Refugees and Terrorism

It was most heartening to read in the October issue about all of the efforts of my colleagues to help in the aftermath of the terrorism tragedies. There does, however, seem to be one vulnerable group that hasn’t been highlighted. This vulnerable group is the refugees in the United States. Given their own common experience of instability and insecurity in their country of origin, as well as often being exposed in the past to trauma and terrorism, the terrorist attacks in the United States are proving to be a symbolic trigger of PTSD symptoms in many refugees. For example, in the Milwaukee area, our Refugee Mental Health Program has discovered a suicide pact among a number of Hmong should the terrorist attacks escalate or hit closer to home.

With utmost knowledge and respect for the varying cultural traditions of the various refugee groups, our usual methods of outreach and prevention can also be helpful for these people at risk.