Breaking the Cycle of Silence: Healing Intergenerational Immigration Trauma in Our Families

As a first-generation Chicana and restorative practitioner, I have witnessed the deep scars that intergenerational immigration trauma can leave on our families. Many of us within these communities carry wounds that do not belong to us, memories of struggle, sacrifice, and survival passed down like heirlooms from our parents and abuelitos. While these stories hold strength and resilience, they also carry unspoken pain that shapes the next generation’s mental health in ways we are just beginning to fully understand.

Understanding Intergenerational Immigration Trauma

Immigration trauma is not just about the journey, it is about the loss of home, culture, and identity (Suárez-Orozco, Todorova, & Louie, 2002). It’s about the fear that still lingers in our parents’ voices when they recall their border crossing, the exhaustion that weighs on them after years of working jobs that barely pay enough, and the anxiety they pass down to us about "not wasting opportunities" because they sacrificed so much (Pérez Foster, 2001).

For many first-generation children, this means growing up with an immense sense of responsibility, feeling like we must succeed at all costs to validate our family’s struggle. It can also mean battling internalized guilt, feeling disconnected from our cultural roots, or experiencing emotional detachment from parents who were too busy surviving to process their own pain (Torres, Driscoll, & Voell, 2012).

Signs of Intergenerational Trauma in Our Families

• Hyper-independence: Feeling like we must handle everything alone because our parents did.
• Survival mentality: Prioritizing work and responsibility over self-care.
• Fear-based parenting: Parents expressing love through discipline rather than affection (Hwang & Wood, 2009).
• Emotional suppression: Struggling to talk about mental health because "others had it worse” or “we just don’t talk about that”
• Identity conflict: Feeling like we do not fully belong in either our parents’ culture or mainstream society.

Ways We Can Support Families Through Healing

1. Encourage Open Conversations
   Breaking the cycle starts with speaking about the experiences we were taught to keep silent. Ask your elders about their journey, validate their emotions, and share your own struggles in return (Kohli & Solórzano, 2012). Learn from the past. 
   
   
2. Normalize Mental Health Care
   Therapy has often been stigmatized in our communities, but it is one of the most powerful tools for healing. Whether it is traditional talk therapy, group support, or culturally rooted healing practices, remind your family that seeking help is an act of strength, not weakness (Comas-Díaz, 2006).
   
   
3. Practice Intergenerational Compassion
   Those who have come before us did the best they could with the tools they had. Therefore, we must lead with empathy, educating ourselves on emotional well-being and gently introducing those lessons into our families (Gonzalez, 2020).
   
   
4. Balance Survival with Self-Care
   We are not just our parents’ dreams, we are also human beings deserving of rest and joy. Learning to prioritize our well-being while honoring their sacrifices is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and future generations (Arredondo et al., 2014).
   
   
5. Reclaim Cultural Roots
   Whether it is through food, language, music, or traditions, reconnecting with our heritage can be a source of healing. Honoring our ancestors does not mean carrying their pain, it means embracing the strength they passed down to us (Villanueva, 2018). 

Supporting Current Immigrant Persecution

In today's world, many immigrants face heightened persecution, whether through legal barriers, detention, discrimination, or displacement. We must advocate for humane immigration policies, provide mental health resources for migrant families, and create community support networks that offer safety, education, and dignity. By recognizing their struggles and standing in solidarity, we help break cycles of trauma and ensure a future where all individuals are treated with compassion and respect.

The Power of Collective Healing

Intergenerational immigration trauma does not have to define us. As we navigate our healing, we create paths for others to follow. We are the bridges between dignity and opportunity, and with love, education, and resilience, we can transform pain into power.

To my fellow first-gens: You are not alone in this journey. You are breaking cycles, restoring your identity, healing generations, and writing a new story with new ink, one where all people, not only survive but truly thrive because we are stronger together. 

Dr. Daisy Gomez is a Los Angeles native who received an MS in Forensic Psychology and EdD in Counseling Psychology. Dr. Gomez specializes in restorative practices, working with high-risk populations and adults and families affected by trauma, gang-involvement, the criminal justice system, the foster care system, substance abuse, racial injustice, and those affected by incarceration. She has collaborated with community-based organizations, national organizations, and law enforcement agencies in creating and implementing reformative initiatives to increase education and access to mental health within underserved populations. Dr. Daisy Gomez is a training manager for the UCLA Prevention Center of Excellence.

References

Arredondo, P., Gallardo-Cooper, M., Delgado-Romero, E. A., & Zapata, A. L. (2014). Culturally responsive counseling with Latinas/os. Wiley.

Comas-Díaz, L. (2006). Latino healing traditions: Implications for mental health services. Journal of Counseling & Development, 84(3), 328-336.

Gonzalez, J. (2020). The power of our stories: Latinx narratives of trauma and resilience. University Press.

Hwang, W. C., & Wood, J. J. (2009). Acculturative family distancing: Links with self-reported symptomatology among Asian Americans and Latinos. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 15(3), 287-296.

Kohli, R., & Solórzano, D. (2012). Teachers, please learn our names! Racial microaggressions and the K-12 classroom. Race Ethnicity and Education, 15(4), 441-462.

Pérez Foster, R. (2001). When immigration is trauma: Guidelines for the individual and family clinician. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 71(2), 153-170.

Suárez-Orozco, C., Todorova, I. L., & Louie, J. (2002). Making up for lost time: The experience of separation and reunification among immigrant families. Family Process, 41(4), 625-643.

Torres, L., Driscoll, M. W., & Voell, M. (2012). Discrimination, acculturation, acculturative stress, and Latino psychological distress: A moderated mediational model. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 18(1), 17-25.

Villanueva, H. (2018). Reclaiming our heritage: Cultural identity and healing in Latinx communities. Beacon Press.