Examines the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of immigrants living in the United States and offers guidelines to therapists working with these new American families. Therapists get information about the demographics of Asian Indians, Hispanics, Russians, Taiwanese, Northwestern Europeans, and Hmong in the U.S. as well as an understanding of such factors as immigration dynamics, family structure, gender roles, and intergenerational issues that come into play in therapeutic work with these diverse populations. Therapists can take a number of common approaches when performing therapy with most immigrant families, including: (1) understanding clients’ experiences and attitudes within the context of patriarchy, which still predominates; (2) encouraging family members to express their religious beliefs and notions of spirituality; (3) creating a safe environment for clients to convey stories of traumatic experiences and assigning equal clinical value to expressions that emerge through narratives, music, and other art forms; and (4) recognizing that what may appear as passivity could be a product of the ideology under which clients used to live that discouraged self-determination. Family therapists can play a central role in setting the stage for collaborating with new American families as they meld assumptions, perceptions, and behaviors from one culture to another.
