For the Latinx community, family serves not only as a cornerstone for emotional support and affection but is also central to social structure and cultural identity for generations. However, historical and cultural influences, such as enduring the impacts of colonialism, colorism, and the complexities of immigration, can significantly shape the dynamics and expectations within the familial structures of the Latinx community and have the potential to not only affect the mental well-being of individual community members, but can be passed down between generations, creating intergenerational trauma. In this article, we’ll explore factors that have influenced intergenerational trauma within the Latinx community, and how therapy can provide healing and break such cycles of trauma.
The Effect of Colonialism and Colorism.
For the Latinx community, the colonization of Central, South, and Caribbean America by the Spanish and Portuguese led to the displacement and massacre of the Indigenous population, enslavement of Africans, and the forced labor of both Indigenous and African people. Colonization in itself is extremely traumatic, especially when oppressors force their values and beliefs on the oppressed by erasing their culture, often through violence. The Latinx community had to endure the following:
- A strict socio-racial classification and hierarchy that affects one's access to opportunities and ability to navigate their social status.
- The impact of losing one’s language and culture while navigating the rigid racial-social hierarchy
- A loss and rejection of one’s indigenous and African roots
- Idealizing the oppressors' values such as “mejorarr la raza” or “to better the race,” a concept created by the cycle of colonialism and colorism that affects many Latinx household to either hold stereotypes about their own community, impact their view on beauty standards/expectations, and their motivation/hopefulness to receive equal opportunities to navigate their socioeconomic status.
Despite being free of Spanish rule, the psychological consequence of being oppressed and exposed to the glorification of Whiteness has led to ongoing violence against Indigenous land, women, and gender sexual minorities, creating a discriminatory system that affects access to opportunity, housing, education, and healthcare. Exposure to such violence not only forces individuals to endure and survive intense stressors but profoundly affects their mental health, often leading to the development of trauma that transcends generations.
How does Immigration Impact the Family and Familial Expectations?
Although the motivation and desire for a better life for each Latinx immigrant story is often unique to the family, historically, the impact of colonialism, limited resources, and violence influenced the shift of immigration in the community. Since the culture revolves around and emphasizes the importance of family, Latinx immigrants often rely on their families for emotional support and social networking when navigating in a foreign country. However, stepping into a new culture and environment like the United States can be overwhelming and jarring for Latinx families due to:
- Quality of family time being reduced due to the need and pressure to maintain employment to meet the physical needs of the family (such as clothes, food, paying the bills, etc.), which can lead to poor work-life balance.
- Immigration can influence eating habits as a result of economic pressures due to long work hours and the cost of groceries makes fast food a source of convenience but can result in poor eating habits.
- Acculturative stress which can influence the mental well-being of a minority group when navigating and processing to a new culture, especially between how the parent and child interact.
Feeling disconnected from family members is a frequent stressor for first-generation Latinx immigrants and a predictor of acculturative stress, often leading to family dysfunction and negative expectations for the future. For example, some children and teens may feel:
- That their parents cannot help or provide advice for social problems, while parents may feel as though their children are abandoning them (or ashamed of them) and their culture. These internal conflicts can lead to difficulties in communication and potentially lead to intergenerational conflict as children would seek independence and solace in friends than the family.
- Pressure to “have a better life” can lead many teens and children to feel guilty and ashamed when they do not meet the academic expectations of their parents.
However, not only would Latinx families have to navigate the difficulties of adapting to a new culture, but discrimination can also influence acculturation stress by increasing disputes within the family. Increased conflict can lead to feelings of isolation, which can increase psychological distress and risk triggering poor mental health like depression, anxiety, and further traumatic stress within the Latinx community. U.S.-born Latinx individuals may be more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress from discrimination than Latinx individuals who were born outside the U.S., potentially due to how their identities are both American and Latino. When their identity of being American is questioned, it causes a significant impact on their mental health. As mental wellness declines due to these external factors, conversations about mental health are limited as the family unit is forced to focus on survival rather than emotional conversations.
How Do We Heal and Break the Cycle?
Although what is written above only scratches the surface of the unique experience, culture, and historical factors of the Latinx perspective, there are ways to heal and break the intergenerational cycle. Here are some ways we can help health from generational trauma:
Identify where the traumatic responses are coming from:
Understanding through psychoeducation how trauma affects the body and brain's response to stressors is profoundly valuable in breaking down stigmas and avoiding any tendency to internalize their experience as a reflection of character flaws. It can give individuals an opportunity to acknowledge the root of their trauma and practice developing self-compassion and understanding. This, in turn, can enable people to recognize how trauma shaped their response to stressors or personal setbacks and aid in rebuilding an authentic sense of self.
Practicing mindfulness, self-care, and meditation:
By learning how to attend to our physical and emotional needs, we can reconnect and soothe our physical and emotional reactions during times of stress. Recentering and regulating our emotions can help empower us to feel in control of our reactions and reduce impulsivity in circumstances beyond our control which supports emotional well-being. Whether we engage in yoga, journaling, breathing techniques, walks, personal hobbies/interests, being present with ourselves can help reduce depression and anxiety by allowing us to disengage from negative self-talk, learn to engage in positive distractions, encourage positive thinking, and improve problem-solving skills to create positive actions for changes that are within our control.
Normalizing conversations around mental wellness:
Conversations about mental health are often discouraged or stigmatized in the Latinx community due to fear of judgment and misunderstandings. However, normalizing discussions about mental wellness can help break down stigmas, encourage open communication, and feel connected with others. Prompting a supportive and empathetic environment can encourage individuals in the Latinx community to feel more comfortable seeking aid for mental health challenges.
Self-advocacy and boundaries:
Latinx parents may not be accustomed to or comfortable with concepts like boundaries, as they may perceive them as an “attack” or “disconnection” from family values, self-advocacy and encouraging healthy boundaries are essential for personal and community growth. For example, using "I" statements could help reduce defensiveness and build emotional communication. Although saying "no" can be challenging, especially in a family-oriented culture, learning how to say "no" can help us gain emotional control, build our confidence, and reduce feelings of burnout. Recognizing our limitations and addressing unhelpful behavior or feedback during conflict can foster self-empowerment and reduce resentment.
Expanding personal education and reconnecting with cultural heritage:
Learning about the social and historical context can assist in alleviating the burdens of intergenerational trauma by fostering a positive cultural identity. For instance, delving into the experiences of Latinx immigrants, the impact of colonization, and systemic oppression can help validate the experiences and struggles of the community and provide a framework to start healing. Reconnecting and reclaiming our heritage can help us feel empowered, encourage us to recognize our strengths and resiliency, and build a sense of solidarity within the community in the face of adversity. Although learning about the historical and social context can be a demanding and triggering experience, learning to process and validate our emotional experience can encourage a sense of belonging within the community.
Seeking a cultural and trauma-informed therapy:
Seeking therapy with a cultural understanding of the community can offer valuable insights, provide personalized care, and help address cultural/family values that affect community members. Therapy would not only help rebuild a deeper understanding of one’s personal struggle and work through feelings of indirect guilt from familial pressure but can facilitate the exploration to reconnect to one's cultural heritage without fear of being misunderstood or judged. Doing so can provide a sense of belonging, improve cultural identity, and restore a sense of empowerment.