Supporting Immigrant Students in an Anti-Immigrant Climate: An Interview with Dr. Maryam Kia Keating
Immigrant students in American schools are experiencing unprecedented trauma and toxic stress. Rising anti-immigrant rhetoric, heightened enforcement actions, and administrative silence in many districts have created what researchers describe as a crisis of belonging that directly impacts learning. Recent data shows dramatic drops in school attendance during periods of immigration enforcement as families no longer feel safe, while longitudinal research reveals troubling patterns of disconnection between immigrant students and their teachers.
To understand how educators can support students navigating these traumatic experiences, we reached out to Dr. Maryam Kia Keating, whose scholarship focuses on resilience in the context of trauma, adversity, and toxic stress for diverse communities, including refugees and immigrants. She works with young people, schools, and in partnership with communities to find innovative solutions to support resilience. Dr, Kia Keating’s research has been featured in outlets including The Washington Post, NPR, and CNN.
Adam Strom: Maryam Kia Keating is a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise working with young people, particularly immigrant students. Her focus has been issues of trauma and resilience. Marya, to get started, what’s the relationship between trauma and resilience?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: The technical definition of resilience is about how you respond in the context of adversity and trauma. Traditionally, researchers look at somebody who’s able to go back to the level of functioning they had before the traumatic experience occurred. But I think many people are interested in this idea of resilience where you might actually learn from and grow from the experiences of trauma and adversities. We don’t talk about that enough—all of us go through adversities and difficulties, and the best case scenario is that you’re taking those forward in your life and it’s making you a better person.
Adam Strom: How can we think sensitively about the assets that one develops by becoming resilient in the aftermath of trauma?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: When you’re thinking about immigrant students and students from immigrant families, there are so many assets and strengths. If we look at it simply from a deficit perspective—”let me help you through these awful times”—we do that at the expense of recognizing the strengths they’re bringing. They have this wider perspective, these experiences, these rich cultures and heritages that could actually enhance our classrooms and school environments and should be embraced positively.
Adam Strom: If you’re an educator concerned that students might be experiencing trauma, what are those signs?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: First, we often look at an individual child out of context. We have this individualized focus that keeps us from seeing the context within which a child is surviving. Whether they’re thriving may have much more to do with the social context around them than with their personal individual capacity. These immigration policies affect short and long-term health outcomes in significant ways—not just impacting one child, but our entire school environment, our classrooms, our communities. There’s a ripple effect.
I like to take a social ecological model—thinking about that individual child within the context they’re embedded: their family, peers, networks of support, resources they have or lack. You want to consider what’s going on with their family, in their neighborhoods, what they’re seeing on the news or social media about violence and traumatic material, the worries they’re bringing into the classroom.
Adam Strom: What specific signs should educators look for?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: You’ll see higher levels of fear and anxiety, higher absenteeism, social isolation or withdrawal. As children get older, you might see more externalizing behaviors—acting out, risk-taking, anger. Children can experience difficulty concentrating and focusing, which is important in a classroom expecting attention and focus. You might see dysregulation—emotional dysregulation, disrupted sleep, disrupted eating. Younger children might have nightmares, though that doesn’t have an age cutoff.
Adam Strom: What advice would you give an educator who sees these behaviors to ensure they’re making the proper assessment?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: Educators are on the front lines seeing children every day. Pay attention to changes in a child’s behavior, emotions, or academics. Don’t make assumptions or jump to conclusions. Check in with the child to provide support and acknowledgment. Be cautious not to misinterpret distractibility or inattention as a problem within the child—”you should stop being inattentive.” Recognize that if you think about the social ecology of that child, that’s what might be influencing their ability to focus.
“The first step is really to pay attention to changes in a child’s behavior and their typical behaviors, emotions, or maybe even academic changes. That’s definitely a moment to check in with the child. Don’t make assumptions. Don’t jump to conclusions whether they’re kind conclusions or not. You don’t want to attribute it to the wrong thing without knowing more. You can also be there checking in to provide support and acknowledgement.”
– Dr. Maryam Kia Keating
Adam Strom: What advice for educators in schools with strong behavioral expectations who sense something else is going on?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: Two things. First, try to create a safe space, be a trusted adult. Find one-on-one time and say, “I want to check in on how you and your family are doing.” Acknowledge frightening things happening in the community. You might offer gentle self-disclosure: “It scares me to see these things happening.” Don’t force a child to disclose—it’s a scary time and they may not feel comfortable.
Second, your classroom is a space of possibility, joy, and hope. It might be the time of day where a student can forget about the outside world and feel joy, happiness, connection, and belonging. Educators have this critical role in helping children experience joy in their childhood. The rest of the world might be fighting against that, but we’re going to hold onto that.
Adam Strom: When is it time for referral, considering referral can be scary for families worried about interacting with officials?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: Professional referral isn’t the only way people can feel safe, heal, or find ways to cope. Consider the organic resources and supports already embedded in your school and community. Our number one predictor of wellbeing after trauma is social support. Loneliness and social isolation is an epidemic of our times.
Connect this child to others. Build their social network. Find this child a friend in class—don’t wait and hope people connect, but assign it. Find that kid who would love that assignment and become their true friend. Connect families to other families. Use the community you’re part of to make sure the family is connected to others, whether they have degrees or are just caring neighbors, which is the biggest predictor of wellbeing.
Adam Strom: What can educators do preventatively to make classrooms spaces of possibility?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: Think about your curriculum and insert ways students can connect with one another and their support systems—working on projects together, creating space for conversations. Use mindfulness in classrooms to create transition from the outside world into this intimate, safe space. Give children transition time to leave everything outside, put down the stress they’re carrying, and feel anchored and grounded.
Give immigrant students opportunities for agency and empowerment. Help them feel not just valued for who they are, but valuable to the community—”You are contributing to our community. You are bringing incredible gifts.” Give them leadership opportunities and choices in a world where they might not encounter that often.
Adam Strom: What about non-immigrant kids who are noticing what’s happening to their friends?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: All of us have immigration histories and stories—our ancestors. Share storytelling and connection, understanding ourselves and others, our families and heritage. When our environment is not good for some, it’s really not good for all. Everyone is negatively affected by harmful policies and actions. Ask all students to step up to be part of the good and the way we want things to be. Our youngest students are the biggest teachers of love, inclusion, acceptance, and forgiveness.
Adam Strom: What suggestions do you have for educator self-care when working with kids experiencing trauma?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: Put your own oxygen mask on first. Be thoughtful and intentional about balance in your lives. Minimize media exposure. You can get a headline, get into a story, but do you need to watch the video? The amount of media exposure you have in relation to collective trauma can predict your depression two years from now.
If you get caught up in helplessness and hopelessness, it will affect your teaching and wellbeing. This is why you want to nurture yourself—healthy practices of sleeping, eating, exercise. And the number one thing? Social support. Have that in your school environment to vent and feel supported through difficult challenges. Also have social support where you don’t talk about work at all—just fun and joy outside of work.
Adam Strom: What should I have asked that I didn’t?
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating: Your questions were wonderful and thoughtful. I’m hopeful this conversation helps educators in this challenging time. Perhaps the next step is asking educators what questions they have. I’d be happy to come back and answer questions directly from educators. That’s our next step—hearing from those struggling with these issues and validating that struggle.
Dr. Maryam Kia Keating is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in trauma and resilience, with extensive experience working with immigrant students and families in school settings.