Middle Childhood Assignment: Immigrant Children

Recent policy changes have resulted in thousands of children, even very young children, being separated from their parents upon immigrating to the US from Central America. Many children remain in detention centers without their parents. Other citizen children of immigrant parents have faced separations from parents who have been deported.

Please read the articles below and write a brief (1-3 page) thought paper answering the following questions: Based on what you’ve learned about attachment, toxic stress, and the effects of adverse childhood experiences (from our readings and class discussions), what would you expect to see in the brain development of children who have experienced these separations? What would you expect to see in their behavior? What recommendations would you make to optimize their healthy development?

Please remember that this question is about the children affected by immigration policies, not about the policies themselves, which people may have strong feelings about. Feel free to disagree with your peers, but please remain respectful to opposing opinions in your response. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/07/30/how-many-migrant-children-separated-parents-us-mexico-border/1873561001/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/12/us/migrant-children-tent-camp-texas.html

https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/us-citizen-children-impacted-immigration-enforcement

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/social-behavioral-determinants-toxic-stress/