Immigrant Communities Research Articles

Adapting a transdiagnostic digital mental health intervention for use among immigrant and refugee youth in Seattle: a human-centered design approach.

Digital mental health interventions show promise in addressing mental health needs, especially among youth and marginalized communities. This study adapted the World Health Organization -developed STARS (Sustainable Technology for Adolescents to Reduce Stress) digital mental health intervention for use among youth and young adults aged 14-25 from immigrant and refugee communities in Seattle, Washington. Human-centered design methods centered around qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to contextually and culturally adapt the intervention and prioritize the needs and preferences of the intended end user. Intervention prototypes were modified and then presented to the target groups in iterative cycles until saturation was achieved. Qualitative interviews occurred in three iterations of five participants each. Modifications were documented according to the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Expanded (FRAME) implementation science framework. Modifications aligned with the FRAME process elements: (a) tailoring/refining, which included adapting language to less resemble digital phishing scams; (b) changes in packaging or materials, which included naming the chatbot and adopting a corresponding avatar; (c) adding/removing, which included changing existing emojis and adding additional media types including graphics interchange format images, pictures, and voice memos; (d) shortening/condensing, which included shortening the length of individual text sections as well as deleting redundant language; (e) lengthening/extending, which included allowing the user to choose to receive content catered to teenagers or to adults; and (f) loosening structure, including giving users options to skip parts of modules or to engage with additional material. The modified STARS intervention shows promise for engagement with immigrant and refugee youth in Seattle and can be examined for clinical effectiveness. Adaptations increased the relevance of content to the intended end user, expanded options for personalization and customization of the user experience, and utilized language that was age appropriate, engaging, and did not invoke feelings of stigma or distrust. Adaptations of digital mental health interventions should focus on modifications that maximize acceptability and appropriateness to intended audiences.

Building a mosque. Reification and situated learning at the core of an immigrant community of practice

ABSTRACT This paper presents partial results of a broader investigation and focuses on describing a process of reification that took place at the heart of an immigrant community in Sant Mateu (Castelló, Spain), and that crystallised through the construction and management of a mosque. The theoretical framework draws on social learning theories, with a particular focus on situated learning and communities of practice. Regarding the method, the study follows an ethnographic, qualitative approach. We present the fieldwork procedures (participatory observation, interviews and focus groups) and analytical procedures (content analysis) followed in the research. The results recount the process this immigrant community followed to build the mosque, and the meanings for the community of the process followed and its culmination. Finally, the discussion and conclusions characterise this immigrant community as a community of practice where situated learning processes arise.

Cultural Acculturation: Forms, Processes, and Communication Strategies in Multicultural Families in Central Sulawesi

Diversity in diversity, but still one, has become the founding oath of the Indonesian nation so it must be avoided from cracks, let alone riots triggered by weak cultural acculturation. This study aims to describe the forms, processes, and communication strategies of immigrant communities who are culturally acculturated with indigenous people in Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. With a qualitative approach, this type of research is a document study on acculturation of multicultural cultures and a study of centralized interviews with informants from ethnic groups in Central Sulawesi Province, namely Javanese, Kaili, Touna, Toli-toli, and Bugis. For this reason, the source of data is in the form of text documents as evidence of published cultural acculturation, as well as information from the interview process. Simultaneously with data collection, content analysis was carried out on verbal data presented in a descriptive-qualitative manner. The results showed that the cultural acculturation of ethnic-ethnic multicultural communities in Central Sulawesi Province took the form of social gatherings (family gatherings, clan gatherings, and cultural arts performances) with a family communication process (multilingual, namely Indonesian and regional languages, as well as media) that utilized strategies cross-promotional communication (introduction, engagement, and marriage). Thus it can be concluded that acculturation of multicultural family culture in Central Sulawesi Province can be carried out by forming a new (multicultural) family. As a demographic implication, inter-ethnic differences still exist, but the formation of new cross-ethnic families can support the unity of multicultural society so that peace and harmony among citizens in Central Sulawesi is more humane

Familism values and psychological adjustment of Latinx adolescents in an emerging immigrant community: A five wave longitudinal study.

This study examined the relations between normative developmental changes of familism values and later internalizing and externalizing behaviors in Latinx adolescents from an emerging immigrant community. The sample included 547 Latinx adolescents (55.4% female; baseline Mage = 12.80; SD = 1.03) residing in the Southeastern United States. Results from latent growth models indicated that higher initial levels of familism values (intercept) and slower declines (slope) in familism values across adolescence predicted lower internalizing and externalizing behaviors at a later time. These associations generalized across adolescent gender (boys and girls) and ethnic background (Mexican-origin vs. other Latinx-origin). This work highlights the impact of variation in normative developmental changes in familism values on adjustment among Latinx adolescents in an emerging immigrant community context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Interpersonal Communication Patterns in Creating Interreligious Tolerance in Parapat Village, Simalungun District

Interpersonal communication will never be separated from humans with cultural or religious backgrounds, if communication cannot work effectively then conflicts can arise between community groups. So that this does not happen, it is necessary to instill mutual tolerance. The focus of the problem in this research is how the patterns of interpersonal communication in creating tolerance between religious communities in Parapat Sub-District, Simalungun Regency and whether there are obstacles to patterns of interpersonal communication in creating inter-religious tolerance in Parapat Sub-District, Simalungun Regency. This research uses a qualitative type of descriptive approach. The subjects in this study are people who live in Parapat Village, Simalungun Regency, in this case I took 6 residents using a purposive technique, namely with predetermined criteria. The theory used in this study is social penetration and self-disclosure. Which this theory explains how the process of relating to other people and self-disclosure in order to establish good interactions and avoid misunderstandings. The results of this study indicate that the communication pattern used in Parapat Village is an interactional communication pattern or a reciprocal relationship in communication. Obstacles Patterns of interpersonal communication in Parapat Village are language and habitual barriers felt by immigrant communities. But so far the community has been able to overcome it by interacting properly and using language that has been agreed beforehand.

IMMIGRANTS NEED CITIZENSHIP – THE ROLE OF ALMADA MUNDO ASSOCIATION

Migration is a human right enshrined in article 13 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which reads “every human being has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to it” (UN, 1948). The positive effects of migration have recently been highlighted, both for the countries of origin and destination, as well as for the migrants themselves. In 2005, migration was named the central challenge of the century by the United Nations Global Commission on International Migration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN, 2015a). All signatory countries must empower vulnerable groups, recognize the positive contribution of migrants to sustainable growth and inclusive development. In turn, the European Union, in the European Consensus for Development (2017), aligned with that imposing to “Member States to promote dignity and resilience of displaced people and their inclusion in the economic and social life of host countries and communities”. Portugal has already committed itself to developing suitable policies for the social integration of the immigrant community, with a focus on culture and language, education and employment, and professional qualification, as stated in the Council of Ministers Resolution No. 12-B/2015. Despite all of the laws in place, the Almada Mundo Association's experience suggests that few people will be able to meet the international and national goals on a local level. In this article, we highlight the constraints being still faced by immigrants residing in Almada accessing citizenship, through the content analysis of their testimonies, taken through semi-structured interviews.

Prenatal Care Utilization Challenges and Facilitators for a Growing Latino Community in the Midwest.

Latina women are less likely to start prenatal care in the first trimester and to attend the recommended amount of prenatal visits compared to their non-Latina white counterparts. This study aimed to assess challenges and facilitators to first-trimester prenatal care (FTPNC) and prenatal care utilization (PNCU) in a Midwestern urban area with a growing immigrant Latino community. This study used a mixed-method approach based on the Theoretical Domains Framework. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals that worked in birth centers, clinics, or hospitals that provided prenatal care (PNC) services for Latina women. Eight focus groups and quantitative surveys were conducted with Latina women and their supporters in Kansas City metropolitan area. FTPNC was challenged by women's immigrant status, lack of healthcare coverage due to immigrant status, and complexity of Medicaid application. PNCU was challenged by the cost of PNC when diagnosed with gestational diabetes, lack of healthcare coverage, PNC literacy, late access to gynecologists/obstetricians, inadequate interpretation services, transportation, and mental health distress. Meanwhile, FTPNC was facilitated by social support and connectedness. PNCU was facilitated by Spanish-proficient providers and interpreters, effective nonverbal communication and education techniques, and pregnancy prevention access and education. Results from this study highlight important targets to improve PNC for Latina women. Participants called for various types of support to address identified challenges, ranging from information on social media about PNC services to broader efforts such as building trust from the community toward PNC providers and making PNC services affordable for women with gestational diabetes.

Migration Policies and Immigrants’ Language Acquisition in EU‐15: Evidence from Twitter

AbstractIn response to the increasingly complex and heterogeneous immigrant communities settling in Europe, European countries have adopted various civic integration measures. Measures aiming to facilitate language acquisition are considered crucial for integration and cooperation between immigrants and natives. Simultaneously, the rapid expansion of social media usage is believed to change the factors affecting immigrants’ language acquisition. However, only a few previous studies have analyzed whether this is the case. This article uses a novel longitudinal data source derived from Twitter to (1) analyze differences in the pace of immigrants’ language acquisition depending on the migration policies of destination countries and (2) study how the relative sizes of the migrant groups in destination countries, and the linguistic and geographical distances between origin and destination countries, are associated with language acquisition. Results show that immigrants who live in countries with strict language acquisition requirements for immigrants and conservative citizenship policies have the highest median times until language acquisition. Based on Twitter data, we also find that language acquisition is associated with classic explanatory variables, such as the size of the immigrant group in the destination country and the linguistic and geographical distance between origin and destination country similar to the previous studies.

The effects of family and community in US immigration news

ABSTRACT Events about community and family separation at the US-Mexico border have been a regular feature of immigration news in the last several years. How do cues of community integration and family impact support for an undocumented immigrant? This study presents results from a web-based survey experiment fielded in 2022 in which White respondents read a news story about an undocumented adult that migrated to the US with two characteristics manipulated: (1) being an integrated member of the community or not and (2) arriving with a child or not. Results suggest that community integration leads to higher levels of support, while arriving with a child does not seem to impact support on the same level. Additionally, this study finds that support for the accompanying child is significantly higher than for the adult. These findings are discussed as they relate to immigration news representation, community integration, assimilation, and family migration.

A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis of the Interrelations among Exclusionary Immigration Policy, Ethnic Identity, and Self-Esteem of Latinx Early Adolescents

Little is known about how exclusionary immigration laws affect ethnic identity and self-esteem among Latinx middle school students. Arizona’s SB 1070, which required local officers to verify the legal status of detained individuals, garnered national attention for its impact on immigrant and Latinx communities. This study tested a longitudinal parallel multiple mediation model where perceptions of the effects of an exclusionary immigration law (Arizona’s SB 1070) on self-esteem were mediated by dimensions of ethnic identity (ethnic centrality, ethnic private regard, ethnic public regard). Data were collected from a two-wave survey of 891 early adolescents ranging in age from 10 to 14 years (M = 12.09 years; SD = 0.99), a majority (71%) of whom were of Mexican descent. Analyses revealed an indirect effect of T1 perceptions of this law on T2 self-esteem (7 months later), holding T1 measures constant, with T2 ethnic centrality, private regard, and public regard acting as mediators. Perceived effects of this exclusionary law led to increased self-esteem through increased dimensions of ethnic identity. Results reveal how ethnic identity functions as a multidimensional construct in the process through which exclusionary immigration policy may impact the self-esteem of Latinx early adolescents.

Pandemic Politics: Immigration, Framing, and Covid-19

AbstractThe covid-19 pandemic has revived a longstanding, and understudied, trope in American politics: the association of immigrants with disease. There has been a great deal of scholarship on the economic, cultural, and criminal threat frames attached to immigrant groups in media coverage, but little to date has specifically examined how national and local sources have framed covid-19 in the context of immigrant communities. In this paper we analyze the prevalence of two different framings of the pandemic in national and local online news outlets over the first year of the pandemic: immigration as a public health threat to the nation, and covid-19 as a threat to immigrant communities within the nation. We find significant differences between national and local coverage, with the former more likely to frame immigration as a covid-19 threat, while local news outlets were more likely to discuss the threat the virus posed to already marginalized immigrant communities.

A Needs Assessment of Older Bangladeshi Immigrants in New York During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Though immigrants from Bangladesh are a fast-growing and under-resourced immigrant community in the United States, little has been studied about their overall health and social needs. Older immigrant adults from Bangladesh are at increased risk for adverse effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, as they have existing risk factors for isolation including language barriers and more recent immigration. This study examined measures of health and connectedness amongst 297 South Asian adults in New York City who were 60 years or older using a phone-based survey instrument. Surveys were conducted from August 2021 to April 2022. We found that immigrants from Bangladesh were more likely to report a higher effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on financial and food insecurity and faced significantly higher levels of loneliness than South Asian immigrants from other countries. Our findings suggest that older immigrants from Bangladesh disproportionally face social isolation compared to older immigrants from other South Asian countries and our study encourages further research and intervention for this immigrant subgroup.

Hands-on-ground in a new country: a community-based participatory evaluation with immigrant communities in Southern Alberta.

Immigrants experience a high risk of mental health deterioration following settlement in Canada. Immigrant communities benefit from health-promoting interventions that stimulate social inclusion and belonging as protective factors. In this context, community gardens have been recognized as interventions that promote healthy behaviours, place attachment and belonging.This article summarizes our experience conducting a community-based participatory evaluation (CBPE), engaging community stakeholders in planning, implementing and evaluating a community garden for immigrants. We conducted a CBPE to provide relevant and timely feedback to inform programme adaptation and development. Participants, interpreters and organizers were engaged through surveys, focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Participants expressed a range of motivations, benefits, challenges and recommendations. The garden was a place that fostered learning and promoted healthy behaviours, including physical activity and socialization. However, there were challenges in organization and communication with participants. Findings were used to adapt the activities to immigrants' needs and expand the programming of collaborating organizations. Stakeholder engagement facilitated capacity building and direct use of findings. This approach may catalyse sustainable community action with immigrant communities.

Use of Adolescent "Community Researchers" to Address Obesity Among Mexican Immigrant Families.

Background: Mexican-American immigrants have a disparate prevalence of overweight/obesity, and obesogenic illness. One approach is to train immigrant adolescents as "community researchers." Aims: (1) Design a program to train community researchers to address obesity among Mexican immigrant families and (2) identify the key components of a successful program. Methods: The content included an overview of community research/citizen science; obesity and food insecurity; study design and data collection and analysis for nutrition and physical activity. The students concluded by analyzing the results of group concept mapping (GCM) activities. Results: Post-session class discussions reflected an increased understanding of weekly topics. Analysis of GCM data suggests that members of the Mexican immigrant community may use emotional eating as a way to manage structural stigma, eventually leading to truncal obesity, T2DM and increased cardiovascular risk. Conclusions: Adolescents of Mexican heritage can have a major impact in promoting healthy lifestyles in their communities.

Changes in Students’ Attitudes Toward Service Learning and Immigrants/Refugees in the U.S.: Insights from Comparing First Year Learning Communities

This study analyzes attitudes that first year students from three different learning communities (LCs) had about service learning in general and their actual placement with a West African refugee and immigrant community in particular. Similar to other studies, we found that students who spent more hours engaging with West African refugees and/or immigrants were more likely to support including service learning in the curriculum. Importantly, this research adds to the pedagogical discourse around service learning by revealing that the LC, and by extension, the professor(s),were even more important than the number of completed hours. Students in onlyone LC overwhelmingly agreed that the service learning hours made them more aware of their own biases, helped them develop problem-solving skills, and made them see how the subject matter of their LC is relevant to real life. Our analysis shows that this statistically significant difference is explained by how well service learning hours were integrated in the LCs (e.g., percentage of the grade assigned to the experiential hours, number and type of reflective assignments) and the degree professors were (not) part of the actual experiential hours. Hence, this study makes explicit that service learning courses are most likely to have the intended outcome when experiential hours are an integral and important part of the class; moreover, this study demonstrates the crucial role of the instructor(s) in this process.@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:swiss;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073786111 1 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:Cambria;panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}

Nilai-Nilai Motif Songket Bengkalis Dalam Perspektif Pendidikan

Bengkalis is also one of the districts with quite a lot of immigrant communities as a result of which there is a lot of cultural mixing. And there are not a few people who follow the culture brought by migrants, so that it can trigger the songket weaving craft to be less appreciated by the local community. This research will discuss 5 songket weaving motifs which are quite familiar among the people, especially the people of Bengkalis. Which aims to find out what educational values are contained in it. The research method used is descriptive qualitative method. Data collection techniques used in this research are observation, interviews and literature or documentation studies. While the selection of informants using purposive sampling technique. The Bengkalis Malay songket woven fabric has a variety of woven motifs or patterns ranging from flora, fauna, nature and others. These motifs have meanings that describe how the perspective of human life. In Riau, it has four weaving centers, namely in Indragiri Hulu, Rokan Hilir, Bengkalis and Siak. Each of these areas has a different basic motive. In the Bengkalis area, there are about 90 typical Malay motifs. In this study, five motifs that are well known among the public will be discussed, namely the bamboo shoots, ducks returning home, sentorak, elbow clouds and ants along. Riau Malay woven fabric is a fabric made by the handicrafts of the Malay people, which is done by the process of weaving threads interspersed with woven gold or silver threads with a certain variety of woven motifs or patterns. The variety of motifs and patterns of woven fabrics in Bengkalis is very diverse. And in each of these motifs there is a very close relationship between humans and nature, both animals and plants. For the Malays, the pattern is not only a mere decoration, but also used as a symbol or symbol that contains a certain meaning and philosophy which contains the noble values of the local culture

Racial Identity and Health Outcomes in an Emerging Latinx Immigrant Community

Racial Identity and Health Outcomes in an Emerging Latinx Immigrant Community

Multiculturalism between ideology and practice: Immigrant self-narrations of community activism in Toyota, Japan

ABSTRACT From 1990, a revised immigration law offered foreigners of Japanese descent (nikkei) the right to work for unlimited duration in Japan. Many nikkei came from Latin America to take on blue-collar jobs in the country’s factories. Homi Danchi, a working-class housing complex in Toyota, Japan, has since become known for its Brazilian immigrant community. Drawing on in-depth interviews, this study analyzes the self-narrated biographies of three Brazilian immigrants who actively participate in community activism in Homi. Applying Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice and his critique of the “biographical illusion,” this article examines how the abstract ideology of Japanese-style multiculturalism (tabunka kyōsei) is understood and practiced at a local level. It argues that our narrators’ practical desires to recreate multicultural community in Homi reapply abstract multicultural values to a local context, thereby implicitly acknowledging multiculturalism’s symbolic capital and limiting the extent of activism to Homi. Applying the symbolic capital of multiculturalism to everyday practice, in turn, makes activism meaningful and imagines a community of fellow actors, albeit to the exclusion of outsiders. Multiculturalism thereby becomes a question not primarily of coexistence, but of community-building. We also underline the role that narration of one’s own history plays in mediating between individual experience and community belonging, contributing to methodological debates about Bourdieu’s biographical method.

What is visible and invisible: the portrayal of dual language programs on school websites

Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) programs have expanded rapidly in a large Northeastern urban school district in the United States in recent years, but multilingual families, particularly those from immigrant backgrounds, receive limited information about program offerings from school websites. In this qualitative study, utilizing critical discourse analysis, 21 websites of district schools with DLBE programs were reviewed. Findings suggest there was limited information overall about DLBE offerings such as the program model, principles, and values on school websites, even in programs recognized as ‘district model programs’. More professionally done websites with vibrant photos, videos, and detailed information about bilingual education, in multiple languages, were most often found in gentrified communities, but the information was not tailored to the needs of low-income and immigrant communities and did not actively promote multilingualism. Most of the websites that did provide information about DLBE focused on cognitive, academic, and sociocultural goals rather than economic benefits and family and heritage connections which have been found to be attractive to immigrant parents. Using an equity lens, implications and recommendations for schools and policymakers are discussed.

WhatsApp-propriate? Exploring "WhatsApp" as a Tool for Research Among Ghanaian Immigrants in the United States.

African immigrants remain underrepresented in research due to challenges in recruitment. Mobile instant messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, present novel, and cost-effective opportunities for conducting health research across geographic and temporal distances, potentially mitigating the challenges of maintaining contact and engagement in research with migrant populations. Moreover, WhatsApp has been found to be commonly used by African immigrant communities. However, little is known about the acceptability and use of WhatsApp as a tool for health research among African immigrants in the US. In this study, we examine the acceptability and feasibility of WhatsApp as a tool for research among Ghanaian immigrants- a subset of the African immigrant population group. We used WhatsApp to recruit 40 participants for a qualitative interview about their use of the mobile messaging application. Three distinct themes related to the acceptability and feasibility of WhatsApp emerged from the interviews: (1) preference for using WhatsApp as a medium of communication; (2) positive perception of WhatsApp; and (3) preference for using WhatsApp for research. The findings indicate that for African immigrants in the US, WhatsApp is a preferred method for recruiting and collecting data. It remains a promising strategy to utilize in future research involving this population.