THE BEGINNING WITHIN

Migration is an internal journey as much as a geographical one, especially for a child. It represents a profound shift in a young person’s world—a journey of the mind and heart filled with uncertainty, loss, and fragile hope. This article shares perspectives on navigating mental health as a child immigrant.

PREPARATIONS AND INVISIBLE GOODBYES

Before the move, adults handle documents and logistics. For a child, the preparation is emotional: absorbing the anxiety of parents, silently saying goodbye to friends, a home, a pet, a familiar street. The hardest part isn’t always a dramatic hug, but the unspoken understanding that your entire world is about to vanish, with no clear picture of what comes next.

ON THE ROAD: FRAGMENTS OF SAFETY

The physical journey can be chaotic. A child’s mental well-being often hinges on tiny anchors: the consistent presence of a parent’s hand, the kindness of a stranger who shares a smile or food, the fleeting friendship with another child in a similar boat. These moments of human connection become lifelines, creating temporary pockets of safety in a landscape of constant change.

BORDERS AND INNER WALLS

Crossing a border is more than a legal process for a child. It can be the moment a new identity is imposed: “immigrant,” “foreigner,” “other.” The confusing bureaucracy, the intimidating officials, the unfamiliar sounds—all can build internal walls of fear, confusion, and shyness. The child learns to be patient and observant, not by choice, but by necessity.

THE ARRIVAL: THE OVERWHELM

Reaching the new country is not an end point for the mind. It’s the beginning of a massive internal adjustment. Everything is a mental load: the exhausting effort to decode a new language at school, the struggle to make friends when you can’t express yourself, the confusion over new social rules, the sharp pain of nostalgia triggered by a smell or taste from home. Relief mixes with loneliness, hope battles with anxiety.