Understanding Intergenerational Trauma among Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African (Arab/MENA) Americans

Authors

Rawan H. Atari-Khan, Marquette UniversityFollow
Nuha Alshabani, Boston University
S. Dolma Rabgay, Marquette University
Farida Refaat Elhedk, Purdue University
Ava Clifford, Northeastern University
Sofia Gomariz, Northeastern University
Warda Sahib, Marquette University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2025

Publisher

American Psychological Association

Source Publication

Qualitative Psychology

Source ISSN

2326-3598

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1037/qup0000310

Abstract

Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African Americans experience various forms of racial–ethnic trauma in the United States, including historical and intergenerational trauma (IGT). The population has been migrating to the United States since the 1800s, and the number of migrants has risen in recent decades due to war, persecution, and family reunification. As a result, the children of these migrants may be exposed to IGT, with research suggesting that descendants of individuals who have experienced trauma are more susceptible to poor mental health outcomes. Using semistructured interviews, alongside the art of storytelling and empowerment through critical consciousness, this study investigated how IGT may be transmitted to Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African second-generation immigrants in the United States. Data from 12 participants were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Two superordinate themes were identified from the interviews and included (a) process of IGT and (b) family communication. The first superordinate theme included the following subthemes: historical family context, perceived parent trauma responses, transmission of emotional pain, and immigrant guilt. The second superordinate theme included the following subthemes: silence, avoidance of emotion, intergenerational storytelling, and responsibility to pass down stories. Clinical and research implications are examined, emphasizing the integration of storytelling into research studies to enhance meaning-making for both participants and researchers. For clinicians, the application of narratives in therapeutic work is explored as a potential healing mechanism in individual and group therapy settings.

Comments

Accepted version. Qualitative Psychology, Vol. 12, No. 2 (June 2025): 200-214. DOI. © 2025 American Psychological Association. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Atari-Khan, Rawan H.; Alshabani, Nuha; Rabgay, S. Dolma; Elhedk, Farida Refaat; Clifford, Ava; Gomariz, Sofia; and Sahib, Warda, "Understanding Intergenerational Trauma among Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African (Arab/MENA) Americans" (2025). Psychology Faculty Research and Publications. 594.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/psych_fac/594