By Jaelon Jackson
School of Social Work
Dr. Saltanat Childress, UTA School of Social Work associate professor, poses for an official photo.
A University of Texas at Arlington social work researcher is shedding new light on the often-overlooked experiences of Central Asian immigrants and Ukrainian refugees as they navigate life in the United States.
Dr. Saltanat Childress, assistant professor in UTA’s School of Social Work, has led a series of qualitative studies exploring how families adapt to new cultural norms, shifting gender roles, and changes in professional identity while rebuilding their lives.
“For many Central Asian men, there’s a real sense of loss around their role as primary providers,” Childress said. “That loss of status can affect their ability to acculturate. At the same time, many women described finding new opportunities for self-expression, education, and financial independence.”
The research also found that younger generations were generally more adaptable, while older immigrants often struggled to reconcile established traditions with American social and cultural expectations. Among Central Asian families, parents expressed concern that children, particularly girls, might become “too liberal” under American gender norms in schools.
For Ukrainian refugees, displacement brought distinct challenges, including grief over leaving family behind and heightened mental health struggles such as depression and uncertainty about the future.
“This study is important because it extends the existing literature to smaller but growing immigrant populations in the U.S.,” Childress said. “It opens up insights based on their own narratives and highlights both unmet needs and the ways families create opportunities to flourish.”
The findings, recently published in peer-reviewed journals including Families in Society and Children and Youth Services Review, underscore the importance of culturally aware support systems. Childress said schools, nonprofits, public health organizations, and law enforcement agencies can all benefit from the research to better serve immigrant and refugee populations.
Nibedita Shrestha (right), UTA School of Social Work graduate accepting award from Dr. Saltanat Childress (left), UTA School of Social Work associate professor
Childress also praised the contributions of graduate student researcher Nibedita Shrestha, who was named UTA’s Distinguished Graduate Student Employee of the Year. “She brings enormous dedication and insight to this work,” Childress said. “Her contributions have been critical in analyzing these very complex narratives.”
Childress said the project has not only broadened scholarly understanding of immigrant adaptation but also reinforced his commitment to community-based, participatory research. “Social work is a discipline grounded in service and relationships,” he said. “By listening closely to these communities, we can help shape institutions that respond more effectively to their needs.”