Justice for Immigrants

Health Progress, Jan/Feb 2005

Our nation's attitude toward newcomers has become increasingly suspicious and pinched.

In the 1990s, America experienced a huge influx of immigrants from other countries. Since then, however-and especially since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001-that flow has dwindled and the nation's traditionally generous attitude toward newcomers has become increasingly Scrooge-like, suspicious, and pinched.

David Warren, PhD, a CHA communication specialist, is the guest editor of this issue's special section on immigration and Catholic health care. In "Toward Immigration Reform," Mark Franken, executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops's Migration and Refugee Services, describes state and federal legislation to strip immigrants of social and medical "safety-net" services (p. 14). Church ministries should work to restore those services, he argues.

: In a related article, Terrance P. McGuire, EdD, describes the work done by the Catholic Collaborative Refugee Network, of which he is the national coordinator (p. 18). Sr. Louise Lears, SC, PhD, and Sr. Jean Abbott, CSJ, LCSW, remind us that refugees often suffer acute psychological trauma and need-but don't often get-mental health care for it (p. 22). Karen Cameron and Eletta Hansen, RN, MPH, write about a health assessment of immigrant populations in Richmond, VA (p. 26). Sr. Carol E. Stovall, SSJ, describes a collaborative effort to provide Tampa Bay, FL, immigrants with both jobs and access to health care (p. 30).

A TRIP TO AFRICA

The U.S. bishops, during their November 2004 meeting in Washington, DC, approved a proposal to aid the church in Africa. "The Church in Africa is the fastest growing part of the Universal Church and the poorest part of our family of faith," the bishops noted. Rev. Cullene Bryant, DMin, a Protestant pastoral care worker in a Catholic hospital in Canada, recently journeyed to Zambia. There she witnessed ecumenical efforts to allay the effects of HIV/AIDS in that country. Her report, "God Is Our Hope," can be found on p. 53.