On October 17, 2018, the Clinical Translational Science Institute-Children’s National (CTSI-CN) hosted a Science Café to explore the intersection between research, public health, public policy and immigration.  The Café was moderated by Desiree de la Torre, Director of Community Affairs and Population Health Improvement in the Child Health Advocacy Institute (CHAI) at Children’s National, who opened the evening by sharing the  story of her ancestors who immigrated to American and the important role that Children’s National plays in responding to community-identified health needs, such as mental health.  The musical group, Son La Lucha, performed songs highlighting the beautiful rhythms and richness of Latin music and a spoken word piece.  Dr. Lisa Guay-Woodford, Director of the CTSI-CN, spoke about the importance of designing research that addresses community needs, and that we must continue to ask the right questions, get the data, and translate discoveries so they have an impact on people’s lives.

“I’m Scared That My Mom is Going to Disappear.”

Dr. Lanre Falusi, Associate Medical Director of Municipal and Regional Affairs in the Child Health Advocacy Institute at Children’s National, shared her experience and expertise as a clinician and advocate caring for children and families who have immigrated.  She reviewed the policy actions related to immigration that have taken place since January 2017 and the growing diversity of the DC region where one in four children live in an immigrant family, meaning they were foreign born or have at least one parent who was foreign born.  Dr. Falusi described one child that she cares for who came into the office complaining of feeling anxious and a rapid heartbeat.  The child had heard news reports about immigration and told Dr. Falusi, “I’m scared that my mom is going to disappear.”   Dr. Falusi discussed the toxic stress response that occurs in children when they live with constant fear over the immigration status of their relatives or themselves and that the fear and trauma they experience shows up physically in their bodies.

“You are not in your country.  Speak English.”

Dr Kathleen Roche, Associate Professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, discussed a research study she designed and conducted in collaboration with a community partner that surveyed over 200 Latino parents with a diversity of immigration status and with youth ages 12-18 to identify the impact of immigration actions.  Parents reported worrying about family separation, about their child’s ability to finish school, and reported behaviors such as avoiding medical care and public assistance.  Parents reported high levels of anxiety, depression and psychological distress.  The survey was followed by focus groups with 50 parents to ask how immigration changes have affected them, their family or people they know.  The universal response was the increase in the experience of discrimination – on buses, in restaurants, stores and schools.  One participant reported that she was having a conversation in Spanish with a friend on a bus and they were told by an onlooker, “You are not in your country.  Speak English.”  Dr. Roche emphasized that research shows that adolescent children are at risk for poor outcomes when their parents experience stress and trauma and that experiences of discrimination negatively impact adolescent development and self-esteem.  She highlighted the benefits of a community-engaged approach to research, including modification of the study design to reflect community characteristics, increased trust by community members in the project and willingness to participate, and verification that community members’ authentic voices and perspectives are reflected in the findings.

“I feel like our world is crashing, not just for me but for many other families.”

A community member who has been in the United States for 22 years shared powerful testimony about her own journey to the US that began over two decades ago when she immigrated to the United States from El Salvador in search of a better life for her children.  She was able to find work, learn English, pay taxes, and maintain steady employment and had hope of obtaining Temporary Protected Status (TPS).  The realization that TPS may not be an option for her and for many other families is a significant stressor.  Her testimony captured the essence of the research that Dr. Roche had conducted, by illustrating the profound stress and anxiety caused by fear over immigration status and the incredible strength and resilience that she possesses to carry on, despite the uncertainty of her future in the United States. 

“When you take one of ours you take our heart away because Latinos are a very close community.”

The evening concluded with another community member, Damaris Encarnacion, sharing her experience as the daughter of immigrants, who received a college education in their home country but had no opportunity to make a living that sustains a family in that country.  Her parents had no resources when they arrived in the US and began in custodial jobs, always emphasizing the importance of education for their children.  Ms. Encarnacion has a Master’s degree and has been an educator for over 15 years and attributes her success to the support of her parents.  She emphasized the incredible strength and resilience of the Latino community, and the support they provide each other such as signing custodial letters to care for a friend’s child if they are deported. 

The Science Café highlighted the importance of promoting immigrant health and well-being in our community, through research, clinical care, and community engagement.