Luis H. Zayas: The psychological impact of child separation at the US-Mexico border
لويس هـ .زاياس: التأثير النفسي لعزل الأطفال على الحدود بين الولايات المتحدة والمكسيك
Luis H. Zayas remains a proud active mental health practitioner through his evaluations of immigrant children and families facing deportation, and of refugee and asylum-seeking mothers and children in detention centers. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
a clinical social worker
for me to go into the helping professions.
أن أتجه للمهن التي تقدم العون للناس.
to do good for others.
in some of the toughest circumstances:
I've worked with hope and with optimism.
have been put to the test.
in the way the United States government
بسبب طريقة معاملة حكومة الولايات المتحدة
to our southern border,
from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras,
من السلفادور أو جواتيمالا أو من هندوراس،
to safety and security.
the worst violence in the world.
because the police are complicit,
the first children in detention centers.
suffering I'd ever known,
I believed in my country,
has handled the immigrants
that children in immigration detention
أن الأطفال في حجز المهاجرين
with respect to immigration.
to handle all those people
whether you're a Republican or a Democrat,
إن كنت جمهوريًا أو ديموقراطيًا
about those topics, too.
بشأن تلك المواضيع،
be in the business of hurting children.
لا يجب أن تشارك في إيذاء الأطفال.
just looking for asylum.
some of the worst violence in the world
over these past five years.
كانا معي في الخمس سنوات الماضية.
when I met him in a detention center
عندما التقيته في مركز الاحتجاز
and his brother,
that you get to love instantly.
داني أحد الأطفال الذين تحبهم على الفور.
was of the Revos Locos.
in the town that he was in.
about the evils of drinking and smoking.
والسجائر بالطبع.
are shooting at birds and at people.
تطلق النيران على الطيور وعلى البشر.
was killed by those Revos Locos
بواسطة أحد أفراد ريفوس لوكوس
to his uncle's farmhouse,
coming out the back of his head.
تتدلى من قفاه.
beat little Danny badly, severely,
or they will kill us."
a single-leg amputee with a crutch,
ذو قدم واحدة وعكاز،
said goodbye to his father,
until he lost sight of his father.
heard from his father.
was killed by the Revos Locos,
in the same detention center,
he spent in isolation with his mother
التي قضاها محتجزًا هو ووالدته
had led a hunger strike
كانت تدعو لإضراب عن الطعام
under the pressure of the guards,
very abusive towards her and Fernando.
in the small office,
They're listening to you."
groping under all the chairs.
for hidden microphones and cameras.
تبحث عن الميكروفونات والكاميرات.
as he watched his mother spiral
and I saw utter terror.
of him if she couldn't?
They only had each other.
what that kind of trauma,
with you for a moment,
the professor that I am.
harsh conditions,
response system is affected.
that are associated with cognition,
social interaction,
التوازن النفسي، التفاعل الاجتماعي،
the child's immune system is suppressed,
يتأثر بالضغوط،
asthma, cardiovascular disease,
السكري، الربو، أمراض القلب.
and likely shorten their lives.
وربما يموت مبكرًا.
to the breakdown of the body.
and disturbing nightmares,
after years of continence.
بعد أعوام من الانقطاع.
who was buckling under the pressure
تحت الضغط
that her mother breastfeed her.
health professional,
children's health and development.
أن نعيد صياغة ممارساتنا.
asylum processing centers,
can live together.
old army barracks,
والثكنات العسكرية القديمة،
can live as family units
والأهل أن يسكنوا مثل العائلة
to their next medical provider.
تساعد في الحفاظ على صحتهم.
mental health evaluations
تقييمات للصحة العقلية
for those who need it.
would be connecting families
بين الأسر
to need, wherever they're headed.
أينما كانوا
and testing children
in these processing centers.
في مراكز المعالجة هذه
all over the world are holding families
في جميع أنحاء العالم تحتجز أسرًا
are getting it right
تقوم به بشكل صائب
describing refugee camps
تقارير تصف مخيمات اللاجئين
health and development.
في وحدات عائلية.
are housed together.
so they can earn some money,
حتى يتمكنوا من كسب بعض المال،
go to the local stores and shop.
من الذهاب إلى المتاجر المحلية والتسوق.
to cook healthy meals for the children,
every day and are taught.
كل يوم ويتعلّموا.
they go home and they ride bikes,
ويركبون الدراجات،
and explore the world --
ينهون واجباتهم ويستكشفون العالم
We have the resources to get it right.
ولدينا الموارد اللازمة لتحقيق ذلك.
and the insistence of Americans
هو إرادة الأمريكيين وإصرارهم
Danny or Fernando.
أو فرناندو.
are healthy and happy.
الذين قابلتهم
of the many children I met
who have been in detention.
عن ممن كانوا رهن الاحتجاز.
and my optimism in the work I do.
في العمل الذي أقوم به.
on our approach to immigration,
حول نهجنا في التعامل مع الهجرة،
with dignity and respect.
بكرامة واحترام.
who remain in the United States,
الذين بقوا في الولايات المتحدة
engaged members of our society.
منتجين ومندمجين في مجتمعنا
countries whether voluntarily or not
سواء طوعًا أو لا
the merchants, the leaders
معلمين وتجار وقادة
all of those children and parents
الأطفال والآباء معًا
about the goodness of our country
عن طيبة بلادنا
to disagree on immigration,
بشأن الهجرة،
على شيء واحد:
at this moment in our history,
إلى هذه اللحظة من تاريخنا،
lifelong trauma on children,
بصدمة تلازمهم طوال أعمارهم،
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Luis H. Zayas - Social worker, psychologist, researcherLuis H. Zayas remains a proud active mental health practitioner through his evaluations of immigrant children and families facing deportation, and of refugee and asylum-seeking mothers and children in detention centers.
Why you should listen
Luis H. Zayas lends his expertise to legal advocates protecting the rights of asylees, refugees and immigrants in courts. A native of Coamo, Puerto Rico, Zayas believes deeply that social justice warriors cannot serve on all the battlefronts where human rights are trampled, and inhumane treatment occurs. Instead, we must use our natural talents, passions, skills and knowledge to fight in those areas that call out to us.
Luis H. Zayas | Speaker | TED.com