Sheriffa Wilkins-Colquhoun

From Terror to Triumph Sheriffa Wilkins-Colquhoun

Our world has become an enormously small place with increase technology and frequent travels. Subsequently, migration has become a global phenomenon that affects people from various cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic spheres. Migration is continually growing rapidly and affects all of us in a variety of ways. Hence, it is of paramount importance to investigate and explore this phenomenon and prepare ourselves for the profound impact it may have on our family relationships. Personally, I have been impacted by migration when my mother decided to migrate to the United States when I was 10 years old. As a result, I have a deep interest in how migration impacts our family relationships. I explored a common type of migration, serial migration which is a common practice in the English-speaking Caribbean and its implications on parent-child relationships. Serial migration is a common practice amongst Caribbean people which occurs when a parent or parents leave their country of origin and migrate to a new country first, then send for their children at a later time (Pottinger, A., Stair, A., & Brown, S. 2008). As I reminisced about my journey, the separation and reunification process has evoked numerous emotions and experiences from despair to joy and terror to triumphs. I have chosen to turn my initial pain into purpose to inspire others on their migration journey.