Grief through an Immigrant Lens: The Duality of Secondary Losses
Calvary Hospital and Rashida Sanchez, MA, FT
How do immigrants navigate the challenges of a new life in a new land when they are confronted with how to honor the death of a loved one?
Immigration is at the forefront of our public discourse: who comes here, who “belongs” here, and what risks they take when seeking refuge. But what happens once they arrive? How do these new immigrants address the duality of navigating a new life, a new community, and a new future while experiencing the loss of identity and trust and grieving those who were left behind? Death disrupts one’s sense of identity and place. When a death occurs, whether here or in their homeland, immigrants are confronted with negotiating cultural death practices, family rituals, and how to honor their loved ones. In this lecture, Bereavement Counselor Rashida Sanchez, MA, FT (Calvary Hospital), explores the ways in which contemporary immigrants address the realities that arise, here and at home, from the death of a loved one.
