ABSTRACT
The psychological well-being of immigrants has consistently evoked scholarly investigation in various forms—from the earlier works on European immigrants to the United States to contemporary analyses of Latin American, Asian, and African immigrants. With immigration conceptualized as a unique and profound stressor, rapid and uncomplicated assimilation into the host society has been traditionally viewed as the epitome of psychological adjustment (Berry, 1995). Consequently, researchers have paid much attention to factors that enhance or deter assimilation. Recently, however, the assimilation model has encountered a tweaking of sorts, with the contrasting of earlier modes of incorporation into the new country, to that of more recent forms of migration patterns. Among the newer modes of assimilation, transnationalism—the maintenance of social ties across national borders—has been increasingly featured by immigration scholars, who have demonstrated the necessity and importance of transnational activities among recent immigrants. Although much of the previous research has emphasized social and economic outcomes, very little attention has been paid to mental or psychological health as a function of transnational ties. In this chapter, by drawing on findings from a recent study of West Indian immigrants, in addition to incorporating works from theorists who study transnationalism, I highlight the role of transnational activities in their psychological adjustment. Furthermore, I emphasize the need for further empirical and theoretical inquiry into transnationalism as it relates to mental health among immigrants in general.
