Post-migration trauma and mental health associated with immigrant men

Many immigrants flee from trauma in their country of origin to seek optimal environmental conditions and a better life in host countries. The journey to several host countries is embedded with future uncertainties and risk factors that subject some immigrants to post-migration trauma and victimization. In the United States, victimized immigrants who meet eligibility criteria can potentially receive a visa through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petition or a U Visa. Immigrant men are less likely than women to apply for VAWA and U Visas due to the chance of denial stemming from the underrecognized reality that some men also suffer from domestic and community violence. One of the underlying reasons for the disproportion between immigrant men and women seeking certain visas may be comprised of cultural barriers, stigma, and stereotypes associated with gender-based trauma bias, making visa application submissions for some immigrant men less frequent. While traumatic effects experienced by immigrant women and children continue to be a compelling issue resulting in long-term psychological consequences, trauma associated with victimized immigrant men has been vastly understudied contributing to minimum awareness of female perpetrators’ existence. This article aims to increase attention to immigration-related abuse associated with victimized immigrant men by interconnecting psychological, medical, and legal information to assist immigration lawmakers, policymakers, authorities, and officials to recognize the complexities of post-migration traumatic experiences of immigrant men.