Today we’d like to introduce you to Martha Castorena And Ambar Picasso
Hi Martha Castorena and , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Through our personal experiences as migrants, combined with our research on the albeit limited bibliography available, and our observations conducted through years of working with the migrant population, we have perceived there is a clear link between migrants and migratory grief. Though the research is limited, we can see there is direct correlation to anxiety, depression, psychosomatic symptoms, etc. that occur because of all the losses that immigration entails. Further studies on factors influencing migratory grief as well as associations with other disorders and their implications for the mental health of migrants are needed.
We know that research takes a long time, and the pace in which migrant communities have grown and the levels of grief and emotional distress they are experiencing are issues that need immediate attention. We believe that this needs to be addressed for the migrant community to adapt and integrate to the larger community and be able to meet the goals they set for themselves when they decided to start a new life in this great country of ours.
Our newly founded organization – Navegando con Exito – (Navigating Successfully), is focused on helping the migrant population become educated through presentations and workshops, about Migratory Grief, and all its implications. We are currently focusing on the Latino population, because we are proud Latinas and are able to speak Spanish, but this applies to all migrant communities.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Even though we are young organization, the road has not been all that smooth, because the emotional impact of migrating is a subject that has been historically overlooked, and the public in general is not familiar with the term Migratory Grief. The research on this subject is widely known in Europe but not in America. We have to start by sharing the definition and explaining the emotional implications. Once people understand what migrating entails and can relate, they see the need to learn more and participate in our workshops.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Our mission is to educate and empower the migrant community, as well as the public at large, on the challenges of Migratory Grief. We want to build their capacity to recognize the specific characteristics of migratory grief and enable them, through the power of knowledge, to begin a journey towards healing.
Another community that we would like to serve in the near future, are military families. Our active duty military are often deployed, and they go through this very particular grieving process, as well as the family members that stay behind. As we mentioned before, this subject has been completely overlooked, and through our work we are changing this. We strongly believe that by addressing Migratory Grief, we can contribute to the community’s well being.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Having experienced migratory grief ourselves, and not having the tools available to navigate the emotional impact at the time, gives us a special connection to the migrant community. Our personal and professional experience in addition to the knowledge on the research on migration grief gives us the edge to convey the message effectively.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navegandoconexito?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Other: navegandoconexito@gmail.com
