Experiences of Intergenerational Trauma in Second-Generation Refugees: Healing Through Occupation

Jeyasundaram, Janany; Cao, Luisa Yao Dan; Trentham, Barry

doi:10.1177/0008417420968684

Cited by 7 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Donna Nagata, in her research on Japanese American survivors of incarceration during WWII, documented this silence: those who were incarcerated avoided discussing their experiences to avoid “burdening” the next generation, who then interpreted this silence as marking a past “too painful to discuss” (Nagata et al, 2015 , p. 362). Pervasive silence about the past has also been documented in other Asian diaspora families affected by historical trauma in the USA and Canada (Jeyasundaram et al, 2020 ; Lee & Clarke, 2013 ; Lin & Suyemoto, 2016 ; Lin et al, 2009 ). Silence may contribute to a lack of understanding between parents and children and increased family dysfunction.…”

Section: Intergenerational Communication About Historical Traumamentioning

confidence: 87%

“…The survivor generation’s trauma and resilience can be recognized, younger generations can learn about their ethnic group histories, and intergenerational communication can be opened. Hearing about their own family and community’s strength and survival can help Asian American immigrants and children of immigrants alike see their communities as resilient and instill radical hope for the future (Jeyasundaram et al, 2020 ). Such approaches may also be more accessible to general community populations than interventions labeled as “therapy.”…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Parents may even feel their children’s lives are so much easier than their own childhoods that they minimize or dismiss any distress expressed by their children (Meschke & Juang, 2014 ). These messages can all contribute to children’s feelings of guilt and fear about disappointing their parents and ethnic community (e.g., by falling short of academic or professional expectations) and subsequently making major life decisions based on this fear (Jeyasundaram et al, 2020 ). Thus, historical trauma may arguably be a contributing factor in Asian immigrant parents’ preoccupation with academic success (Qin, 2008 ).…”

Section: Intergenerational Communication About Historical Traumamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the descendants of the survivor generation, positive intergenerational communication about historical trauma promotes closer parent–child relationships, which then promotes positive psychosocial outcomes and ethnic-racial identity development (Jeyasundaram et al, 2020 ; Lin & Suyemoto, 2016 ; Umaña-Taylor et al, 2014 ). Parents and children would be better able to understand each other across the differences in their cultural, generational, and historical contexts, and children would develop a clearer understanding of “where they’re from” (Jeyasundaram et al, 2020 ; p. 418). Situating themselves within an understanding that their ethnic group shares resilience, perseverance, and strength may also promote individual resilience through ethnic identity (Dalgaard et al, 2019 ; Ramirez & Hammack, 2014 ).…”

Section: Possibilities For Radical Healingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lacking knowledge of their family history, children may not be able to develop a coherent and positive sense of identity (Lin et al, 2009 ). Children’s understanding of their parents' experiences is often limited to their own inferences and what their parents let slip during moments of conflict (Jeyasundaram et al, 2020 ; Lee & Clarke, 2013 ; Lin & Suyemoto, 2016 ; Lin et al, 2009 ). Intergenerational communication (including silence) about historical trauma has been identified as a major mechanism for the transmission of trauma’s cross-generational effects (Nagata & Cheng, 2003 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intergenerational Communication about Historical Trauma in Asian American Families

Cai

2022

ADV RES SCI

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Little is known about how Asian American families, as well as other racially marginalized families, communicate about ethnic and racial group histories, particularly regarding historical trauma. Unlike personal trauma, historical trauma refers to distressing or life-threatening events which members of a group with a shared social identity experience together and pass on to their descendants. It has been studied in a variety of groups and contexts, notably in Holocaust survivors and their families and in Native American communities. The concept has seen limited application to Asian American groups, despite its relevance to their unique and shared lived experiences. For instance, the majority of Asian Americans have immigrated from countries across Asia that have been profoundly affected by war and political upheaval in the past century. Research on historical trauma among Asian Americans has focused primarily on refugees who fled the US wars in Southeast Asia, with some research on Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II. Historical trauma related to other major events, such as the India/Pakistan Partition, the Chinese Civil War and Cultural Revolution, the Korean War, and the Sri Lankan Civil War, have not been examined among Asian Americans. A lack of recognition of these historical traumas within families and communities, as well as in the psychological literature, may mask important pre-migration history effects on Asian American families across generations. In this paper, we consider how historical trauma impacts Asian American individuals, families, and communities. We also examine the role of intergenerational communication in historical trauma and in Asian American families and communities. Finally, we discuss historical trauma among Asian Americans within the framework of radical healing, particularly how intergenerational communication about historical trauma can raise critical consciousness, facilitate ethnic-racial identity development, and reinforce ethnic-racial socialization.

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