Source of Variation Sum ofSquares

DF MeanSquare

F Sig of F

Main effects

Family well-being 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Explained 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Residual 13295 42 317

Total 17159 43 399

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

Maria Elena Puig 93

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

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ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Page 8: The Adultification of Refugee Children

acculturation and assimilation issues and the familyrsquos perception oftheir well-being

Sample

A non-probability sampling procedure was used to select 75 Cubanrefugee families (n = 50 adults n = 25 children) who had been part ofthe balserosGuantanamo refugee wave This method was selected be-cause of the nature of the research the authorrsquos knowledge of the popu-lation and the purpose of the study

Eighty percent of the adult sample population (n = 50) was predom-inantly White with Black Cubans and mulattoes respectively mak-ing up the other twenty percent The majority of adult respondentswere females (82) with males comprising eighteen percent of thesample The mean age for adults was 368 years with a mean familyincome of $12191 Sixty percent of the adults were married nonespoke English and all reported having been detained in GuantanamoThe sample for children (n = 25) reflected the same racial make-up asthe parents Fifty-three percent of the children were males with fe-males comprising forty-seven percent of the sample The mean age forchildren was 117 years and all reported attending school and speak-ing English

FINDINGS

In relation to the findings concerning the adultification of Cuban ref-ugee children sixty-four percent of parents reported having to rely ontheir children to help translate deal with landlords and manage situa-tions involving school personnel government officials and social ser-vices providers Oftentimes children paid the bills dealt with socialinstitutions such as banks and schools and also did the shopping partic-ularly if it required going to non-Spanish owned stores Seventy-twopercent of the parents confirmed that when they received a call or writ-ten notice from their childrenrsquos teachers they relied on the children totranslate andor explain the communication in their native languageFifty-seven percent of parents acknowledged that the use of their chil-dren in this manner ldquofelt wrongrdquo Many believed that it was leading to alack of trust cooperation and respect within the family

Sixty-nine percent of the parents attributed these changing family dy-namics to the constant conflict between the ldquonew ways and traditional

90 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

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Cuban valuesrdquo When parents were asked to assess who had more influ-ence and control in the family the majority (78) acknowledged thattheir children had the power because they provided ldquo the connectionto the outside worldrdquo Language was often cited by a majority of theparents (98) as the reason for the childrenrsquos influence and control

Responses from the children confirmed their having to assume manyadult related responsibilities Seventy-four percent of the children indi-cated it was their fluency in English that caused them to be given and ac-cept these obligations The majority of them (89) admitted beingembarrassed about their parentsrsquo inability to speak or understand Eng-lish One-third indicated their parents ldquodid not existrdquo Approximatelyforty-five percent of the children reported feeling frustrated at having todeal with these situations In their narratives children often stated theywere ldquo tired of always having to explain things to them (parents)rdquoSixty-six percent asserted that they ldquojust wanted to be left alonerdquo

Examining the parentsrsquo and childrenrsquos perception of their familywell-being adult respondents who were white Cubans rated their fam-ily well-being higher than those who were black or mulattoes Analysisof variance and chi-square tests indicated that race as a variable wassignificantly related to family well-being (see Table 1)

Even though ldquoracerdquo was not a primary construct for evaluation in thisstudy this finding points to its continued importance in US cultureFor recently arrived Cuban refugees of color the prejudice racism anddiscrimination they confronted provided a rude awakening to Americanculture and life

For the children age was an important variable that helped to modifytheir perception of personal well-being Younger children were foundto experience greater confusion over their roles and understanding ofsituations than older children This sense of uncertainty was alluded toin their narratives and appears to have distorted their sense of self andwell-being For older children their opinions concerning personalwell-being fluctuated Those who identified with their parents had ahigher perception of well-being in comparison to those who did notThese children generally had withdrawn from the family and appearedanxious Many wrote about the confusion they experienced betweenwanting to take care of their parents and wanting to retreat from them al-together

In their narratives parents recounted their struggles since coming tothe United States and wrote about their realization that life in this coun-try was much more difficult than previously envisioned Most parentsindicated feeling overwhelmed due to a combination of factors includ-

Maria Elena Puig 91

Dow

nloa

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Uni

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ry]

at 2

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17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

ing nostalgia for their homeland and family anger and frustration overtheir inabilities to deal with the culture their language limitations andconcerns over the changes they were experiencing as a family

One mother wrote

Una nota positiva es que he encontrado libertad y que le he podidodar a mi hijo la oportunidad de ser lo que el quiera Pero sientomuch nostalgia por un pasado que se que jamas volvere a tener

(On a positive note I have found liberty and I have been able togive my son the opportunity to become whatever he wishes But Ifeel a great sadness for a past that I know I will never have again)

Other parents wrote of their frustrations and disappointment in mak-ing the transition from their homeland to their new environment in theUS Several mothers shared comparable feelings when they wrote

Venir a estepais ha sido muy dificil Mi familia ha cambiadomucho Muchas veces me siento oprimida

(Coming to this country has been very difficult My family haschanged greatly Many times I felt have felt depressed and over-whelmed)

Mi hija se opone abiertamente contra nosotros Creo que es porqueestamos muy ocupados trabajando y por que no hablamos InglesSiempre tenemos que pedirle que nos ayude Tambien tenemosmuy poco tiempo para la familia (My daughter openly defies us Ibelieve it is because we are very busy working and because wedonrsquot speak English We always have to ask for her help We alsohave very little time for the family)

92 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TABLE 1 Analysis of Variance

Source of Variation Sum ofSquares

DF MeanSquare

F Sig of F

Main effects

Family well-being 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Explained 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Residual 13295 42 317

Total 17159 43 399

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

Maria Elena Puig 93

Dow

nloa

ded

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Uni

vers

ity o

f C

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ry]

at 2

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17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

Dow

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r 20

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Page 9: The Adultification of Refugee Children

Cuban valuesrdquo When parents were asked to assess who had more influ-ence and control in the family the majority (78) acknowledged thattheir children had the power because they provided ldquo the connectionto the outside worldrdquo Language was often cited by a majority of theparents (98) as the reason for the childrenrsquos influence and control

Responses from the children confirmed their having to assume manyadult related responsibilities Seventy-four percent of the children indi-cated it was their fluency in English that caused them to be given and ac-cept these obligations The majority of them (89) admitted beingembarrassed about their parentsrsquo inability to speak or understand Eng-lish One-third indicated their parents ldquodid not existrdquo Approximatelyforty-five percent of the children reported feeling frustrated at having todeal with these situations In their narratives children often stated theywere ldquo tired of always having to explain things to them (parents)rdquoSixty-six percent asserted that they ldquojust wanted to be left alonerdquo

Examining the parentsrsquo and childrenrsquos perception of their familywell-being adult respondents who were white Cubans rated their fam-ily well-being higher than those who were black or mulattoes Analysisof variance and chi-square tests indicated that race as a variable wassignificantly related to family well-being (see Table 1)

Even though ldquoracerdquo was not a primary construct for evaluation in thisstudy this finding points to its continued importance in US cultureFor recently arrived Cuban refugees of color the prejudice racism anddiscrimination they confronted provided a rude awakening to Americanculture and life

For the children age was an important variable that helped to modifytheir perception of personal well-being Younger children were foundto experience greater confusion over their roles and understanding ofsituations than older children This sense of uncertainty was alluded toin their narratives and appears to have distorted their sense of self andwell-being For older children their opinions concerning personalwell-being fluctuated Those who identified with their parents had ahigher perception of well-being in comparison to those who did notThese children generally had withdrawn from the family and appearedanxious Many wrote about the confusion they experienced betweenwanting to take care of their parents and wanting to retreat from them al-together

In their narratives parents recounted their struggles since coming tothe United States and wrote about their realization that life in this coun-try was much more difficult than previously envisioned Most parentsindicated feeling overwhelmed due to a combination of factors includ-

Maria Elena Puig 91

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

ing nostalgia for their homeland and family anger and frustration overtheir inabilities to deal with the culture their language limitations andconcerns over the changes they were experiencing as a family

One mother wrote

Una nota positiva es que he encontrado libertad y que le he podidodar a mi hijo la oportunidad de ser lo que el quiera Pero sientomuch nostalgia por un pasado que se que jamas volvere a tener

(On a positive note I have found liberty and I have been able togive my son the opportunity to become whatever he wishes But Ifeel a great sadness for a past that I know I will never have again)

Other parents wrote of their frustrations and disappointment in mak-ing the transition from their homeland to their new environment in theUS Several mothers shared comparable feelings when they wrote

Venir a estepais ha sido muy dificil Mi familia ha cambiadomucho Muchas veces me siento oprimida

(Coming to this country has been very difficult My family haschanged greatly Many times I felt have felt depressed and over-whelmed)

Mi hija se opone abiertamente contra nosotros Creo que es porqueestamos muy ocupados trabajando y por que no hablamos InglesSiempre tenemos que pedirle que nos ayude Tambien tenemosmuy poco tiempo para la familia (My daughter openly defies us Ibelieve it is because we are very busy working and because wedonrsquot speak English We always have to ask for her help We alsohave very little time for the family)

92 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TABLE 1 Analysis of Variance

Source of Variation Sum ofSquares

DF MeanSquare

F Sig of F

Main effects

Family well-being 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Explained 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Residual 13295 42 317

Total 17159 43 399

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

Maria Elena Puig 93

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

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ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Page 10: The Adultification of Refugee Children

ing nostalgia for their homeland and family anger and frustration overtheir inabilities to deal with the culture their language limitations andconcerns over the changes they were experiencing as a family

One mother wrote

Una nota positiva es que he encontrado libertad y que le he podidodar a mi hijo la oportunidad de ser lo que el quiera Pero sientomuch nostalgia por un pasado que se que jamas volvere a tener

(On a positive note I have found liberty and I have been able togive my son the opportunity to become whatever he wishes But Ifeel a great sadness for a past that I know I will never have again)

Other parents wrote of their frustrations and disappointment in mak-ing the transition from their homeland to their new environment in theUS Several mothers shared comparable feelings when they wrote

Venir a estepais ha sido muy dificil Mi familia ha cambiadomucho Muchas veces me siento oprimida

(Coming to this country has been very difficult My family haschanged greatly Many times I felt have felt depressed and over-whelmed)

Mi hija se opone abiertamente contra nosotros Creo que es porqueestamos muy ocupados trabajando y por que no hablamos InglesSiempre tenemos que pedirle que nos ayude Tambien tenemosmuy poco tiempo para la familia (My daughter openly defies us Ibelieve it is because we are very busy working and because wedonrsquot speak English We always have to ask for her help We alsohave very little time for the family)

92 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TABLE 1 Analysis of Variance

Source of Variation Sum ofSquares

DF MeanSquare

F Sig of F

Main effects

Family well-being 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Explained 3864 1 3864 12208 001

Residual 13295 42 317

Total 17159 43 399

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

Maria Elena Puig 93

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

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Page 11: The Adultification of Refugee Children

A single-father expressed comparable concerns when he revealed

Me he deprimido mucho y estoy ertremadamente frustrado Aveces quisiera morirme Se que no debo pensar asi porque misninos me necesitan Pero no le puedo explicar lo mal que mesiento siendo un padre solo con tantas necesidades

(I have become very depressed and I am extremely frustratedSometimes I wish that I would die I know that I shouldnrsquot thinkthat way because my children need me But I canrsquot explain howbadly I feel being a single father with so many needs)

On a more optimistic note one mother stated

Estoy muy agradecida porque mis ninos son muy inteligente yhablan Ingles Pero no quiero depender de ellos

(I am very grateful that my children are very smart and can speakEnglish But I donrsquot want to depend on them)

Similarly the children wrote about how their parents were living inthe past and how parents spent the majority of their time telling them oftheir suffering However most children did include a few passagesabout their appreciation for what their parents were going throughMost narratives also contained references about the childrenrsquos concernover fitting in many children proudly discussed how they were becom-ing ldquoAmericanrdquo In spite of expressing this opinion there were a fewentries where the children discussed their fear over losing their Cubanculture It was as if unknowingly they were trying to accommodatetheir two ldquoselvesrdquo

Overall the narratives provided a glimpse into what family memberswere experiencing Most families were bewildered and overwhelmedby their circumstances There was a palpable tenseness in these familiesthat was captured in their writings The narratives clearly chronicled thepersonal cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts among this par-ticular group of Cuban refugees

DISCUSSION

Though small in scope this study points to the need for the provisionof comprehensive social and mental health services as primary and sec-

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ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Dow

nloa

ded

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Uni

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ity o

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ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

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ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

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r 20

14

Page 12: The Adultification of Refugee Children

ondary prevention to refugee groups These support services should beprovided as soon as refugee families enter this country and should con-tinue through their integration into the new culture and society Socialworkers need to provide services in the context of rapidly changing situ-ations since day-to-day life experiences alter the refugeesrsquo ability tocope adjust and adapt to the changing environment

In addition family therapy should be provided to all refugee familiesto help them deal with the confusion of living in a new environmentand to address the disorientation members feel over role reversal and di-vided loyalties Socio-educational groups also should be included as anintervention to help address childrenrsquos perception Groups are an effec-tive treatment method for both adults and children because they canhelp participants discover similarities in circumstances Groups alsofoster a greater sense of personal and family normalcy For parentsgroup therapy is important because it offers them a means to deal withself-blame and inaccurate attributions

Finally because children and adults acculturate differently particu-lar efforts should be made to establish language and acculturationclasses for parents Any planned effort that facilitates these processeshowever should ensure that programs and social and mental health ser-vices match the needs and characteristics of the refugees and the com-munities which they live in

REFERENCES

Back K W (19B0) Uprooting and self-image Catastrophe and continuity In G VCoelho and P I Ahmed (Ed) Uprooting and development Dilemmas of copingwith modernization New York Plenum

Berry J W (1986) The acculturation process and refugee behavior In C L Williamsand J Westermeyer (Eds) Refugee mental health in resettlement countries (pp25-37) Washington Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

Canino I A Earley B F amp Rogler L H (1980) The Puerto Rican child in NewYork City Stress and mental health (Monograph No 4) New York Hispanic Re-search Center Fordham University

Cervantes R C Salgado De Snyder VN amp Padilla A M (1989) Posttraumaticstress in immigrants from Central America and Mexico Hospital and CommunityPsychiatry 40 615-619

Eisenbruch M (1988) The mental health of refugee children and their cultural devel-opment International Migration Review 22 282-300

Esquivel G amp Keitel M (1990) Counseling immigrant children in the schools Psy-chology of Women Quarterly 11 213-221

94 LATINOHISPANIC LIAISONS AND VISIONS FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Page 13: The Adultification of Refugee Children

Galan F J (1992) Experiential focusing with Mexican-American males withbicultural identity problems In K Corcoran (Ed) Structuring change Effectivepractice for common client problems Lyceum

Goodstein C (1990) American societies The new immigrants in the schools Crisis98 161-171

Ho D (1995) Internalized culture cultocentrism and transcendence The CounselingPsychologist 23 4-24

Hulewat P (1996) Resettlement A cultural and psychological crisis Social Work 41129-135

Hyuck E E Fields R (1981) Impact of resettlement on refugee children Interna-tional Migration Review 15 246-254

Karp D A amp Yoels W C (1993) Sociology in everyday life 2nd ed Itasca IL Pea-cock

McCall G J amp Simmons J L (1982) Social psychology A sociological approachNew York Free Press

Nikelly A (1997) Cultural babel The challenge of immigrants to the helping profes-sions Cultural Diversity and Mental Health 3 281-285

Okum B F Fried J amp Okum M L (1999) Understanding diversityLearning-as-practice primer BrooksCole

Pittman F S III (1987) Turning points Treating families in transition and crisisToronto Penguin

Puig M E (1997) Immigrant children Mediating conflict between their parents andthe host culture Unpublished research study Colorado State University

Rinsley D B (1971) The adolescent inpatient Patterns of depersonification Psycho-analytic Quarterly 45 3-22

Roer-Strier D (1997) In the mind of the beholder Evaluation of coping styles of im-migrant parents International migration Review 35 271-285

Sluski C E (1979) Migration and family conflict Family Process 18 379-390Sue DW amp Sue D (1990) Counseling the culturally different Theory and practice

New York WileySzapocznik J Kurtines W Hervis O amp Spencer F (1983) One person family ther-

apy In B Lubin and W A OrsquoConnor (Eds) Psychological dimensions of the ac-culturation process Theories models and some new findings Boulder COWestview

Szapocznik J amp Truss C (1978) Intergenerational sources of conflict in Cubanmothers In M Montiel (Ed) Hispanic families Washington DC COSSMHO

Thomas T N (1995) Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant familiesJournal of Social Distress and the Homeless 4 131-141

Triandis H C (1994) Culture and social behavior New York McGraw-Hill USSeventh Coast Guard District (1995) Cuban Rescue Statistics Report Wolcott HE (1991) Propriospect and the acquisition of culture Anthropology and Educa-tional Quarterly 22 251-278

Maria Elena Puig 95

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

hica

go L

ibra

ry]

at 2

153

17

Nov

embe

r 20

14