Introduction

The theory and practice of mental health care globally is not a new phenomena, nor one that arises in the modern era. All cultures and communities have been engaging in health, mental health and well-being of its people throughout its history. In the exploration of race, culture and mental health there appears to be strong evidence that those who suffer displacement, fragmentation and subjugation, alienation and diaspora come to experience a certain kind of exclusion ‘often in the same places, the formulas of exclusion would be repeated’. In an ever-increasing global mobility, immigration and globalization can be defined as the growing interconnectedness between people around the world with regards to social, political, economic, technological and cultural exchanges. This chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.