Helping Immigrant Children Cope

Newswise — The ongoing debate over U.S., immigration may be especially stressful for the children of immigrants who are caught in the middle between their parents, who may be in the country legally or illegally, and their American neighbors, says University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) education expert Anarella Cellitti, Ph.D. "This debate may be causing some children to question their own identity. They hear neighbors questioning their parents' legal status and saying their parents are a menace, while at the same time, they see their parents working hard and doing the best they can. This can create a lot of internal conflicts in young children." Cellitti says teachers must find ways to create a classroom environment where every child is made to feel safe and expressions of zenophobia are not tolerated.