Gay Immigrants Research Articles

Revisiting the Prevalence of Unhealthy Alcohol Use Among Ethnic Minority Immigrant Gay, Bisexual Men, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in North America: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Unhealthy alcohol use is a significant public health concern among ethnic minority immigrant gay, bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in North America. The definition of unhealthy alcohol use is any use that increases the risk of health consequences or has already led to negative health consequences. Despite its association with various health problems, this issue remains understudied in this population. Therefore, we aim to synthesize key findings to provide the prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use and related factors among this population in North America. We conducted a comprehensive literature search in multiple scientific databases to identify studies on alcohol use among ethnic minority immigrant GBMSM. Using random-effect modeling strategies, we aggregate and weigh the individual estimates, providing a pooled prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use within this population. Our review included 20 articles with 2971 participants (i.e., 53% were Latino, 45% were Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 2% were African). The meta-analysis revealed that 64% (95% CI 0.50, 0.78) of the participants reported recent alcohol use, while 44% (95% CI 0.30, 0.59) engaged in unhealthy alcohol use. Co-occurring health issues identified in the studies are other substance use (32%; 95% CI 0.21, 0.45), positive HIV status (39%; 95% CI 0.14, 0.67), and mental health issues (39%; 95% CI 0.21, 0.58). We also identified several factors associated with unhealthy alcohol use, including risky sexual behaviors, experiences of discrimination based on race and sexual orientation, and experiences of abuse. However, meta-regression results revealed no statistically significant associations between alcohol use and co-occurring health problems. This is the first study to systematically review unhealthy alcohol use among ethnic minority immigrant GBMSM. Despite the high burden of alcohol use, there is a dearth of research among Asian and African GBMSM. Our findings underscore the need for more research in these groups and provide insights to inform targeted clinical prevention and early intervention strategies to mitigate the adverse consequences of unhealthy alcohol use among ethnic minority immigrant GBMSM.

Employment of trauma informed principles in the Palabras Fuertes project: Implications for narrative research with older Latinx communities.

In the US, there is a growing number of older Latinx communities. Qualitative approaches such as narrative inquiry may be fruitful endeavors to elucidate their lived experiences. However, older Latinx communities, including sexual minorities, are disproportionately exposed to social, health, and historical challenges that may result in exposure to potentially traumatic events (e.g. discrimination, illness, grief, etc.). The recognition of high rates of exposure to potentially traumatic events among participants has led to the recommended adoption of Trauma Informed (TI) principles for use in non-trauma specific research. At present, there are limited examples and discussions about the implementation of TI principles in qualitative research and our literature review yielded no discussion of the use of TI principles in narrative inquiry or with older Latinx communities. In this manuscript, we advocate for the adoption of TI principles when engaging in narrative inquiry with older Latinx adults. Second, we discuss examples of TI guided practices we employed while conducting the Palabras Fuertes study of life history narratives with older Latino immigrant gay men living in New York City. Finally, based on these experiences, we provide recommendations for incorporating TI into future narrative research with older Latinx communities.

A case of ‘de-immigrantization’: when sexual minority individuals lose immigrant status

Individuals generally hold multiple, and sometimes stereotypically contrasted, group memberships which may change depending on uncontrollable contextual factors. For instance, if someone is a foreigner, there exist certain social stereotypes regarding their nationality which may influence others’ conceptualizations. However, how might an intersection of memberships, such as being both foreign and gay, affect natives’ perceptions of them when these stereotypes may not converge? Across four experiments, the stereotypes attributed to generalized and specific groups were examined to better understand intersectional prototypicalities. Results indicated certain cases in which immigrants may be “de-immigrantized”, or, perceived as less stereotypically immigrant. More specifically, Portuguese participants viewed gay immigrants as less prototypically immigrant, but did not view lesbian immigrants as less prototypically immigrant, bringing into question the complexity of double minority conceptualizations. Additionally, individuals from nationalities with a higher perceived percentage of gays or lesbians in their population (e.g., Brazil and France) were generally viewed as less prototypically immigrant than individuals from nationalities with a lower perceived percentage of gays or lesbians in their population (e.g., India and Japan). Conclusions provide support for intersectional theories and yield additional insights into the categorization of multiple minority groups on the basis of sexuality and nationality.

Attachment and Emotion Regulation: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Iranian and Dutch Gay Men

ABSTRACT Negative beliefs and stigmatization of all that is not heterosexual still have an adverse impact on the mental health of the homosexual population in many countries. The purpose of the present study was to comparatively assess how sociocultural differences regarding the level of homosexuality acceptance impact the adult attachment dimensions and emotion regulation strategies among three groups of Iranian and Dutch gay men. A community sample of 124 gay men (40 of Iranians residing in their home country, 41 of Iranians immigrated to the Netherlands and 43 Dutch) participated in the study and completed Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS) and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). MANOVA and follow-up post-hoc Tukey tests were conducted in order to analyze the data. Results demonstrated a noticeable difference in both studied variables, attachment dimensions (close, anxiety, and depend) and emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), among the three groups of participants. As the Iranian (residing in Iran) group showed the greatest levels of anxiety and emotional suppression with the lowest levels of close (convenience of getting intimate to others), depend (trust and depend on others to be availabale when needed) and cognitive reappraisal (ability to alter the emotion caused by an event, before experiencing it by reinterpreting the situation), while the highest levels of depend, close and cognitive reappraisal and the lowest levels of anxiety and emotional suppression were seen in the Dutch group. Finally, Iranian gay immigrants came half way between. This data highlights the role of cultural differences in terms of homosexuality acceptance or stigmatization, in the way gay men exhibit their attachment and manage their emotions either by reappraisal or suppression. Comparative cross-cultural studies are possibly able to open paths to new research on psychological factors of non-heterosexuals in different countries with various cultures and religions.

Fighting for inclusion across borders: Latin American Trans women’s health in Canada

Background Worldwide, Trans women from Latin America experience some of the highest rates of violence, which has led many to emigrate. There is limited research exploring the experiences of Trans migrants, and most LGBTQI2S + migrant research focuses on immigrant gay men. This study uses the frameworks of Intersectionality and the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) to examine the impact of migration on the health and wellbeing of Latin American Trans women living in Toronto, Canada. Methodology: This qualitative arts-based study included nine participants and used hand mapping, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and focus groups to generate data. Data analysis encompassed inductive and deductive approaches and rigor was maintained through reflexivity and several verification strategies. Results While migration was used as a safety strategy, participants’ multiple identities as immigrants, Trans women, and Latinas, produced compounded experiences of oppression post-migration. Facing transphobia and xenophobia simultaneously, participants were forced to navigate precarious housing and employment, minimal social capital, and low social position. This limited their ability to exercise power and ultimately caused poor health and wellbeing post-migration; however, participants used sophisticated strategies to resist asymmetrical power relations, actively searching for safety and community participation, and caring for themselves and each other. Conclusion The participants fought for inclusion across borders of economic exclusion and gender identity, borders of power and social position, as well as geopolitical borders. Their intersectional experiences across these “borders” should be understood in the context of migration without liberation, consumption without income, compounding oppressions, as well as positive intersectionality. While the women’s resistance and strength are positive by-products of fighting oppression, they cannot be the solution. Access to health and wellbeing should not be a privilege for some; it must be a right for all.

Gay immigrants in Quebec facing homophobia: Opportunities, constraints and implications for their well-being

Le but de cet article est de decrire les possibilites et contraintes avec lesquelles des hommes immigrants gais de 20 a 35 ans vivant au Quebec (Canada) composent pour faire face a l’homophobie et a l’heterosexisme en contexte post-migratoire, et ce, en considerant leurs experiences liees a l’homophobie et a l’expression de leur orientation sexuelle, ainsi qu’aux implications pour leur bien-etre. Les temoignages des 25 participants de notre etude qualitative revelent qu’ils estiment avoir acquis des possibilites pour exprimer leur orientation sexuelle en immigrant au Quebec, mais qu’ils demeurent affectes par les effets plus ou moins insidieux de l’homophobie et de l’heterosexisme. Pour y faire face, ils deploient trois principales strategies : tenter d’echapper a l’identification comme gai ; veiller a demeurer dans un environnement social exempt d’homophobie ; et s’efforcer d’etre accepte en depit de normes heterosexistes. Les implications pour leur bien-etre sont egalement discutees.

"Fewer but not weaker": Understanding the intersectional identities among Chinese immigrant young gay men in Toronto.

Sexual minorities of color in North America are frequently defined as a "double minority" group. Intersectionality theory has inspired investigations into how different forms of marginalization intersect to shape the lives of people with multiple minority statuses. In this constructivist grounded theory study, 18 Chinese immigrant gay men between 18 and 28 years of age participated in a semistructured individual interview to narrate their lived experiences in relation to their intersectional identities. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through a constant comparative method. Several themes emerged from the data. First, study participants perceived their sexual identity as either compatible with or irrelevant to their cultural identity and did not experience negotiating conflicts between their sexual and cultural identities. Second, the intersectionality was context-specific. Study participants experienced a certain form of marginalization in the contexts of disclosing their gay identity and finding a dating partner within a gay community. Third, participants considered the label double minority oversimplified and derogatory. They emphasized that their daily lives were in a complex power structure that was constituted by more than two identity categories. The marginalization based on their ethnic and sexual identities weighed differently and should not be understood as simple math. Last, despite carrying the status of minority, these gay men indicated that their intersectional identities served as a source of social support. This study contributes to the knowledge base around intersectionality by uncovering its qualitative nuance and bringing to light its contextual specificity. Practice, policy, and research implications are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Lesbian and Gay Immigrants' Post-Migration Experiences: An Integrative Literature Review

ABSTRACTThis integrative literature review synthesizes recent empirical knowledge about lesbian and gay immigrants' post-migration experiences. Twenty-four studies with various designs are included. The literature shows that those immigrants encounter some opportunities but also many challenges on economical, social and identity levels, thus soliciting coping strategies. Results are synthesized under five topics: the delicate situation in which they find themselves for revealing their lesbian or gay sexual orientation; the racist and homophobic discrimination they can experience; their renegotiation of socioeconomic status; the identity and affiliation challenges they have to overcome; and the hardships that can impact their health.

Queer-friendly nation? The experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada

In the past decade, the People’s Republic of China has become the leading source country of immigrants to Canada. However, little is known about the experience of Chinese gay immigrants in Canada. Using narratives collected through a qualitative study, we show the way in which Chinese gay men construct their experience of immigration in Canada. Unlike the national discourse that claims Canada is a friendly nation for members of the LGBTTQ community, the experiences of Chinese gay immigration present a different story. As racialised gay men, they continue to be subjected to social violence in Canada – albeit differently from what they experienced in China. The analysis demonstrates the complexity of social marginalisation experienced by these men, the understanding of which is essential for social workers to engage in practice with them that is socially transformative.

Border crossings and shifting sexualities among Mexican gay immigrant men: Beyond monolithic conceptions

This article describes patterns of interpretation and practice of same-sex desires pre- and post-migration among self-identified gay and bisexual Mexican immigrant men to the USA. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 80 such men, we argue that, contrary to stereotypes, their pre-migration interpretations and practices are considerably diverse and not solely informed by highly gendered understandings and styles of sexual interaction between men. After migration, some shift their interpretations and practices considerably, while others retain those that informed their sexualities pre-migration, either adapting them to their new sexual contexts or resisting any changes. These findings, which reveal the complexity and diversity of sexual interpretations among immigrant gay and bisexual men, pose a challenge to proposed systems of classifying same-sex desires as well as to conventional understandings of the impact of international migration on gay sexuality.

Immigrant sexual citizenship: intersectional templates among Mexican gay immigrants to the USA

Existing literature on sexual citizenship has emphasized the sexuality-related claims of de jure citizens of nation-states, generally ignoring immigrants. Conversely, the literature on immigration rarely attends to the salience of sexual issues in understanding the social incorporation of migrants. This article seeks to fill the gap by theorizing and analyzing immigrant sexual citizenship. While some scholars of sexual citizenship have focused on the rights and recognition granted formally by the nation-state and others have stressed more diffuse, cultural perceptions of community and local belonging, we argue that the lived experiences of immigrant sexual citizenship call for multiscalar scrutiny of templates and practices of citizenship that bridge national policies with local connections. Analysis of ethnographic data from a study of 76 Mexican gay and bisexual male immigrants to San Diego, California, reveals the specific citizenship templates that these men encounter as they negotiate their intersecting social statuses as gay/bisexual and as immigrants (legal or undocumented); these include an ‘asylum’ template, a ‘rights’ template, and a ‘local attachments’ template. However, the complications of their intersecting identities constrain their capacity to claim immigrant sexual citizenship. The study underscores the importance of both intersectional and multiscalar approaches in research on citizenship as social practice.

Latino, Immigrant, and Gay: A Qualitative Study About Their Adaptation and Transitions

The purpose of this study was to identify the individual and contextual factors affecting the adaptation and transition of Latino immigrant gay men. Eleven self-identified Latino immigrant gay men volunteered to participate in individual face-to-face semistructured interviews. Through thematic analysis, four major themes emerged from the data. The themes included reasons for immigrating, cultural values regarding sexual orientation, access to health care, and discrimination and coping. Themes are interpreted within an ecological theoretical framework. Implications for theory development, practice, and future research are discussed.

Making masculinity: Negotiations of gender presentation among Latino gay men

Many studies of masculinity examine the experiences of White men, men of color and White gay men, but often do not incorporate the experiences of gay men of color. This study builds on recent work on Latino gay immigrants by focusing on the experiences of US-born Latino gay men, who have received relatively scant attention by researchers. Drawing from ethnographic findings of gay Latino social circles, this study examines how gay Latino men negotiate boundaries of masculinity. These men employ specific strategies when “doing” masculinity, which in turn are shaped by their racialization as Latinos within the US context, their gendered socialization within their immigrant family, and feelings of exclusion from mainstream gay spaces. These findings have implications for better understanding and addressing racial and class schisms within the larger LGBT movement.

SAME SEX, DIFFERENT RIGHTS: AMENDING U.S. IMMIGRATION LAW TO RECOGNIZE SAME‐SEX PARTNERS OF REFUGEES AND ASYLEES

Overcoming a long history of anti‐gay sentiment preserved in federal immigration law, the United States has made admirable advances during the past two decades in the protection it affords gay immigrants. Despite this promising progress, and in contrast to the practices of all other industrialized democracies, the United States remains firm in its refusal to federally recognize any form of same‐sex partnership, a decision which bears directly on those relationships considered valid for immigration purposes. The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) represents the closest any proposed legislation has come to successfully granting immigration rights to gay immigrants. However, through its restrictive provisions, the UAFA fails to fully account for the needs of refugees, asylees, and their same‐sex partners. This Note argues that, while the UAFA is a step in the right direction, it does not go far enough to protect gay refugees and asylees. It further proposes that legislation be enacted which provides this unique segment of the immigrant population the opportunity to share their lives together, free from fear of persecution. It advocates for the use of the conjugal partner provision set out in Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act as a template for changes to U.S. immigration law, thereby expanding the category of relationships viewed as valid for the purpose of immigration.

A Gay Immigrant Student's Perspective: Unspeakable Acts in the Language Class

This article focuses on a subset of the student cohort that has, until recently, been largely hidden from view in the literature of language education: gay immigrants. Little is known about what sorts of classroom experiences gay immigrant students find engaging or alienating, or why this sort of knowledge is needed. This case study uses interview excerpts to examine self‐accounts of three classroom interactions that were significant to Pablo (a pseudonym), a 25‐year‐old gay man from Mexico studying English at a community college in the United States. The analysis takes into account Pablo's premigration experiences, together with relevant literature on second language socialisation, sexual migration, and gay language learners. By tracing Pablo's responses to the shutting down of gay themes, the presumption of heterosexuality, and the potential risks of signalling a gay identity, the analysis shows how gay topics and perspectives are constructed as unspeakable in the language classroom. The findings indicate that it can be difficult for gay immigrant (and international) students to establish communicative legitimacy in the language classroom, which can restrict learning opportunities. The classroom challenges that gay immigrants encounter—and the identity savvy they require—yield useful insights about language teaching in this age of mass migration.

Update on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) mental health

This workshop will focus on diagnostic and clinical issues in the treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) patients. Dr. Carrion, a Puerto Rican will speak on the role of coping, social support, temperament and subjective stress on posttraumatic symptoms, using “Coming-Out” or integration of a LGBT sexual orientation. He will discuss findings from a cohort of children who have experienced interpersonal violence and develop posttraumatic symptoms. Temperament will be discussed as a potential mediator and coping style as a moderator of posttraumatic symptoms. Dr. Garza, a Mexican American will describe concepts of gender identity and gender roles, and what role psychiatry has played in this area and how it may become a source of support for individuals struggling with gender dysphoria. Dr. Navarro-Barrios from Granada, Spain will speak about transcultural psychiatry and immigrant gay men. Transcultural psychiatry emphasizes the relation that exists between the culture of the subject, and the different presentation of the mental pathology. He will emphasizes the application of transcultural model in therapy with the immigrant gay subjects. Dr. Nakajima, a Japanese American will discuss problematic diagnoses related to homosexuality in ICD-10 like ego dystonic sexual orientation, and the drive to eliminate these diagnoses in ICD-11.

A Korean Gay Man in the United States:

An increasing number of Koreans are immigrating to the U.S. Little information exists for human service professionals to draw from to help Korean gay men adjust to living in America. This discussion provides a historical overview of homosexuality in Korea with insights into contemporary Korean culture. An interview with a young Korean gay man living in the U.S. illustrates the concerns and problems these men experience as they struggle to adapt to gay life in this country. Racism from the gay community and alienation from the Korean American community are salient characteristics of the problems experienced by Korean gay immigrants. To better serve the needs of these men, helping professionals must develop relationships based on trust and friendship, understand Korean attitudes toward homosexuality, and be knowledgeable of how Confucian gender ideology influences same sex relationships involving Korean gay men living in this country.