RESUMO
We are a group of 11 women in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Nine of us are immigrants from Mexico. One of us is from an immigrant household. One of us is neither. We have been working collaboratively on a research study called Tertulias (Spanish for "a social gathering"), which is an innovative women's peer support group approach we created to reduce social isolation, depression, and stress among women immigrants from Mexico, and to increase their resilience and sense of empowerment. In the process of implementing the Tertulias study, we are revealing the profound power of peer support, friendship, and small, quotidian kindnesses. But we are also exposing the immensity and scope of trauma, fear, loneliness, depression, and self-blame that exist in the Mexican immigrant community because of domestic violence. Our experience with domestic violence and with the consciousness-raising and support we found in Tertulias has made us want to be involved in a positive manner to do something about this issue in our community. We want our experience to mean something-to be used to make a difference. We are opening our hearts and sharing our stories and ideas. We wanted to be included as co-authors of this article because we want our stories to be received and heard by other women. We want to plant seeds to help other women find their inner strength to be able to escape from their chains. We have to return for others. It is a commitment-to understand how we were able to do it and share that with others. Through our experience participating in Tertulias, we learned that we could overcome what felt overwhelming and impenetrable. We could leave the violence and rediscover and recreate ourselves and our lives.
Assuntos
Violência Doméstica , Emigrantes e Imigrantes , Feminino , Humanos , Emprego , MéxicoRESUMO
Realizamos un estudio psicosocial de 40 individuos sordo-ciegos afectados con síndrome de Usher, pertenecientes a 19 familias, para conocer sus necesidades, las características de sus relaciones familiares y las implicaciones de su doble limitación sensorial. Las familias fueron identificadas a través de nuestro programa nacional de tamizaje para el estudio de Síndrome de Usher en Colombia, el cual se viene desarrollando en diferentes escuelas para sordos, ciegos y sordo-ciegos del país. Describimos sus relaciones familiares, el estado económico y social, el nivel educativo, el conocimiento sobre la enfermedad, el grado de aceptación y el tipo de rehabilitación recibida en cada paciente. Hicimos especial énfasis en las reacciones de sus parientes y en el desempeño social del individuo afectado, así como en el grado de independencia y su situación laboral. Nuestra meta fue tratar de definir las necesidades educacionales o de rehabilitación de las personas sordo-ciegas en nuestro país y enfatizar la importancia de un diagnóstico temprano de esta condición, de darles una adecuada y oportuna asesoría genética, para así obtener las pautas necesarias que los programas de rehabilitación y educación deben tener en nuestro país