Background
“A community based organization (CBO) serving African immigrants in Staten Island, NY began a health screening program in 2008 with the goal of promoting access to primary care. Over 18 months, 296 visits were recorded at African Refuge health screenings, representing a total of 87 people who averaged just over 3 visits per person. The screenings identified mental health among the top three medical problems of clients but referral to mental health services was rare. “ Mental health concerns among African immigrants By Venters H, Adekugbe O, Massaquoi J, Nadeau C, Saul J, Gany F
As a starting point, considering the arguments that were raised in the first series of this article, it is appropriate for us to give everyone a definition of what the term “psychology” means; and what we mean when we use it in this article. It should not be limited to the study of insanity, it can proceed with clarity from issues involving identity crisis (which is not insanity) or it can be the change in perception one has of their society through varied experiences. The fact remains that most Zambians who immigrate abroad enter a new world in culture, social interactions, and economics and these changes have different psychological effects on them. There is lack of scholarship in academia or general political discourse of the diaspora’s psychological experiences because it has been limited to economic analysis since the majority of Zambian immigrants are economic immigrants. It is equally important to point to the fact that this is not an attack on the diaspora’s mental state neither is it condemning immigration as a process of human evolution, the aim is to show genuine psychological issues among Zambians in the diaspora that are left untreated. As a result, psychology can further explain the experiences of Zambians in the diaspora. And strictly, by the term “psychology” we mean “the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, esp. those affecting behavior in a given context.”
The aim of any discourse is to understand why things are the way they are (sociology) and for the more practical how to solve them either through political means or general legal procedures. What psychology attempts to do is explain why certain behaviors are prevalent in a given population. My main concern is not only the economic benefits of immigration, which without any a doubt are bountiful, but to look at the psychological implications of Zambians leaving Zambia and making an attempt at establishing themselves in a foreign land and the variety of experiences prevalent in the diaspora. Following from my first article, Diaspora Existentialism: The Psychology of Zambians Abroad, we continue to explore the concept of duality as a form of existence and its effect on Zambians in the diaspora. Duality is an undisputable fact of life in the diaspora as many Zambians walk a tight rope between the inside world (Zambian world) and the outside world (adopted country). One may even allude to the novel by Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities,” only in the diaspora’s case it’s a tale of two “minds.”
Interview With Richard Kabwe New York, New York USA
When I met Richard Kabwe, I was not particularly excited because he didn’t seem to fit the sample of people I was interviewing. Richard was an accountant at the prestigious firm Ernst & Young, and was making $60, 000/ Year and single. He was well put together and eloquent. In my heart, I wanted the interview to go fast so that I can interview more interesting candidates. I rushed through my usual questions; “When did you come to the USA?” “How long have you lived in the USA?” “When was the last time you went to Zambia?” What have been some of the challenges of growing up in the USA?” He answered the questions with relative ease until I advised him that my intention was to receive an honest picture of his experiences in the diaspora and that he will remain anonymous. When I asked what his greatest challenge was and assured him of his privacy, he opened up and gave his story that was rather profound and to a certain extent dark.
Illegal status
Richard came to the USA in 2000 at the age of 16, his parents had a diplomatic mission and when they left he remained in the USA to continue his secondary education. After living with his uncle he moved to New York after secondary school and got a job. I asked him why he didn’t go to university, since university traditionally was the next step after secondary school in the USA. Apparently, when his parents left him in the USA, they had not helped him attain legal status in the country. So when he finished college, even though he was accepted to universities he was considered an illegal immigrant and as a result ineligible for government sponsored scholarships. Richard was frustrated, as many young immigrant boys and girls who go through this experience are, and decided the best option was to move to New York City. Illegal with no guardians to support him, Richard secured a job as a store clerk. Here was a man of profound intelligence, who due to his legal status, had his ambitions of a higher education curtailed. The world that he had grown up to know had informed him that he was not part of it; and equally was not part of the world ( Zambia) he had left behind as a child. Richard became a representation of the duality concept, where his experiences in his adopted country clearly established that he was not part of it and yet he had grown further in character and spirit from his home country. The lack of legal status in the United States invariably makes most Zambians feel as if they are not fully part of the United States, as they can’t participate in the normal course of life as American citizens do. Moreover, it seemed to me, this is far much worse on Zambian children like Richard who came to the USA when they were young and grew up only knowing the USA as their home only to have their identity challenged because they had no legal status. It was during this time that Richard began experimenting with drugs and alcohol. As life went by, and it seems to go fast when one lives in New York, Richard decided it was time to find alternative means to gain his legal status in the United States and like most Zambian men, opted to find an American woman to marry. Legal status in the United States is extremely important because it is the only way that an individual can gain access to government sponsored social programs (while there are a few that overlook it), for those who want to go to university it is an inevitable requirement.
Desperation
Richard did meet an American woman, who agreed that she would marry him and help him get his papers if he paid her $5000; which he did. During the interview, it dawned on me that the decision to engage in this transaction was premised on the fact that Richard had no alternative to attain his legal status other than through marrying an American citizen. It was clear from the time he started telling this part of his American experience, that the psychological trauma that followed his pursuit for a “Green card” would leave a mark on his life that would come to define him as a man. During the “arrangement,” the American woman saw that she had stumbled upon an opportunity; an illegal African man, financially generous, and unable to seek recourse through the legal system since he was illegal. She began to abuse him, often threatening him that if he did not do what she wanted she will withdraw the immigration application and will not assist him attain his legal status. Abuse ranged from verbal torture, threats of deportation and being kicked out of the flat that they shared. On one occasion, he recounted, he had to sleep in the subway (the train stations) when she locked him out of the flat. To make their marriage seem legit, they shared a bank account which the woman spent at her discretion knowing full well that Richard will not seek recourse. During this process, most men suffer from a degeneration of what previously defined their manhood. They are so dependent on this process that they often acquiesce to treatment that they would otherwise not have submitted to; all at the hands of the women who agreed to assist them with their legal status.
The abuse was far reaching that Richard decided to seek advice from a lawyer. Richard was informed by a fellow Zambian that because of the abuse he was suffering there is a provision within immigration law that allows victims of domestic abuse to seek immigration status even when they divorce their husbands or wives; and as a victim of domestic violence and abuse at the hands of his “wife” Richard qualified and subsequently divorced his “arranged wife.” The legal provision was mainly designed to protect the women who find themselves at the mercy of the American men they marry because of the “green card” issue. However, over time men have invoked its jurisdiction because abuse on men has become just as prevalent as abuse on women experiencing the traumatic process of attaining legal status in the United States. These experiences while they differ in the diaspora have often been horrible for many.
Eventually, Richard did receive his legal status and was able to finish a degree in accounting and was hired by Ernest & Young as an accountant.
His story was touching. I was amazed at his resilience, self-reliance and determination to succeed in a foreign a country. I asked him if he had sought therapy during the time he was in immigration proceedings and he said that even if he wanted to, he felt trapped because anything that he wanted to do the first thing they asked for was his legal status paperwork. As a result, he had to endure the mental torture and suffer in silence. Even up to now, Richard has never sought professional counseling and has buried that part of his life into a closet that because of pain has been sealed never to be revisited. I then wondered why he agreed to the interview, and surprisingly he said that if counseling was available at that time he would have received it. He later qualified his thoughts, pointing to the fact that there are many people he knows who are still going through the same issues and are frustrated, sad, and feel lonely and they have no genuine outlet to address their mental problems and anxiety.
Suffering in silence
Richard is certainly not the only prevailing story in the diaspora of Zambians but he represents an experience shared by many young Zambian men and women. Zambians in the diaspora have grown to discard their therapeutic needs as they transition from Zambia to their adopted countries because they continue to believe they would rather experience the mental anguish associated with their transition than be in Zambia.
It is often taken for granted that because one is abroad, any element of suffering should be “stomached” considering the obvious problems they have left in Zambia- at least abroad they have food, they have jobs etc. The reasoning is purely economic which in the end misses a problem prevalent among African immigrants in general; mental health.
In fact, this is the general theme that has prevented the medical community from providing psychoanalysis and building a database for these issues among African immigrants and providing blueprints for treating this unique population. Even though the little studies that have been done have identified “mental health among the top three medical problems of [ diasporians] but referral to mental health services [are] rare,” any genuine attempt for African immigrants, and in this case Zambians, to seek mental help is virtually non-existent.
Fear of discussing mental health
There is a fear of mental health discussions among Zambians in the Diaspora, as most of the people I interviewed have never even disclosed their health issues to any medical professional or for that matter their immediate family. There is a ferocious desire within the community to portray an image of success to those at home (in Zambia), that any signs of weakness, difficulties are buried beneath the carpet and life continues with depression slowly eating the brain away. Mental health is a prevalent topic in corporations and governments even among citizens of the countries that Zambians adopt, because the harsh reality of life in the first world not only affects newcomers but even the men and women who are natural born citizens. The difference is not that one population suffers less; the difference is that one population is comfortable with therapeutic methodologies and has created strategies to address signs of mental fatigue, existentialist crisis and other mental issues. However, the cultural perception of mental health issues among Zambians continues to be limited to studies of insanity, which invariably becomes the main association of psychology. This has equally contributed to the lack of data within the African immigrant population in the diaspora because very few, even when diagnosed as having mental health issues, seek help; often resorting to living life untreated.
These are real problems and the general trend is that people suffer in silence without seeking help. While the experiences are varied within the diaspora, the purpose of this article is to challenge mainstream academic tendencies that have limited the study of African immigrants to the field of Economics (The New Economics of Immigration By GJ Borjas, The New Wave Of African Immigrant In The United States By Holly Reed and Catherine Andrzejewski). As an economist myself, I find that the experiences of Zambians in the diaspora and African immigrants in general are so diverse and complicated measuring their success by the amount of money they send through Western union and Money gram is limiting the full scope of understanding their transition into their adopted countries. Consequently, the proposal is for new tools to be introduced to fully understand the experiences of diasporians and Psychology offers a far much more flexible understanding of the different behaviors, experiences and attitudes found in the diaspora. A new psychoanalysis model has to be constructed that takes into account the unique experiences that are limited to Africans, and in our particular case Zambians. Even the prevailing models in psychology will not withstand the uniqueness of these experiences to fully capture their depth; consequently a new understanding of the “immigrant” has to be put into place before any attempt at psychoanalysis is performed. These individuals living miles and miles from their home countries are a unique population and identifying that and appreciating that is a gateway to full social, economic and political integration of this population into their new homes.
By George N. Mtonga
It has not been a picnic living abroad but you can’t have it all. Its sad that we have had to leave Zambia and thats why some of us really want to help Zambia suceed so that our younger brothers and sisters don’t have to leave the country because of its bad state.Thats why Sata and PF are pissing a lot of us off. We felt Prof Chirwa was our pioneer but look where it landed him.
By Nature Zambians are docile. No amount of money sent back home will change the way of life. So, if staying abroad saves you better, then by all means do so. Leave Zambia and come back after 50 years, you will notice that nothing changes, same finished infrastructure, corrupt politicians, crap police, lazy civil service, the list is endless, very normal in this part of the world. A docile people cannot change anything,specially their thinking. So why bother?.A Zambian politician knows too well that a Zambian cannot raise up and challenge the wrongs. A politician can publicly declare that they’re in office to eat but Zambians watch and suffer in silence. It explains why everyone bought the 90 days propaganda knowing too well it`s a lie. Surely KCM in Zambian has more peace than in…
Am one of the people in that pic.Ba LT we sent you that pic show you hope we celebrated our independence day some 4 years ago , now you are using it against us! we will take you to court if you dot put this bic down!
@TT – dont even ask them. just sue them, i noticed that the guy is drinking baltika 7 and i knew it was russia. sue them mdala!!!!
@TT sorry sorry, kekekeke mwasebana. Ati ku court, which one, those courts under Kabimba?
This is an intelligent article. Richard’s story speaks for many of us out here.
It helps to embrace our new homes in Diaspora than to get stuck on Zambia! E.g. America was build by immigrants determined to make it home and find success.
Zambians get carried away with building houses in Zambia and maintaining bank accounts with ZANACO and in the process missing out on real success in diaspora.
Dear Mr Mtonga,
In as much as I agree with you on the general view most of your points, I still would have loved for you to have been specific with your Tittle. In future you could entittle this as follows: Diaspora Existentialism: The pyschology of an Illigal immigrant, then follow it with more siquel of the above Tittle, with facts of what Diasporans experiances abroad, how this affects them both abroad and Home, you could simply Tittle it: Life of an immigrant, just diffrent the levels or classes because dont forget that just as there are classes pinned down to indigenous citizens in every particular country so are there with Diasporans.
Mr Mtonga,
When you follow my advice your article wont be one sided, it kinda reminds me of how the west paint Africa, like how every African lives on top of the Trees, every African child has a huge protruding Stomach the least goes on.
By the way, could you also do a research on Psychology of Zambians on a Zambian Diaspora,however, this is not being maliscious but since you have embarked on an interesting topic that affect all of us, it would be fair to complete it. Need help? Hola through LT! Damn…. You really have stired the storm even if it started with a bit of “scartered” lay out, I applaud you for bringing up this topic for through our contributions, we can straighten up some wires! Nice weekend all ya am out!
George, as a medic , one would expect you to classify hwat you are really talking about. Here you highlight the story of AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT with the expected attendent problems, THEN YOU GENERALISE IT to all zedians in the diaspora. the problem with such SHORTSIGHTED HEADLINE GRABBING INITIATIVES is you lose the bigger picture, your hard earned education now seems all wasted by a poorly laid out argument.
One can counter your example by giving you a story of the many zedians who have legally moved to asecond country& becoz of their upholding of the laws in their adopted countries have been offered citizenship with no qualms. In certain instances a few have been able to move onto a third country with asubsequent citizenship – I wonder what that speaks of their Psychology.
…… Besides, as a medic, you should be well versed with the fact that one disappointment doesn’t equate to an appointment with a shrink. You should be alert to the ELASTICITY of the Brain & ability to absorb trauma , disappointment etc etc.
Richard e.g. is proof of that – has absorbed that much BUT HAS STILL SUCCEEDED!
What he most likely needed was someone to share this with – BUT A SHRINK!
I don’t really understand the relevance of this topic. As stated before all these studies have been done before and Zambians are no different to any other immigrant or migrant. What you should really be looking at and will probably be of more importance is the psychological effect of HIV/AIDS on the sociology, psychology and economic impact on the Zambian population and the absolute lack of support around this subject in Zambia….and how that has encouraged the acceptance of the “Donchi Kubeba” mentality and the lack of foresight and consideration of our future or that of our children….because it seems death is imminent if you have HIV which is not the case with proper support.
so mr mtonga u r saying these guys who r staying iligaly in the diaspora most of them r insane.
This is a succinct and much better written article than your last post. Your revealed choice of interview, Richard, is typical in a way and unique. immigration status of individuals positively increases one chances of achieving ‘success’ within parameters such as finance, social acceptance (fitting in goes both ways) as well as self assuarance (unlike the doubt and self deprecation Richard inferably felt back then). The underlaying issues that individual reality of each Zambian in the diaspora are similar but different in the way situations affect them depend on what I will refer to as grit. While it’s not a scientific term, it entails resiience, adaptability and innovation, among other things. That never give up attitude… (continues below)
No. In fact none of the people we interviewed are insane. If you read the article we make it a point to clarify that this is not a study of insanity but mental health. Mental health need not be insanity. The study focuses on experiences that often lead to mental problems such as depression, the duality concepts and other mental issues. This is not to suggest that a depressed person is insane; but depression does qualify for mental health diagnosis.
Thank you for your comment.
Mr. Mtonga, when you interviewed Richard Kabwe, you promised him the interview would be anonymous but what on earth are you doing discussing his private life on public forum. I am not sure what you are after but associating mental health to immigratiion is a very demented way of looking at an issue. In Richard’s example I find a very positive outcome – a child left without parents but through hard work he now works for a reputable company with a good salary. I wouldnt think a parentless child at the age of sixteen in zambia will have access to similar opportunities. While I cannot speak for everyone, I have not found any of acquaintances in the diaspora with profound issues solely owing to their immigration. We all yearn to be home and withing 24 hours you can be in Zambia…
Richard Kabwe is not the real name of the person we interviewed. And I do agree with you. Its a very positive outcome considering the situation. Thank you for the comment.
AMAYAMA. Immigration issues are a major component of mental torture for people in the diaspora. Either you will be paying every month to security personnel or to update your VISA status or you will be running away from police every time you see them. This scenario is very common. Its very fortunate that Richard managed to come out of it. Other women refuse to divorce their “husbands”. On the other hand, people obtain fake documents as if there are citizens of those countries. Nonetheless not all the people in diaspora have these problems. Others are leaving in peace and doing pretty well.
To the look of things, its like Mtonga doesnt know his Job and that is if he one. I encourage you not look very much down on people linving in diaspora because to be honest these guys are making it.
For future reference, please mention that you are not refering to them by their real names and perhaps not include a last name least people make tribal inferences. It so often degenerates to that amongst us (bantu ba pa Zed) and geograhic coordinates do not affect this general stance. I do not think being initiating this discussion or study you are ‘looking down on people’ as the claim is, rather it’s to gain insight to the psyche of the Zambian in the diaspora. Staistically, women seek healthcare services more than men do (I am man if you’re wondering), arguably more so amongts immigrants. This is probably so for mental health services as well. For exple, I think police officers must get mental evaluations to determine eligibility we know they’d get defensive and say ‘you think…
And your answers lay in the field of scio-psychology, not psychology. Any other element or field would be down to the individual…and thus a personality issue. And undoubtedly there would be psychological strains and stresses for those who say, don’t have a right to remain, are in the turmoil of waiting in decisions…but the intgration, racism and discrimination is in part who, where and what you are doing…and as such is individual.
Socio-psychology is a child of psychology. And yes studies have been done (as in other subjects). Our attempt was to encourage similar studies and in our case focus on Zambians. This is not to suggest that similar studies have not been among European immigrants etc. The scholarship with Zambians as a target group does not exist.
Thank you very much for your comment.
The findings may differ due the traditional aspects I speculate. As for your first statement in your reply above, about “the child of psychology” would bring up the argument of nature vs nurture. Please consider my first entry though.
Brain,
I think if we explore some of your suggestion we will digress. At the moment our priority was to look at mental health in the diaspora, the perception the diaspora has for treatment, and the causes for mental health issues. But I can assure you the work is big. But think ideas are being constructed through this forum and I’m certainly happy for that. Thank you for your continued constructive criticism.
Always touchy Zambians in the diaspora. Long gone are the days when Zambians at home were fooled that diaspora flowed with milk and honey.
Did he get an American accent?!
Regardless of present circumstances, a man has to do what he thinks is best to achieve his ambitions. I made a personal choice not to be led by imbeciles.
That’s how Mushota also married Nick!
That’s how Ndobo became a baby sitter to his own children kekekeke.
These guys are ever blogging , too much pressure and they come and offload it on LT! wonder why they are not challenging Mtonga today.Did this article let the cat out of the bag, does it relate to most of them .
Hihihihiihi,
Awe Msiyeni Ndobo baba!!!!!!
@cindy
thanks a million
@kombo
learn from that article if you can…. but not everyone went thru Mr kabwe`s story. me ndobo am a son of God the creator in heaven therefore am creative by nature…. an artist! creative charcoal illustrations, drawings, and life expressions (i only use charcoal) bought my visa…. this summer i will be la bottega dell`arcimboldo in florence italy…. you should see me being mobbed by white people when they see my work,,, then you willl some respects,,,,,,
I rarely read long articles which are based on an individuals opinion. I have not read this one also. If you are rich where you come from, you will be treated with respect wherever you go. Africans are mistreated in America and Europe because they are economic refugees. Come back and develop your own countries. Don’t wait until everything has been put right by someone else and then start trooping back like parasites that you. Our friends leave their comfort zone to go and look for resource to build their places but Africans do the opposite.
I agree with your sentiments buddy. Well said!
If you don’t read the article, how do you qualify your personal opinion as stated in your comment? It leads me to conclude that your refusal stems from a strong sense of superiority because your feel your view is right and nothing else matters. If that’s not the case then I challenge you to read it, digest its implications, form an opinion and state,without degenerating to insults or personal attacks, what you find acceptable or biased. Or you can just ignore me and carry on, your choice.
Absolute nonsense, these things are about individual choices and the professional decisions of personal freedom, I am treated equally and respected for my intelligence and knowledge and able to engage with professional people at an equal level rather than pander to the whims of an ignorant because they hold political power. I love Zambia and held a very good job, but to compete among the best is a challenge is quite good. It is easier to be a big fish in a small pond, but the wise and brave want to play in a bigger pond. I bet the levels of mental health are much more serious where you can not put food on the table, and 70% of our people cant have proper meals. I dont have to worry about education for my kids, medical bills, I love Zambia but it is not a paradise. God, I am ok in London.
But you are blogging from Kosovo…..
George, that is a good start. You reminding me of some Zambia TV program that was featuring nationals who had settled in Zambia (and some married in Zambia, too). It will be a good idea to explore the whole spectrum. Zambians (and generally, human beings) migrate for a vast number of reasons and circumstances. It will be clear after a while that the negative psychology might not rank that significantly going forward, as you interview more personalities. There is also adventurer personalities like me who venture where you least expect…
I have read the article however this is based ones opinion and experience.
Personally i immigrated to the uk because i wanted personal freedom, freedom to love who i wanted, freedom to practice my religious beliefs and experience a different culture.
Uk and most western europe provides Political Freedom, Religious Tolerance,sexual freedom YES I SAID IT and security.
NOTE: The main reason why everybody wants to go to US/canada or western europe is because if they would go somewhere like russia ,south africa,Japan,china, although they would get higher wages in those countries there is a much greater chance of being persecuted,getting harassed by racist , arrested or deported in those countries as opposed to the countries with much greater respect to human rights.
In short you wanted to go to a country where they would allow you to be the homosexual you are? Stop it my dear, use your spirit to
Bring your flesh under the subjection that God requires it to be. Leave that lifestyle. Shalom
That is an important thing, religious and sexual freedom. Frankly the bigoted and hypocritical view of many on this regard is astounding and sad. If you’re own country can’t protect your liberty regardless of affiliation or life (being gay, atheist, agnostic, muslim, different skin colour like our Asian and caucasian countrymen/women) then it makes it harder to stick around Zed. Many abandon their citizenship and become citizens of whichever adoptive country the preside in. A smarter move would be to allow for dual citizenship whose benefits will be more than just economic. Care to explore that anyone?
So those are some of the confused zambians abroad in the photo ba LT?
@My Opinion. yes thats what i wanted to be a free GAY citizen of the world because i dont patience for christian bigots like yourself. sadly they are many of you on here blogging nosens.
CHIKUBABE!
I have an opinion on homosexuality, but that opinion has respect for peoples individual rights and preferences, I just want to say that probably using the word ” bigot” is not right, even Europe has had its struggles to deal with this issue, so may be it is a time factor. As much as I dont agree with it personally, who Am I? they are things we all agree and dont agree with, I think, the key is trying to understand each others without antagonising one another, this article has its flaws but the most important thing is it has created a discussion. We are better people when we discuss things intelligently and thank God most of the comments are logical, rational and devoid of insults.
The case study, if I may call it so, of Richard Kabwe, is testimony of a normal person weighing the pros and cons of either settling in Zambia or staying in the US. He decided life in Zambia would be more death dealing than the surmountable obstacles to gain US citizenship, he chose the easiest route and where is he now?, He is doing well in US by the author’s own admission. Life isn’t easy! We achieve our ambitions by sweating blood and tears. May be the author still lives in his great great great great great great grand parents village which might be thousands of kilometers and generations away from present day Zambia.
Wantashi,
Thank you for the comment. Yes Richard is normal. Remember, at the start of the article we make it known that we are not looking at ” insanity;” in other words mental health doesnt mean people are insane. What we are alluding to is the different experiences of diasporians that legitimately can be mitigated through pyschoanalysis. You should try to avoid thinking that people are going crazy. No, mental health can even be simple things such as fatigue at work etc. We limit our explorations to how the human mind functions as a result of the experiences of leaving Zambia and attempting to relocate into a new land.
I think MR Mutonga is playing with words, Mental Health issues and insanity is supposed to be a thin line. Mr Mtonga, you will find it very difficult from a laymans point of view to make a distinction between the 2, they are so interlinked that people who work within the mental health sector link them together as one is the trigger for the other. I am a Food Scientist and not best placed to argue with you, but I know enough to say you cant de link these 2 things .
Good piece mwana wa kwithu! Any attempt at resolving social ills is welcome. Many of us forget that we are infact 3rd or 4th tier immigrants believing that when we return to Lusaka, Ndola or Kitwe from JHB, NYC or Crimea we are home when in fact we should be in Chama, Nsama, Chilubi or Shang’ombo for that matter. Lusaka is for Solis and Lenjes just as Ndola for aba Lamba.
@Spartan, you should be saying “If you are proud and have integrity” and not necessarily rich as we all know it, people will respect you wherever you go … People need a lot of counselling before settling in new places.
Grit as a character ( essentially personality) trait describes one is has resilience, passion and motivation, perserverance for long term goals. In this case, socio-economic and at times political. For your study, I feel it’s important to establish your theory (which you have), identify your study group (must include a control group that is in Zambia and never traveled out of Zed). The study you mention on the outset is falwed by the fact that these were Refugees who or regualr immigrants mainly from Liberia (Staten Island is the largest Liberian community out of Liberia the circumstances are different and show little relation (cultural- economic). As Liberia experienced war and it’s efects for much of this time it’s safe to assume they’re predominantly refugess and suffer PTSD among…
The study had 87 people participate totaling 296 visits and represented 13 countries, 70% of whom are Liberian. Hardly a subjective basis for a study of Zambians who have not recently experienced civil strife nor are the eligible for refugee status ( some are but it’s negligible). Don’t get me wrong, it’s commendable that you are conducting a study on the effects of emigration on the mental health among Zambians but it must be much more extensive, focused on more than one country since we are talking of people in the diaspora therefore several other countries other the the US, Australia or Russia. Here’s my email if you wish to have a more in depth conversion, it’s masked for personal reasons: [email protected]
*conversation; apologies for the typo
René of the Risistance,
Am loving what you have put down there, same thing as I only differently structured!
By the way, Hallo Hallo is one of my Fav komedies, I actually record it and watch it whenever I have time,I say people with Artistic gifts recognise each other dont they? Good point of view right there!
Mr Mtonga, Richard’s experience is not exclusive to Zambian’s. I live in South Florida, where almost every one is an immigrant. We have Russians, Cubans, Haitians who will all identify with the article.
Making it in the USA is earned. For example regardless of country of origin, you can’t practice medicine in the USA fresh off the airplane. You have to write exams for you to obtain an internship to get to residency and finally MD. This is for all immigrants not just Zambians. And the spaces for these internships are very limited. Meanwhile you have to earn your living while you go through that so most of these doctors take up jobs as janitors, waiters, house servants. While their cousins back home are sprawled out on the sofa waiting for the dollar. Talk about psychological…
Kangwa,
Thank for your comment. Yes you are right Richard’s experience is exclusive. In fact his story is the norm for a majority of immigrants from Europe as well as Africa. However, in our study we focused on Zambians and African immigrants because comparatively African culture is less tolerant of therapy and mental health treatments.
The experiences of immigrants will always vary. Example, we will not find the same problem for children who came to the USA with their legal status already in place, So certainly do admit to the diversity of experiences but the focus on this experience was that it was shared among 70% of people we interviewed hence the attempt to explore duality as a concept for psychoanalysis.
You are spot on!
Rene,
Thank you for the comment. The Refugee clinic accepted not only refugees but other immigrants too. In addition, we visited Harlem Hospital in New York to discuss any visits, but were informed that there is hardly any visits for mental health. Most of it among Zambians actually involved HIV/AIDS cases and a majority of them were women as opposed to men. These cases however, did not show signs of mental problems.
Thank you for your constructive comment.
It does not surprise me that most were women or that it was for health issues related to HIV/ AIDS. One thing that is prevalent amongst African migrants as a whole is the stigma they associate with mental health intervention; it’s viewed with suspicion, inaccuracy and general disdain stemming from ignorance of its importance to maintaining overall health in a human being. This is the same phenomenon amongst African Americans who least seek mental health professionals. For instance if someone mentions Chianama Hills, people conclude ni wo funta. But that’s not the case, like other dysfunction, mental/psychological issues just mean there is an imbalance and is usually treatable, but one just has to be willing to seek treatment. Many don’t because they think everyone will label them as…
“crazy’ which is a oxymoron if you ask me. One need only review some responses here to see how much that stigma is a strong factor in the attitude people have. I feel this speaks to the greater problems the country (Zambia) faces in every sector. The general malaise is what is at the center of the root we’ve had in government 50 years after independence. The interactions we have with one another here and via other fora speaks to the greater need for mental health research which is a significant public health issue, not just home but anywhere. But it’s a difficult thing to grasp for some, in spite the education or cultural exposure emigration offers.
I do agree Rene, it certainly has a horrible stigma in our culture and in essence thats what we were trying to show and see ways we can improve. It makes it worse because the patients are living in a foreign land, which comes with its own problems. And when we did this study, we didnt neglect that these issues are not in other groups of people. It just happened that those of Zambians, were interested in exploring the issue among Zambians. Therapy abroad is needed for Zambians its like when a child lives for boarding school, eventually they do grow to find that comfortable but at the start they have difficulty adjusting. That child is not crazy, and in some boarding schools they do have therapists to assist the children with transitions.
issues!
@Cindy Haha yes I love that show too. It is important to initiate a problem, conduct research an engage in positive discourse in pursuit of tangible solutions. This is a start and more can be done. Mental health a very important aspect of overall health of a society (or individual) and thus a public health concern. This is more so the case when we as Africans have an aversion for mental health interventions as we can see from the stigma it holds amongst us. I’m getting sad now, going to watch some ‘Allo, ‘Allo 🙂
George N. Mtonga,
Your article seems to suggest that Zambians living in the diaspora made a blunder deciding to escape from their country. I have respect for people who decided to leave their beloved home for greener pastures. Zambia does not offer much. It’s a stagnated economy and will remain so judging by the calibre of officials in charge of managing it. Again it’s not just about escaping the crap economy and it’s uninspiring bosses but some of us leave to explore other territories. The British, Chinese, Indians, Italians to mention a few have decided to leave their comfortable homes and live as hyphenated citizens of their adopted countries. If they have completely assimilated in these territories why do they still want to be known as Italian- Americans, Indo-British, are they…
…mad also?
Thank you for the comment I will try to answer to my best ability.
Actually, that’s not the suggestion. In fact, we qualify the article by saying that it is not our intention to deny the process of immigration as part of human evolution. What we aim to do is discuss the genuine psychological issues associated with the diasporia which are grounded on their movement from Zambia to their new countries. Its like when children leave their parent’s house for the first time, we cant deny that they did something wrong by leaving; but we can still look at how that change life affects them mentally. And I think that’s what we aimed for in our study, to honestly look at life in the diaspora and its effects on the Zambian population.
The work is certain intense but our current forum only…
Hello Mtonga,
I am one of those who rated your first article very, very poor. This one, is slightly, and just slightly better. Lightly better because your organization of content is much better than the first one. Though your style of presenting an argument is still very, very poor. First you start with a CBO case conducted in New York and yet this case has no connection to, supposedly, the gist of your article, (if there is a connection, you have failed t bring it up). Secondly, you pick a guy who was living in the U.S. illegally , and you use that as a case, and then you use the inappropriate case to generalize, my brother, that is, poor, poor, poor! Diaspora is a complex area, I don’t think you have the capacity. You need a broad based study of Zambians in different…
Blago,
Thank you for the comment. I think when it comes to thought and ideas its people like you that help build them into solid, intelligent argument. Initially, it starts as an idea and is everywhere but with constructive criticism the author is forced to narrow the idea, and implement it in a way that the readers can find value.
As to your concerns, the first part of the essay illustrates that even when clinics in the diaspora are set up there are hardly any visitors. In fact we visited Harlem Hospital in New York and there was virtually no data. The data we found often did not relate to mental health ( there was more HIV and AIDS cases than anything else.)
We used Richard Kabwe because his story illustrated the duality concept, among other mental issues within the…
This article aims at establishing that we need to prioritize mental health as a legitimate part of addressing the diaspora’s experience in the new world. The duality concept comes into play when diasporians are rejected by their new land either by, in the case of Richard Kabwe, being denied social services because they dont have legal status. I can assure you, our current forum is too small to fully provide the entire scope of the research hence the small articles. But I certainly appreciate the improved ratings.
Thank you for the comment.
I would like to thank you everyone for your comments on this article. I have seen a lot of comments that even add to our dimension of thought on this issue. I only wish that as we continue adding value and exchanging ideas on Lusaka Times and we abide by intellectual etiquette. I feel it’s pointless to insult each other on this forum as it seems to me every thought has its merit and root.
While we all have different political views, let us try by all means to approach our discourse along the lines of intellectual curiosity and problem solving.
I’m certainly humbled by everyone’s input and I can assure you, I have more homework than I thought; Because everyone of you raised great points that should be taken into account for us to really look at some of the issues facing Zambians…
I don’t think what this guy went thou’ is any different from what some people experient/experience at the hands of their stepmothers or fathers and worse still some of these fellow zambians are are not given any food, which to me is even worse. How many Zambians (or Africans) know about mental health or therapy and does the country even bother with such valuable services. Richard may not have know. I think most Zambians in Zambia today would qualify for some form of therapy.
I think that Africans are tough tested and Richard knew what he wanted and worked hard towards achieving his goal and now is ok. Ask him about his future now. He is probably better their now by far than at home.
There is an obvious need to define terms referenced by everyone here to offer clarity and define terminology.
Mental Health encompasses the different conditions that are recognized as mental illnesses. Common types include mood disorders, anxiety, psychotic disorders, personality and eating disorders. Therefore, mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps, and this is relevant to what George is investigating, how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices, all this within the context of his study’s question(s).
The myth stemming from lack of sufficient information about mental health services is a major factor contributing to the prevailing stigma, that mental health services means one is…
The two are not synonymous. Crazy is not even a medical term. Treatment varies depending on the individual, it’s basically an avenue to provide a support structure to prevent or remedy any dysfunction to a person’s psyche and speed up the healing and recovery process. To leave it undiagnosed only opens one to further damage.
Mr. Mtonga’s objective is to establish a basis for his research to determine how the change in environment affects people in the diaspora. This does not in any way mean they are crazy, rather the ‘stress’ (not all stress is bad by the way) of adjusting to a new climate, culture, socio-economic society. The effects on Zambians in the diaspora can manifest in how they perceive themselves and how they feel others perceive them. It aims to explore coping mechanisms
and their efficacy. Stigma informs the populations use, or lack thereof, of mental health services. But it just exacerbates a problem whose extent we have not even explored. The refusal to understand this is understandable but still disappointing.
Reading between the lines, one can actually see similarities between your mindset towards Zambians who have migrated abroad, and the mindset of some Zambians in the olden days towards their fellow tribes men and women who migrated into urban areas within the Country. So, maybe you should use migration into urban areas as a case study, and understand how it has played out so far. Then you will be in a better position to understand the mental state of most Zambians living abroad, and then maybe map your way forward. For example:- With the benefit of hindsight, did the people who relocated into urban centres in search of a better life need ‘mental treatment’? As the number of off springs (that includes me) of these immigrants from rural Zambia increased in urban areas and intermarried,…
Cont’d….and intermarried, did the yearning to unwind the clock and go back to their parents villages persist thru generations or did it just vanish?
Mtonga-Your discussion above is not only synonymous with Zambians but occurs to all foreign nationals in different countries. It happens to Nigerians in south africa while straigthening up their papers. Dont just look at the negative part of it. Others came to USA with 60 points grade 12 certificate from zambia. They have married americans and obtained university degrees. Some are RNs, bank managers and doctors and contributing positively to USA and zambia at large. Psychologically everybody has an ailment which includes you and me when you analyse some of the things we do on a daily basis. It sounds you feel every diasporan should seek psychological assessment and may be treatment, you should try yourself first. We dont know your background and i dont think its deficient of diasporanism
Thank you for the comment. And no, I dont think all diasporians should seek treatment because its pointless to treat people unless they are medically verified. Please try to appreciate Kabwe’s experience and just read his story- avoid reading your life into it. And try to look at him as a single experience in the diaspora and then follow through from that. You will find more appreciation for him and his experience and genuinely see that his experience did cause mental issues that within any standard deserved to be treated.
Mr. Mtonga, I respect your attempt at this complex subject. But I feel your premise or jump-off point for your “study” and arguments is a little bit prejudiced and unfocused. In other words, reading through the two articles you have put out so far, it feels as although you, as a RESEACHER, already hold certain negative and preconceived notions about Zambians in the diaspora. Therefore, any study carried out by a researcher(s) with this kind of background usually can lead to distorted and half-baked conclusions. As a result such a study or research can hardly be considered “scientific nor consequential” for people to take it (the study) seriously.
Continue…
I suggest if you really want to get to the bottom of the “real psychology” of Zambians living abroad, you should narrow your topic and geographical emphasis. Even the demographics (students, illegal, legal, professional, family ties, sponsorship, etc.) of Zambian immigrants you are interested in should be narrowed or specified. Then compare these groups to the control groups living back home in Zambia. See if the psychological dilemmas are the same or similar. If so, what then are the real factors influencing these problems?
continue…
Otherwise this might simply end up to be a waste of time and resources trying to state the obvious.
For one, the experiences of a Zambian living abroad on an illegal status are vastly different from those of someone who came here (migrated) legally. Also the experiences of Zambian immigrants living in Australia, Canada, UK, the Netherlands, USA, Japan, China, Russia, extra, can NOT all be lumped into a single, but whole-encompassing, title as “Diaspora Existentialism: The Psychology of Zambians In The Diaspora.” I think you would agree with me that even the experiences of say Zambians living in the USA varies widely depending on the State, region, County or city the individual(s) live.
cont..
In any case, anybody who has left their “home” and everything they have known and loved and moved to an alien country/environment to start afresh must have something “psychologically” going on in their heads. I should however commend you for starting an important conversation and encourage those in academia to seriously conduct an academic inquiry in this area. Unfortunately, your writings somehow sound like Zambians in the diaspora are the ones to blame for this lack of in-depth study of their well-being. Zambians abroad are just like any other immigrants from across the world, so blanket assumptions/conclusions should be avoided!
cont…
For instance, California experience can be vastly differ from New York or Texas experience to a Zambian immigrant. Let alone people (Zambians) living across borders and oceans in different countries.
It is these different experiences which, by and large, shape one’s “psychology” (negatively or otherwise) as an immigrant. For you to then proceed and give us a single case of one individual in NY who stayed here illegally as a representation of the vast majority of Zambians living abroad is misleading at best and dishonest at worst. Also the “sample size” of the study you are referring to is awfully inadequate in terms of the number of Zambians who participated in the study.
cont..
Therefore, you cannot take such a study to be representative of the thousands, if not millions, of Zambians in the diaspora. This is why I am suggesting you narrow your focus/topic and then drill down that way. Maybe then you will have something worthwhile that truly resembles the actual experiences of the majority Zambian diaspora and their PSYCHOLOGICAL statuses. In the meantime, we should avoid things such as exaggerations, innuendos, prejudices, and preconceived negative biases against our fellow Zambians living abroad—because NOT all Zambians in the diaspora started out the same way or migrated for the reasons.
cont…
In any case, anybody who has left their “home” and everything they have known and loved and moved to an alien country/environment to start afresh must have something “psychologically” going on in their heads. I should however commend you for starting an important conversation and encourage those in academia to seriously conduct an academic inquiry in this area. Unfortunately, your writings somehow sound like Zambians in the diaspora are the ones to blame for this lack of in-depth study of their well-being. Zambians abroad are just like any other immigrants from across the world, so blanket assumptions/conclusions should be avoided!
You have hit the nail on the head!
Interesting to see the amount of traction this article has garnered. There’s evidence of better dialogue though still some defensiveness from some. I would really love to see how things progress.*************
It seems to me that people’s starting point is their experiences and the fail to see the unique study and read what is actually being discussed. The defense is automatic because they are in the diaspora, but i think if one appreciates Richard Kabwe’s experience they will be able to look into it and see a different side to the immigration experience.
Hello to every one out here, am here to shear my the unexpected miracle that has happen to me three days ago, I came across a post online talking about how she got her ex back to her with the help of the great spell caster who happens to be high Dr ehige that he helped her though i never believe this because i was just wondering how could this be, but i gave my self hope and i contact the spell caster. this is the unbelievable that has happened to me this spiral I was happily married and we had three kids, we lived together as one because we both loved each other but before i knew it, my husband started acting funny and cheating on me later on, he told me that he cannot continue with me again i was confuse, so that was how he left me and my three kids without noting but there was noting
Get that existentialism out of my face.I’m not an economic migrant here,i’m an independently wealthy zambian who has worked hard to be here.Not every zambian abroad is desperate,living hand to mouth,illegal or condemned to washing bums.If we all viewed all immigrants a certain way then i fail to see what would be so inviting for Indian-zambians or Euro-Zambians working very hard to live in Zambia.
Tumbuka pride,
The first thing you did is to analyze the “I” framework. You read your life into this article and consequently fail to see what is being articulated. Your experiences like Kabwe’s experiences are unique; each has its value in discussion. But at this point, we were concerned more with the mental health discussions of Zambians and it happens that Kabwe’s problem was his experience attaining legal status in the USA.
This article is attempting to paint a poor picture of Zambians that live abroad! Do not lie to yourselves that everyone that lives abroad is a failure. I for one I am a senior government official in my adopted country. Almost everyone I know that has qualifications and experience, that originated from Zambia is doing fine. As someone has alluded, the author CHOSE to use one example of a failure and then made a generalization.
I can not help to wonder what this article aims to achieve. Does it want to discourage emigration or is it to give certain individuals happiness that they did well not to consider leaving their nest?
It bothers me that certain Zambians have a NEGATIVE ATTITUDE towards others that are living a different life from them. Jealousy and foolish pride are the underly this
I do not think you read the article in its entirety. In fact the person I interviewed was a success. What we are trying to show is a period in his life when he qualified for genuine mental health services and did not seek help for varied reasons. This is not to suggest that he is a failure. Please read the article and from there we can proceed.
I would like to know what sort of quality assurance was done on this article before publication. My guess is that none was done. A crazy person will simply think of something and post it on LT. Please if this was a research, then it needs to be at least peer reviewed! That is the problem we have in Zambia, people are not screened before being put to task. You made the same mistake by electing an incompetent President! Please get serious and leave the many Zambians plying their trades abroad alone!!
Mr Makanika,
I wrote the article. Im sure if you have any thoughts you can attack the article and bring something valuable to the debate we are having on this forum. I doubt the current comment serves any genuine purpose.
well written article, but the title caption is misleading. I thought for once that, the writer was showing the resilience of a Zambian immigrant in USA. Psychologically, Zambians have not been known to seek therapy of matters of such. so it is neither here nor there. the article in my opinion is more of an academic exercise than to impart knowledge.
..and that’s where the problem lies, Zambians, like other people from most developing nations, wrongly assume that mental health means kufunta. Mental health is just another aspect of overall health of a human being. Check out coursera or Edx for free courses in public health or sociology, you might want to educate yourselves a little further. This in attitude/stigma just speaks to the underlying problem, lack of appropriate academic application; we need holistic approaches to education to include areas as psychology for most courses so people have more than just personal experience or partial knowledge of a significant aspect of human health or in any other subject area.
This is a well articulated article Mr Mtonga. However, that’s all there is to it. Your findings will be passed off as incomplete because your research sample does not fully encompass the general psychological spectrum of the various Zambians living abroad, including yourself. You live in America and yet you have neglected to walk your talk in this narrative by at least citing even just one example of how your own psyche has been negatively affected by your immigration, thereby re-affirming one fact; that you cannot generalize the psychological disposition of every Zambian living abroad, our stories are purely individual and so, very different. As matter of fact, many Zambians will tell you that they’ve learnt to become more responsible and psychologically stronger by living abroad.
continued;Every country has its own set of immigration laws, including Zambia. Whatever these Zambians have to go through to get themselves a place in these great counties, is in my opinion, all worth the while and whatever your objectives are in your research, you cannot change a river’s course. The adopted countries will not relax their immigration laws to fuse in foreigners, because they feel sorry for immigrants suffering in their country, in fact, no country will do that. So if that’s what you are attempting to arrive at in your quest for solutions, it will never happen. The immigrant, any immigrant is a natural born hustler, take him any where and he will survive. The sample you have given us is not cut from a cloth of immigrant material. Why do you think America is a great nation?
continued; No country, certainly not the USA, will spend money on psychological therapy for immigrants. In Texas, Mexicans are being forced to go back home as we speak. They don’t want immigrants in the US, so why should it be any surprise that the people who help us get our stuff take advantage of us? Our Zambia women and their families did the same thing to the Senegalese men they married back in the 1980’s. They took advantage of them and made them pay big time. Now, should the Zambian academicians have made that a case study? Its called life, its like asking a woman to have one consistent mood everyday by threatening to divorce her, when you know she has hormones racing through he body all the time. What happens while we try to get our papers here is only natural. It will never…
continued; Zambians, sometimes we can be very lazy and ungrateful people. We don’t understand endurance, because we think life is about getting drunk at those strip malls every day every weekend. How does one get an opportunity to come to a country like this and just complain through out and in fact end up deciding to go back home because they get tired of working? When they go home, they become the laughing stock and an example of how we are wasting time and not doing anything out here in the diaspora to improve ourselves, which is not true. But that’s how they see us back home. Life is hard anywhere and one just needs to just understand what they will have to contend with. The bible says no man considers to plant a field without first considering the cost. There is a cost to…
Humphrey,
Again we arrive at the same place as the previous article. You fail to understand the purpose of medical research and turn this into a political article. There are medical centers built up to study HIV/AIDS among immigrants for the purpose of solving certain problems. This article is not a political statement. Please dont read your philosophical attitudes about life and take away from a simple we are making.
1. Immigrating causes alot of mental issues.
2. Diifferent experiences yield different mental problems.
3. Zambians experience some of these problems but dont get treatment.
4. We should not limit our understanding in immigration to economic benefits, we need to expand the scope of our understanding to better assist Zambians to integrate in different countries.
I continue to read the comments but i think it seems as if some are in touch with the message and some are not. I will do points:
1. Mental Health Does Not Mean One Is Crazy
2. Zambians in the diaspora are not the only ones that suffer from mental health AND NOT ALL ZAMBIANS SUFFER FROM MENTAL HEALTH.
3. Each Zambian has immigrated for different reasons- some economic, some religious, some legal (etc).
The purpose of the article is to point to a specific experience shared by SOME Zambians and suggest the need to go deeper in analyzing the immigrant experience.
I continue to appreciate the civility in the current discussions. Im certain we have opened a new line of thought with different parties positioned in different camps. It is certainly a great sight to be in the presences of all this intellect- Im sure if we took all the comments here, redrafted, re-thought we would come up with a great book that because of everyone will encompass many different thoughts and thus be a greater intellectual project.
Once again, thank you very much for the comments and it certainly encourages us to look at some issues we generally dont look at more profoundly.
My next interview will be with a Zambian who is homosexual. Im sure it will generate a lot of comments. His experiences are certainly a whole different type of analysis.
Thank you.
The article is very alarming! Let me ask Mr Mtonga: Are those of us who have come abroad legally and are under no such pressure as Richard’s obliged to see these shrinks? Could we be fooling ourselves that we are okay? I have never felt like seeing one cos I believe in the “dont fix it if it aint broke” philosophy.
George, in your first article, you generalized the fact that Zambians living abroad are experiencing mental health problems, are nostalgic and disoriented. This is what you said; ” this unique experience has been the existentialism dilemma that members of the diaspora have come to suffer from; this is tantamount to clinical depression as their identity has been questioned.” Notice how you generalized the supposed problem and associated it with all Zambians. Then you moved to the other extreme in your above comment and said this-“2. Zambians in the diaspora are not the only ones that suffer from mental health AND NOT ALL ZAMBIANS SUFFER FROM MENTAL HEALTH”
Isn’t this bi-polar? Stop being wishi-washi on your views and be grounded in some type of absolute conviction on this matter.
Continued; My question is, what criteria are you using to diagnose this problem on an individual basis among the Zambians living abroad? What is that visible deciding factor in our personal behavioral patterns that should point to the fact we need that psychological help? Or are you just going by the insinuations in your own mind? This issue is not so sophisticated as to be beyond my scope of understanding, all I’m asking you to provide is adequate proof, by way of balanced examples, that should determine the need for carrying out that research, otherwise my view is that its an irrelevant initiative because it is trying to fix a non-existent problem by questioning the natural. It is not a well thought-out analog and that is why 90% of the comments here are in disagreement with you.
Continued; If you want people to buy into your ideals, do one thing- make sense! This article is delusional and does not represent the balanced and absolute truth about the mental conditions of Zambians living abroad. Your affirmation, that immigration brings economic benefits, also clearly refuses to accept responsibility when it fails to recognize the inevitable truth- as common sense would suggest, that the “supposed mental health problems” that are, according to you, ‘tantamount to a clinical depression,’ are mainly springing from a lack of those very economic benefits. Your view suggests that people are having these “mental health problems” regardless of their economic abundances. Be it in ones own country or abroad, a lack of money often drives people into a mentally depressed…