Migration and the Children of Haiti - Dissertation Example

?Migration and the children of Haiti Introduction Migration has been one of the most common phenomenons in human social history. It has been considered as a means for people to maximize available resources and it has been used as a means to improve their status in life. In the current setting, migration has been occurring due to a variety of reasons, some of these being personal life choices, and other reasons based on economic necessity. Regardless of reasons however, its impact on the migrants has always been considered significant, bringing forth both negative and the positive impacts on these migrants. Among children, such impact has even been more significant because of their vulnerabilities and adjustment requirements. This paper shall discuss the impact of migration on the children of Haiti, including the social, economic, psychological, and educational burdens and benefits which migration has brought to these children. Body Throughout the years, millions of Haitians have migrated to other countries, mostly in North America, including the Dominican Republic, United States, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, and the Bahamas, France, Turkey, Jamaica, Venezuela, Brazil, and Puerto Rico. There are about 1.2 million Haitians in the US, about 200,000 in Canada, and one million in the Dominican Republic (Wassem, 2003, p. 1). Some of these Haitians have left their children in Haiti while they have left their home country to seek better fortunes. Their reasons for migrating have mostly revolved around political oppression, economic difficulties, limited opportunities, and similar socio-economic issues. Last year’s January 7.0 magnitude earthquake which devastated the country sent even more Haitians out of their homeland. In the US, the Department of Homeland Security was prompted to extend the Temporary Protected Status for Haitians arriving in the US prior to the earthquake (Zissis, 2010). After this declaration, the DHS also declared humanitarian parole to Haitian orphans, allowing them to enter the US under emergency conditions for the administration of medical care (Zissis, 2010). About 500 of these orphans were granted refuge in the US because of this parole; those with appropriate papers issued by the Haitian government were allowed to be put up for adoption. The disaster in Haiti has caused the widespread migration of many Haitians including their children. Such migration has impacted in various ways on these children. The impact of migration on children is seen in a variety of ways. It is seen in Haitian children migrating to another country or region, and it is also seen in children left behind. This paper shall consider both types of children. Among Haitian children migrating to other countries, most of the effects of migration is seen in terms of psychosocial issues, including education, health, birth registration, and risk for child labor and child trafficking (Bakker, Elings-Pels and Reis, 2009, p. 10). In relation to psychosocial issues, there is a risk for migrant Haitian children to feel alienated from other children, including adult children due to their migrant status. Moreover, the risk of insecurity and depression is also significant among these children. Social workers in Haiti express how the children migrants often feel psychological distress due to their status as migrants in other countries (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 10). Their comparative conditions in relation to their deplorable economic conditions impact negatively on their overall wellbeing as children. Haitian children represent “a significant vulnerable group, in fact 8% of Haitian immigrants are under the age of 14 and 21% between 15 and 24” (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 10). In effect, they are in the age where they have not fully developed adequate means of independent living; as such, they are prompted to endure even more deplorable economic conditions. In relation to education, migrant children in Haiti are often made to face hardships due to language barriers, stigmatization, and ridicule among other native children, leading to severe disadvantages in their school activities (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 10). Migration also puts a strain on the already strained government resources that have to bear the burden of catering to the educational and other needs of an increased population. Inadequate access to schools in some areas may also cause the migration of more citizens out of the rural areas and into the urban cities (del Valle, 2001, p. 605). The most significant budget allocations in the field of education are mostly for the salaries of teachers, not so much on the quality of the education of children. Since the general demographics in the Caribbean region are constantly being adjusted due to intra-regional migration, there is a significant challenge posed on educators who have to handle mixed races in their classrooms (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 11). In these instances, there is an element of inadequacy among educators who are not adequately equipped to deal with multi-ethnic students. In effect, this causes significant gaps in the children’s learning, impacting on the quality and the sustainability of their education. There is also much uncertainty in relation to migration. Many children are usually in a state of ‘waiting’ for papers and as such, their academic activities may not be their whole focus in their daily activities. This causes them to reduce their attendance in school and generally have a less motivation in their classes (del Valle, 2001, p. 605). In terms of health, health officials in Haiti are very much concerned about the primary health care of migrant children and their families in Haiti. Illegal migrants are often reluctant to access health facilities in Haiti due to their fears of deportation. As a result, they are liable to spread communicable and infectious diseases to the general population (Adams and Kirova, 2005, p. 15). In relation to birth registrations, there is often a significant disparity in registered migrants in Haiti, as compared to those actually living in Haiti as migrants. Thousands are actually unregistered births in Haiti. This lack of registration impairs the rights of these children to adequately access health care and other rights (UNICEF, 2002, p. 8). These children do not actually legally exist and do not have official identities. However, these children have governmental needs which the authorities have to allocate for. Without their registration, they would not be entitled to these privileges and allocations, including health, education, and social care allocations (UNICEF, 2002, p. 8). This may eventually lead to exploitation and deprivation of these services which they badly need as children. This would also make them vulnerable to child exploitation and trafficking activities. There is also a significant risk for migrant children being exposed to child labor and trafficking. This is especially a significant risk among children who are illegal migrants (Fontus, et.al., 1989, p. 48). A study by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reveals that limited education, risk awareness and parental migration are issues which may cause children to be victims of trafficking (IOM, 2005, p. 9146). Evidence reveals that children, especially young women and girls, are being sexually exploited in other countries, and young men are often subjected to labor exploitation in the agricultural and construction workplaces (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 14). Many children traveling unescorted by their parents are also subjected to trafficking, and then later to child labor and sexual exploitation. Single mothers are also often prompted to give up their daughters to the sex trade in order to survive (Hewett, 2009, p. 133). Some of these young girls and women are prompted to work as go-go dancers and to work in massage parlors where they are vulnerable to sexual abuse by clients. Due to the increase in tourism activities, Haitian migrant children in other parts of the Caribbean are often exploited as sex laborers. Some of these children are also recruited by their parents to sell all kinds of wares and tourist trinkets in the streets as a means of helping their families. They are often taken out of school in order to participate in these activities (Ferguson, 2003). As a result, these children are deprived of the opportunities for education which could have helped them improve their lives in the future. They are instead embroiled in more hardships which are difficult to get out of and difficult to remedy (Schmidtz, et.al., 2004, p. 62). Haitian children and their families migrating to or seeking refuge in other countries also encounter the language barrier (del Valle, 2001, p. 605). These language barriers are often common among children with inadequate educational backgrounds. With this language barrier, a greater amount of stress among these children often results. With language barriers, their other activities also suffer, including their academic work and social activities (del Valle, 2001, p. 605). These children would find it difficult to communicate with other children; as a result, they would not have many friends and would not likely engage in community social interactions which they can normally thrive in. For older children, especially those in their teenage years, learning a new language is often a difficult process to undertake, especially if they had limited academic training in their home countries (del Valle, 2001, p. 605). As a result, these children would likely experience low grades, even failures in their school, which then further contributes to their low self-esteem. Aside from the language barrier, these children are also sometimes subjected to discrimination because of the color of the skin, their physical qualities, as well as their poor grasp of English and their cultural traditions (del Valle, 2001, p. 605). In order to avoid such discrimination, children often deny their Haitian/Creole heritage because they believe that this heritage is a social set-back for them in the actual process of interacting with other people A study by Levitt, et.al., (2003, p. 12) sought to evaluate the impact of migration on children and their parents and this study covered Haitian, Argentinian, and Columbian respondents. The study established that children are more likely to experience stress by migration as compared to their parents. This migration is also likely to have a negative psychological impact on children and their parents. With available social support however, there is an improved adjustment among parents and their children (Levitt, et.al., 2003, p. 12). There also seems to be a higher level of stress experienced among most migrants, regardless of nationality, but more so among Argentinian, Columbian, and Haitian parents and children (Levitt, et.al., 2003, p. 12). They also have a longer adaptation process, as well as adjustment difficulties. One of the practices in relation to migration commonly seen among Haitians is that of parents migrating to other countries and leaving their children in the care of other family members (Lashley, 2000, p. 201). In this instance, the parents usually send money and other provisions for their children while working in other countries. They usually keep in touch with their children through letters, phone calls and occasional trips home. During this period, these children may often experience feelings of marginalization in their adoptive homes and being transferred from one caregiver to another (Leo-Rhynie, 1997, p. 25). The separation which these children often go through usually leads to psychological issues in the future. Studies (Bowlby, 1973, p. 13) indicate that children who go through parental absences often develop coping issues, stunting their emotional development which would have assisted their future independence. Bhugra, et.al. (1999, p. 145) also established that prolonged separation from parents seems to play a significant role in the manifestation of schizophrenia among Afro-Caribbeans migrating to the UK. An assessment of children left behind by migrating parents also reveals a vulnerability to physical and sexual abuse. Based on surveys in the Caribbean region on children left behind by migrating parents, about 18% of children usually suffer from forced sexual relations by other relatives or by acquaintances (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 15). As these children lose the supervision and protection of their parents, they are vulnerable to the dangers of exploitation. The gender of migrating migrants also has a different impact on children with mother migration often causing the proliferation of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 15). For fathers migrating, children usually have better protection and care; however, these families often have more difficult economic circumstances. Income burdens would often be borne by mothers or sisters, with limited remittances coming from the father. Other mothers are also prompted to engage in temporary second unions in order to help manage their economic issues; however, this can have a negative impact on their children who may be subjected to sexual and physical abuse in the hands of their mother’s partner (Crawford-Brown, 1994, p. 56). Furthermore, young girls also seek male comfort due to their absent fathers and this makes them vulnerable to abuse from adult men. In relation to psychosocial impact, children who are left behind by migrating parents often experience various emotional issues, including emotional detachment from parents. They may also be vulnerable to shifting (to different homes), gender difficulties, interpersonal issues, and violence (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 16). They also develop feelings of abandonment, depression, anger, lack of trust, and low self-esteem. Abandonment often causes children to spend a long period of time feeling rejected by their parents (Ferguson, 2006, p. 308). Their emotional stability is also endangered and can cause them to give in to feelings of aggressiveness and rebellion. This makes them vulnerable to substance abuse and its related problems. For children having low self-esteem, they often develop difficulties in forming productive relationships as adults, in both their personal and social life (Jones, 2004, p. 89). The psychological and emotional impact of separation from parents usually varies based on gender. Coping attitudes and techniques for boys usually include behavior which expresses their pain and frustration; for girls, most of them internalize their difficulties (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 17). As a result, boys usually have trouble in their interpersonal relations, and girls often go through negative moods and low self-esteem (Amuedo-Dorantes, et.al., 2008). About a third of children in Haiti have been known to experience depression and relationship difficulties as a result of migration. Their school work has also been known to suffer and some of them have gone through suicidal ideation (Jones, 2004, p. 89). Studies further point out that children separated from their parents have a greater likelihood of developing emotional issues as compared to other children (Jones, 2004, p. 89). With most of these children feeling a significant amount of money from their parents who want to compensate for their absence, these children seem to form a greater attachment to material resources and things. Their morals are less developed as a result and their love for their parents often deteriorate in the process. With their desire for material goods increasing, they are also likely to be involved in crime and violence, and this behavior often escalates when their remittances cease (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 16). Some children may also turn to violence. Based on studies, children with absent mothers often have a higher rate of involvement in violence (CAFOD, et.al., 2011, p. 13). Some children also end up running away from their homes or dropping out of school. In relation to their education, children who are left behind often have lower grades and have limited involvement in school activities. Children between the ages of 11 and 13 usually have higher rates of involvement in delinquent and violent aggressive acts in school and this often causes disruptions in their academic activities (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 17). Having to care for younger siblings also causes them to miss out on many of their school activities. Among children aged 14 to 18, they often end up being surrogate parents to their siblings. As a result, they usually end up under performing in school or giving up school altogether. Remittances from parents are usually meant to increase educational opportunities for these children, however, this may not always be possible. In Haiti, the disruption caused by migration on remaining family members often decreases their possibility of going to school (Amuedo-Dorantes, et.al., 2008). Their economic difficulties caused by their parent migration may force these children to work instead of go to school. Studies from Haiti reveal that these children often end up taking on family responsibilities, including household chores or taking over the family business in order to help make ends meet (Amuedo-Dorantes, et.al., 2008). Moreover, in some of these household, grandparents and other family members often live with the children. When grandparents stay with these families, the burden of caring for them often falls on younger female family members (Bakker, et.al., 2009, p. 17). As a result of this burden, the academic performance of these children often suffers and some of them are sometimes prompted to leave school. So (2009, p. 17) discussed the danger of illegal migrant children in other countries, especially Haiti’s neighbor, the Dominical Republic. Due to the influx of illegal migrants from Haiti in the Dominica Republic, at one point, the Dominican authorities refused to grant citizenship to the children born in their country but with Haitian ancestry. As a result, these children became stateless, not being recognized in Haiti or the Dominican Republic (So, 2009, p. 17). As a result, many of these families have been split by this decree and these children were unable to gain any sort of recognition for their needs as citizens in either country. Moreover, they became vulnerable to abuse and neglect from the state, including their parents who are unable to support them. Conclusion The discussion above provides a thorough and comprehensive discussion on the impact of migration on the children of Haiti. This essay was able to exemplify that economic conditions have driven many Haitians out of their homeland and as a result, their children have suffered significantly. These children have been made to bear psychological, social, educational, health, political, labor, and economic issues because of their parents migrating and leaving them behind and because of their own migration to other countries. These issues have impacted on these children’s educational and social activities giving them low self-esteem and subjecting them to all sorts of abuses, including physical and sexual abuse. These children have also been made vulnerable to discrimination from other citizens in the countries they migrated to. For those left behind, they were made to suffer economic hardships and abandonment. All in all, the impact of migration of these Haitian children has been negative and has been deprived them of the basic comforts and rights they should have been entitled to as children. Reference Adams, L. & Kirova, A. ‘Global migration and education: school, children, and families’, 2006, New York: Routledge Amuedo-Dorantes, C. Georges, A., & Pozo, S. ‘Migration, Remittances and Children’s Schooling in Haiti’, 2008, IZA DP no.5 Germany. 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The Library of Congress, 2005, pp. 1-6 Zissis, C. ‘The Haitian Migration Debate’, American Society, 2010, 25 November 2011 Read More