Acquisizioni e difficoltà del processo migratorio: identità e salute

The research describes the phenomenon of immigration in its political, social and economic dynamics. The theme has been addressed mainly with the intent to “give a face” to those who live the dynamics connected to the phenomenon, in particular considering the acquisitions and difficulties of their settling in. The work was carried out by placing at the basis, in the analysis of these processes, three concepts: identity, employment and health, which are considered as essential elements of the integration path of immigrants. Identity is the cultural basis of the individual, who, being an immigrant, clashes with the cultural reality that must be assimilated in the country of immigration. This process is intended as a discontinuity of the subject from his being part of a group. He, as Simmel says in his analysis of the “foreigner”, is neither “inside nor outside”; he is an absent subject, as claimed by Sayad; or, as Bauman argues, he is the one who forces us to evaluate ourselves and others. How is the identity of the immigrant defined? What is his immigration plan based on and his ability to integrate in the country of arrival? It is based on work, the ability to sustain himself economically as well as improve the condition of his own life and that of his family left behind in the country of origin. Work is the basis upon which the relationship between the immigrant and the destination country is determined, because only through work can start the integration process. Work gives rise to a new phenomenon linked to migration: Transnationalism, a concept that redefines and redesigns immigration history, which is no longer a rift between the country of departure and arrival, but a “bridge” that connects and stays in contact, the two “moments” of the immigration project, by sending some of the money made from working in the country of immigration to the country of origin. The new protagonists of this exchange are women, who represent the more recent face of immigration. Women do not emigrate just for family reunions, but also for an autonomous immigration project, to improve and transform their living conditions. In this process, as in the case of men, the verification of the health of those who emigrate and the relationship, even critical, with consequent health services is also significant. The health of the immigrant must be regarded as necessary for a good living condition as well as a good level of integration. For this reason, it is important to analyse the concepts related to the health of the immigrant as: healthy immigrant effect, transcultural health, cultural mediation. These concepts were independently analyzed in an independent and through a field survey in their presence in the experience of immigrants. The qualitative survey was carried out in the territory of the Agro-Nocerino-Sarnese and highlighted how a large number of immigrants turned to the hospital Umberto I. The survey involved doctors, nurses and healthworkers, called to an analysis of the real difficulties in taking care of these subjects. [edited by Author]