Narrative Approaches to Counseling Immigrants of African Descent Living in Multi-generational Families

• Author(s): Anthony Anike, PsyD ; Noelle Fowler, PsyD ; Ezequiel Peña, PhD ; Shannon Stovall, PsyD
• Paper ID: 1707184
• Page: 554-562
• Published Date: 20-02-2025
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 8 Issue 8 February-2025

Abstract

The rapid growth of African immigrant families in the U.S. has raised questions for therapists on how best to work with these diverse communities. The multicultural literature has grown to address concerns related to African Americans in the U.S., however, a paucity of literature exists on working with African immigrants and their second generation, African American children. This article presents a case study of an African immigrant family grappling with the challenges of acculturation in the U.S. Drawing from a narrative therapy lens, we present a case of two African parents—each with different nationalities, languages, and tribal histories—and their African American daughter. Topics in the case study explore the continuities and discontinuities of African and African American cultures, family dynamics within a multi-generational immigrant home, the impact of African culture in a multigenerational family, the challenges of African American children who must traverse the borderlands of African and African American social codes, and the implications of U.S. dominant discourses for these families.

Citations

IRE Journals:
Anthony Anike, PsyD , Noelle Fowler, PsyD , Ezequiel Peña, PhD , Shannon Stovall, PsyD "Narrative Approaches to Counseling Immigrants of African Descent Living in Multi-generational Families" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 8 Issue 8 2025 Page 554-562

IEEE:
Anthony Anike, PsyD , Noelle Fowler, PsyD , Ezequiel Peña, PhD , Shannon Stovall, PsyD "Narrative Approaches to Counseling Immigrants of African Descent Living in Multi-generational Families" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 8(8)