In the 1990s, researchers began to look at the biological mechanisms of intergenerational trauma via epigenetics. Others attributed intergenerational trauma to children becoming “containers” for their parents’ unwanted pain.
Some experts in the medical community attributed intergenerational trauma to the stress of living with a traumatized person who may still be reliving horrific events. The conversation of exactly how trauma is transmitted was contested for decades following Rakoff’s paper. The late psychiatrist Vivian Rakoff, PhD first introduced the concept of intergenerational trauma in his 1966 paper on children of Holocaust survivors. Trauma can be transmitted in many ways - from our genetics to conversations at the dinner table. When it’s not coped with, it gets passed again,” said Merissa Nathan Gerson, author of “ Forget Prayers, Bring Cake,” a visiting assistant professor of communications at Tulane University, and inherited trauma consultant for Amazon’s “Transparent” series. How intergenerational trauma is passed on those belonging to North and South American Indigenous tribes, especially descendants of the Indian Reservation Schools in Canada and the United States.those of Vietnamese and Cambodian descent.Japanese Americans with ties to Japanese internment during World War II.But this type of intergenerational trauma also affects many other groups of marginalized communities, including: Historical trauma was first discussed in relation to survivors of the Holocaust and their descendants. Historical trauma and marginalized groups Those who are descendants of people who have experienced violence from living in war zones and other hardships - such as World War II, effects of the Cold War, the Vietnam War, or conflicts in the Middle East - may also be more likely to experience intergenerational trauma. However, people from marginalized groups - such as People of Color and those in lower socioeconomic classes for generations - may have more pronounced experiences with intergenerational trauma. Art that comes from an honest and personal place has the ability to resonate with people and be a medium for self-reflection – despite the deeply varied human experience – because of universal themes.Who does intergenerational trauma affect?Īnyone can experience intergenerational trauma, and some may argue that everyone experiences this phenomenon to some degree. The conception of this project stemmed from a desire to reconcile my own experiences, but it has developed into the creation of a metaphorical space where people can discuss and reflect on the shared issues and experiences of a minority identity. Discussing family trauma is stigmatized, and when left unresolved, trauma manifests in dysfunction that is inherited by the next generation. I invite viewers to interact with my work and think about their own experiences in tandem. The narrative progresses and regresses in a nonlinear way to reflect the true process of healing. I created this book not only to document and spark discussion about difficult and painful familial relationships, but also to reconcile my own experiences in an act of catharsis. Topics such as parent/child relationships, domestic abuse, mourning, and diaspora are addressed.
Three generations of my family’s history are recounted through interviews, poetry, photos, and paintings. My book exposes and chronicles intergenerational trauma within my Chinese American family.