IMMIGRATION AND LOSS

by Jeni Adler Magat

Jeni Adler Magat counsels a client

Immigration has been a major theme in my life.  I’ve migrated twice myself (to Canada and to Israel) and worked with immigrants in non-profit agencies for over twenty years.

 I’ve experienced many changes as well as the enrichment of my life and sense of self.  I’ve also learned that change implies loss, and personal growth demands the emotional shifts and patience necessary to move through transitions.

In my work I focus on what Canada has to offer our immigrant clients.  I welcome them, attempt to reduce their anxieties about the unknown, explain to them what’s available and important, connect them to necessary resources and do some cross-cultural advocacy from both the Canadian and immigrant perspectives.

However, I recognize more and more how insensitive it is to ignore the losses that immigrants incur.  For my support to be truly helpful, I feel that these losses have to be acknowledged, understood and taken into account as I accompany people on the roller-coaster ride that is the immigration process.

We know the motivation and gains involved in many of our clients’ immigration decisions -  the choice of safety, economic possibilities and a better future for their children, etc. 

But what do they trade for these Canadian privileges?

 A sense of personal competence and effectiveness

Y      the “taken-for-grantedness” of knowing the language; even coming from an English speaking country one loses a measure of shared meaning, not to mention  colloquialisms and slang.

Y      the confidence and knowledge of systems and institutions; how they work and how to make them work for you.

Norms

Y      what’s appropriate, necessary and socially acceptable in everyday life tasks and situations.

Identity

Y      for most immigrants work, friends and social status are left behind. 

Comfort

Y      the “anchors” of the home country -- geographical (the sea, the weather, species of flora), emotional (family and childhood memories and history) and cultural (music, dance, aesthetics). 

Community

Y      even if they find and join their own cultural sub-group (eg. Russian, Israeli) they are not the communities they experienced “back home” and the disappointment often leads to a further sense of alienation and detachment.

Spirituality and/or Jewishness

Y      for Jewish immigrants in particular, their “brand of Jewishness” as they lived it in their home country is lost.  They may find that “living Jewish” means something different here and requires different choices than the ones they knew.

Y      For secular or non-affiliated Jews, it may be difficult to find a comfortable niche.  Immigrants might find themselves attending synagogue or traditional community events or grappling with the idea of Jewish education for their children. When they may not have dealt with such institutions before this may add to their sense of “not fitting” in their new location.

Y      If the mainstream religion of the host country is different, immigrants may need to deal with a measure of ignorance and/or prejudice about their culture/religion.

Immigrants need practical support and information as they find their own way through the cultural maze of establishing a meaningful life in a new country.  But because the process of new beginnings involves deep and jarring losses, the interest and caring of a warm and welcoming community (or its representatives) is a huge factor in surviving such losses.  When we understand the effects of immigration, what is left behind and what changes, we will better understand the newest members of our community. 

Jeni Adler Magat is a Community Worker with Jewish Family Services in Edmonton