Hamilton Week Eight: Immigrant Health

Life is fast-paced and full of turns

Leading a healthy lifestyle is something that all of us think about. Eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep are all things that we pay close attention to. Many times immigrant families have more trouble achieving these goals than most of us do. In Psychology and Culture, Vaughn elaborates: “Immigration itself can cause illness and disease due to disrupted family and social networks and financial barriers and discrimination that prevent the establishment of a healthy lifestyle… Immigrants frequently work in low-paying jobs, face poverty, lack health insurance, have limited access to health care and social services, and have communication difficulties due to language differences.” Life can be fast-paced and full of turns; these factors amplify the day-to-day struggles that we all live with, often making the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle that much harder. The Girls Action Team I worked with after school on Mondays was focused on health. We were trying to fill the gaps in the girls’ understanding of nutrition and exercise, and after talking to some of the girls in our group I was amazed at the lack of knowledge some of them had regarding the topics. It disappointed me a lot; the future health situation of immigrant families will not improve until the children learn about healthy habits and their healthcare options here. Then they will be able to improve the wellbeing of their children and of future generations.