Publications

The Academic Engagement of Newly Arriving Somali Bantu Students in a U.S. Elementary School

Dina Birman & Nellie Tran
Migration Policy Institute Report – October 2015

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Screening and Assessing Immigrant and Refugee Youth in School-Based Mental Health Programs

Dina Birman & Wing Yi Chan
Center for Health and Health Care in Schools – May 2008

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Crossroads: The Psychology of Immigration in the New Century

The 2011 APA Presidential Task Force on Immigration was charged with developing an evidence-based report that addresses the psychological factors related to the experience of immigration, with particular attention to the mental and behavioral health needs of immigrants across the lifespan, and the effects of acculturation, prejudice/discrimination and immigration policy on individuals, families and society.

The report aims to provide psychological researchers, practitioners, educators and graduate students with an understanding of the psychological process of immigration and the demographic transformation underway in American society. It also dispels common myths about immigrants and emphasizes the need to value the unique attributes and contributions of immigrant populations, particularly with regard to culture and language. 

The goals of the report are to:

  • raise awareness about the increasing immigrant population in the United States;

  • derive evidence-informed recommendations for the provision of mental health services to immigrants; and

  • make recommendations to improve education, research, practice and policy affecting immigrants of all ages and backgrounds.

To request hard copies of Crossroads: The Psychology of Immigration in the New Century (Report of the 2011 APA Presidential Task Force on Immigration), please email.  

Members of the task force appointed by 2011 APA President Melba Vasquez, PhD are:

Carola Suárez-Orozco, PhD, Chair
Dina Birman, PhD
J. Manuel Casas, PhD
Nadine Nakamura, PhD
Pratyusha Tummala-Narra, PhD
Michael Zárate, PhD

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