'Nobody needs you there': 10 most common myths about immigration
'13.07.2021'
Together with psychologist Evgenia, specializing in immigration issues, channel author "The Life of an Emigrant" on Yandex.Zen understands who the immigrants are and how the post-Soviet countries treat immigration in general.
Myth No. 1. "Nobody needs you there"
This is a manipulative attempt to belittle the interlocutor and rise in their own eyes, taking a dominant position in the conversation. The desire to raise self-esteem at the expense of another is not the most working way to improve relationships with people.
It is useless to enter into polemics with a manipulator: he has his own psychological goal - to crush you, and he will find another one for any argument. You will feel trapped, he will triumph, because he is, as it were, right. Why give him this pleasure?
Myth number 2. "Where was born, there it came in handy"
Modern statistics will not agree with you. According to the UN, 272 million people, or 3,5% of the world's population, are migrants. This is every thirtieth inhabitant of the planet. And the trend is getting stronger. Russia is the fourth in the list of the most "abandoned" countries.
In addition, the trend for remote work is also growing at an accelerated pace, thanks in part to the pandemic. Why can't a person choose where to live if he can work from anywhere?
Myth number 3. "If you left, then you betrayed your Motherland"
In response to this myth, I would like to quote a story told by Denis Dragunsky in the work "Myslecrime".
The famous translator Tatiana Gnedich was arrested in early 1945. She reported herself. What did the girl confess to? It turns out that at the request of a British diplomat, she translated Vera Inber's poem "Pulkovo Meridian" into English, and in verses, for publication in London. The diplomat said: "If only you could work with us, how much you could do for Russian-British cultural ties!"
Let me remind you that the USSR and Great Britain were allies. The idea of a trip to England got stuck in Tatyana Gnedich's head - and she found this idea treacherous. Therefore, she declared herself. That is, she confessed to a thought crime. She was sentenced to 10 years in labor camp (treason to the Motherland, unfulfilled intention). However, the grimaces of life do not end with the abolition of exit visas. Here is some Petersburg woman wrote to Gazeta.ru about “nine reasons why she leaves Russia”. And the people are actively discussing. Almost two thousand comments. The topic of betrayal and treason comes up.
Betrayal (treason to the Motherland) is going over to the side of the enemy during a war or espionage in favor of a foreign state. And that's all.
On the subject: 'Left the country - betrayed his family': opinion on the popular immigration myth
Moving to another country has nothing to do with betrayal. This is how it was necessary to rape people's brains with the idea of a “besieged fortress”, that even a modern young woman considers her departure abroad for permanent residence something bad, dishonorable. An act that needs explanations and excuses.
Some kind of hereditary delirium. So I see a woman running into the special officer's office: "Arrest me, I wanted to go to England ..."
Myth number 4. "You will live for a year and come back, but you are no longer expected"
This statement is a great example of generalization. This is a generalization of all the diverse experiences of people and an attempt to impose the private experience of one individual on the entire population. Suppose a person who believes in this myth actually met people who were not expected after their return. Although what do you mean "did not wait"? Who had to wait for them, except family and friends? But does this mean that everyone is not expected? Can we say that the fate of one person will unambiguously repeat itself for another, who has fallen into similar circumstances?
Reverse immigration exists, people return home from immigration. They are also going through stages of adaptation to their old country, they are also rebuilding social ties, looking for work. Only it is easier for them to do it, since there is already experience of living here.
Myth No. 5. "You will not be understood in another country, because there is a different mentality"
Indeed, the extent to which the culture of the new country is similar to the culture of the native affects the speed of adaptation. It will be easier for an immigrant from Russia to adapt to life, for example, in Belarus than in the UAE or Qatar.
The culture of a new country will inevitably influence a person, and he will adapt to it. There is a theory of the development of cultural identity, developed by psychologists Derald and David Sue, which is based on the process of accepting an immigrant as part of a new country through its culture. It consists of five stages:
- Conformity This is the stage of full acceptance of the culture of the new country, even its idealization. At the same time, the immigrant rejects the old culture, tries to distance himself from it as much as possible, rejects in himself everything that may resemble the old life. This occurs as a result of trying to protect oneself from severe stress and loss of self-identity. A person considers himself to be a dominant group (residents of a new country) and in every possible way tries to associate himself with them.
- Dissonance At this stage, the immigrant begins to notice the shortcomings of the new culture, and the old one begins to seem not so bad. These are the consequences of an internal conflict of identity, which is especially acute for a person.
- Resistance and immersion This stage is characterized by the fact that a person, on the contrary, turns away from the new culture and strives for the quiet haven of the old one. He may feel ashamed of the way he behaved during the dissonance phase.
- Introspection. At the stage of introspection, a person tries to solve existential questions about which world he belongs to, who he is now, what he has become in new conditions.
- Integrative awareness... At this stage, a person comes out of the crisis of self-identity, begins to appreciate both cultures, can critically evaluate them. A sense of self-respect and dignity returns to him.
It is believed that for successful integration it is necessary to go through all five stages of adaptation.
Myth number 6. "There you will always be strangers and second-class people"
It all depends on how much a person can integrate into society. This is influenced by his knowledge of the language, his willingness to accept the local culture without condemnation, sociability, openness to new experiences, the ability to draw conclusions from failures and all those personal characteristics that we talked about earlier.
If a person treats others with respect, they will more often receive respect in return, and they will be perceived as an equal. And this does not depend on his nationality.
On the subject: Why people are looking for a better life in another country, and for whom immigration is contraindicated
Myth No. 7. "Immigrants are those who go to wash the toilets for more delicious sausage."
And what can be called a really good reason for moving? Taxes, education for children, renovation program, foreign policy? This is, of course, yes. But I am sincerely convinced that there are no "too small" reasons. Dirt on the roads and lack of sun, rudeness in the clinic and the desire to develop in another profession, in the end, unsolicited advice and violation of personal boundaries from all sides - these are all that can cause serious psychological discomfort to a person. And this discomfort cannot be measured in any way, you can only feel it inside and get upset every time you encounter it.
There is no single correct point of view on something. There is no “important enough” reason to move. There are only your reactions and feelings to this or that problem. And it is the feelings that are most difficult to convey to people so that they understand. But this does not negate the fact that they are important and meaningful to you and can be an incentive to move.
Myth number 8. "You need to stay in your country and raise it, and not run to another"
In the countries of the post-Soviet space, the cult of suffering is strong. It can be formulated as follows: "Suffer as we do, suffer with us, suffer better than us!" Sufferers will devalue work because someone has not experienced a socially acceptable rate of suffering. In their eyes, a person has the right to declare himself only if he has an endless series of hardships behind him. And immigrants go for better living conditions, it's just outrageous!
Let everyone live the way they like. He who wants to suffer, let him suffer. Who does not want - does not suffer.
Myth No. 9. “Immigrants are people without rights. If anything, they will immediately throw it out "
It all depends on the country and the status with which you are moving. There are people who love extreme sports and try to live in the country illegally, who do not follow the laws. They could face deportation.
The immigration policy of most countries attractive for immigration clearly outlines the rights and obligations of every visitor. If a person knows the law, understands his rights, then he will be more protected from trouble. Psychologically, an adult understands what the laws are for, and tries to understand them before moving.
Myth No. 10. "Everything is expensive there, and if you get sick, you can't even call an ambulance."
Medicine and its cost is an important aspect of life in the country. It is now very easy to find out how much doctors and health insurance costs before you move and include those costs in your budget. You can and should take care of your health in advance before changing your place of residence and prepare the ground for moving, taking into account all the features of medical care in a new country for you.
Original column published https://www.izakayasushilounge.com "The Life of an Emigrant" on Yandex.Zen
The material is published for educational purposes and is not a recommendation. ForumDaily Woman is not responsible for any diagnosis made by the reader based on the materials of the site, as well as for the consequences of self-medication, and may not share the point of view of the author or expert.
