Silent Battles Series
Silent Battles
A collaboration between MindSite News and palabra, supported by the Field Foundation of Illinois.
Silent Battles is a reporting project focusing on the mental health challenges faced by immigrant communities in Chicago – from threats of deportation to the efforts by the city and community groups to provide mutual assistance and support.
The series is a collaboration between MindSite News and palabra, a multimedia platform from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Support for the reporting in the series was provided by the Field Foundation of Illinois.
Part 1
In Chicago, Immigrants Who Fled Violence and War Struggle With Their Mental Health
Many immigrants suffer from trauma as a result of the persecution they fled and their perilous journey to the united states. The city of Chicago is trying to help meet those needs.
Part 2
In the weeks before the election, fear and anxiety began to mount. Now mental health advocates and allies are getting ready to confront a new reality.
PART 3
Chicago Advocates and Clinicians Come Together to Support Mental Health of Immigrants in Peril
In the aftermath of the presidential election, almost 200 people gathered in Chicago to strategize about how to protect the mental health of immigrant communities. They also sought a space of healing to help them get ready them for what lies ahead.
PART 4
‘What if One Day You Leave and Don’t Come Back?’
Guadalupe Ortíz was diagnosed with anxiety at 10. Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, she has refused to attend school – and she is not alone. Absenteeism has surged in Chicago Public Schools. The teacher’s union and district are working to make immigrant children and families feel secure and welcome.
Meet The Writer: Alma Campos
Alma Campos is an award-winning bilingual journalist in Chicago and is passionate about telling stories of immigrants in the U.S. Born in Mexico, her path led her from Azusa, California, to Chicago’s South Side. Her work dives into the immigrant experience, capturing stories across a range of topics from mental health and labor to community resilience. She contributes to The Guardian, is a senior editor at South Side Weekly, and leads reporting on the intersection of immigration and mental health for the Chicago bureau of MindSite News. Her work has also appeared in WTTW, Crain’s Chicago Business and Univision. @alma_campos
The name “MindSite News” is used with the express permission of Mindsight Institute, an educational organization offering online learning and in-person workshops in the field of mental health and wellbeing. MindSite News and Mindsight Institute are separate, unaffiliated entities that are aligned in making science accessible and promoting mental health globally.
