A Psychodynamic Perspective on the Negotiation of Prejudice Among Immigrant Women

Abstract

The negotiation of prejudice among immigrant women has largely been unaddressed in the psychotherapy literature. In an increasingly pluralistic society, such as the United States, it is especially important to address needs of specific subgroups of women who experience racial and ethnic prejudice. Immigrant women are in a unique position to simultaneously encounter prejudice related to multiple aspects of social identity, such as gender, race, and ethnicity, contributing to feelings of marginalization. This article addresses the role of attachment related conflicts in immigrant women's negotiation of racial and ethnic stereotyping and discrimination, from a psychodynamic perspective. Implications of these conflicts for women's identity development are discussed. A clinical case vignette illustrates the complexity of addressing attachment and prejudice within and outside the therapeutic relationship.