Worthy

In the chapter, the author outlines how cultural and individual immigrant narratives are shaped by neoliberalism. The author shows that in “doing gratitude,” the continuous effort of appearing grateful, immigrant narratives create a space where native-born individuals can construct themselves into narratives of salvation. The performance of gratitude has several key components that render it compatible with neoliberal ideology. The chapter proposes that narratives play a role in, first, establishing worthiness as defined by neoliberalism (sometimes at the expense of dignity), and second, promising future worthiness (sometimes at the expense of remembering old identities). The author uses Dina Nayeri's The Ungrateful Refugee as an example of a cultural and individual narrative that both challenges and reinforces gendered neoliberal ideals.

A Folkloristic Analysis of Polish Immigrant Narratives in Western Canada

The large wave of Polish immigration to Canada during the years immediately following World War II also brought the production of written narratives that reflect upon the process of migration and settlement in the new place. Although these migrants included persons from all across Poland, of different age groups, backgrounds, and occupations, the migration narratives share certain distinctive formulas and patterns, particularly in terms of their plot lines and narrative structure. Each story highlights the journey and its difficulties, the arrival and culture shock, the struggle to adapt, and finally acceptance of life in the new world. This article focuses on the migration experiences of Józef Bauer (arriving in Canada in 1946), Helena Beznowska (arriving 1948), Marian Pawiński (arriving 1949), and Erika Wolf-May (arriving 1953). Explored from a folkloristic perspective, these four narratives fulfill the four functions of folklore: entertainment, education, validation and reinforcement of beliefs and conduct, and maintaining the stability, solidarity, cohesiveness, and continuity of a group within the larger mass culture. Moreover, as folkloric expressions of culture, the narratives not only reflect our very human culture, but also reinforce our shared humanity.

In-Between: Late-Arriving Teens in Adult Education Programs Navigating Child and Adult Immigrant Narratives

We report on a grounded theory study of late-arriving immigrant youth (LIY) who arrived in the United States at 16–18 years of age and were referred to daytime General Education Diploma (D-GED) programs. These programs provide an alternate path to a high school diploma for youth with insufficient knowledge of English to complete graduation requirements before turning 19 years. Based on interviews with 38 youth from Latin America, we propose the core category of our grounded theory to be students Navigating Child and Adult Immigrant Narratives while making educational and career decisions. This process begins before immigration when youth imagine ambitious alternate selves—ideal educational and career selves in the United States, consistent with the American Dream and immigrant child narrative. The D-GED programs represent a compromise between a child and adult educational pathway. Students in these programs felt excluded from the regular high school but received social and emotional support while on a faster track to graduation and self-sufficiency as adults. However, students lacked concrete information and roadmaps for how to attain their ambitious goals. The study highlights the unique challenges faced by LIY as they develop ambitious and realistic education and career goals.

Culture, Identity, and Mental Health

This chapter presents conclusions and future directions on culture, identity, and mental health, including the importance of identity and culture, separations and mourning as an important part of the immigrant experience, immigration-related separations, understanding acculturation, transnational identities, pilgrimages, and return migrations, understanding and treating refugees and special populations, criminality among immigrants to the United States, immigration and race, American narratives and immigrant narratives, treatment of immigrants and the children of immigrants, alternative futures for cultural identity – intercultural future and tribalistic future.

The Immigrant Narrative

The chapter on the immigrant narrative explains the role of human narratives in identity development and explains the origins, meanings, and importance of the quintessential American narrative, which is known as the narrative of the redemptive self. It explains how understanding the dynamics of this particular narrative facilitates the understanding of the American cultural experience and how many aspects of this narrative parallel the immigrant experience. It discusses the concepts of historical truth and narrative truth. It explains how the use of narratives can serve as a useful therapeutic tool to help the immigrant work through the traumas and losses associated with migration and to negotiate the different stages of transformation of the immigrant’s identity. This chapter also explains the neurobiology of memory formation and the distortions of memory and narrative that may result from psychological trauma. It discusses how psychotherapy involves the creation of new, more adaptive narratives that can provide healing and personal growth and its relevance in the immigrant experience. It also discusses immigrant narratives in contemporary literature and how these can be used as a therapeutic tool with the younger generations of immigrants. The chapter is illustrated with various clinical cases.