By Dr. Sawraj Singh
The Indian immigrant population is becoming more mature and priorities are changing. The initial superficial perception of being in a fairyland is changing into a more realistic assessment. The delusions of grandeur about immigration are changing. This change is being brought on by the negative impacts of immigration such as disintegration of family and an alarming increase in the incidence of depression.
The underlying principle of immigration in nature has always been “From relative scarcity to relative abundance.” Human immigration is not an exception to this general rule. The main causes of immigration from the developing countries of the third world to the developed Western countries have been: to avail better economic opportunities, and to improve the quality of life. The uneven development under colonialism and neocolonialism is primarily responsible for the phenomenon of immigration.
Under the old colonialism, colonialists deliberately suppressed industrial development in the developing countries so that they could sell finished products from their factories there. In the era of Globalization, which in reality is neocolonialism, the uneven exchange between Western imperialist countries and their former colonies has been preserved. This results in a much higher compensation for the same work in the developed countries compared to the developing countries. This is the main incentive for immigration from third world countries to Western countries.
Human immigration is a much more complicated phenomenon than the basic natural law “From relative scarcity to relative abundance.” While it may be true that in many cases, immigrants are able to improve their economic condition, yet that always does not lead to a better quality of life. The quality of life also includes preserving family integrity and social, cultural and mental stability, besides economic betterment. Many times, immigrants have to pay a very heavy price for economic prosperity. Although the recent Murder-Suicide cases make this point, yet they are only the tip of the iceberg. For one such tragedy there are many more tragedies which do not come to our attention.
I feel many of us are suffering from the effects of the 3Ds phenomenon. These are: Delusion, Disintegration and Depression. The perception that our lives have been great success stories is more of a delusion of grandeur than reality. Many immigrants face the dual bitter reality of family disintegration and depression.
Even though disintegration of the family may not be obvious, yet for all practical purposes it is there. There is a fundamental difference between the values of the parents and their children. Parents think more in terms of the collective and children think more in terms of the individual since they are a product of the individualistic Western culture. Besides the generation gap, there is also a gender gap. Generally, men have more to lose. They feel less control over their families as compared to the male-dominated Indian society. It is not uncommon to see an alliance of the children and the mother against the father. Many children feel more sympathetic to their mothers than their fathers. As a result, many men feel a growing sense of isolation which can lead to depression.
Depression is extremely common among Indian immigrants. This view is shared by many Indian psychiatrists in America and Canada, with whom I have had the opportunity to talk. Some, particularly Punjabis, try to treat their depression with increased intake of alcohol. This only makes things worse for them.
It can be argued that the Indian community is facing a similar fate in India as the immigrants are facing in Western countries. The Western lifestyle has become the dominant lifestyle in India. We need comparative studies to prove or disprove our impressions. We should compare the percentages of populations which are divorced and similarly compare the percentages of populations who are depressed.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
