Immigration History Research Articles

Racial/ethnic differences in the associations between social support and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

BackgroundDespite the established link between social support and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, few studies have examined racial/ethnic variation in these associations. This study utilized data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) to investigate racial/ethnic differences in perceived social support and in the link between support and incident hard CVD events and mortality.MethodParticipants (N = 6,814) were 45–84 years of age who identified as White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Chinese without known clinical CVD at baseline (2000–2002). Racial/ethnic differences in perceived support (overall, emotional, informational, and instrumental) were tested using multiple regression with adjustments for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle/psychosocial, and clinical risk factors, and immigration history. Racial/ethnic differences in the association between perceived support and incident CVD events or mortality were tested using Cox proportional hazards models with progressive adjustments for the same covariates.ResultsAt baseline, the mean age was 62.15 years (SD = 10.23); 38.5% identified as White, 27.8% as Black, 22.0% as Hispanic/Latino, and 11.8% as Chinese. Black and Hispanic/Latino participants reported higher levels of overall support, emotional support, and informational support than White participants (p’s < 0.05). Chinese participants reported less informational support (p = .010) than White participants. Higher informational support was associated with decreased risk for hard CVD events. This association did not differ by race/ethnic group.ConclusionDespite racial/ethnic differences in perceptions of support, perceived informational support was protective against CVD for participants of all racial/ethnic backgrounds.

The contributions of past immigration to current age-sex structures of immigrant populations in Australia

Not all immigrant populations are the same. In this article, we decompose the age-sex structures of immigrant populations in Australia and its major cities in 2021 by periods of entry. The results show a wide array of differences among immigrant populations, as well as across major cities where the vast majority of immigrants reside. Not surprisingly, we find that immigrant groups with a longer history of immigration to Australia have a more varied age-sex profile than those with a shorter history. However, even within each immigrant group, we find substantial differences across cities that reflect the influences of policy and the preferences of the immigrants. By illustrating how historical immigration streams across areas in Australia have produced different population age-sex structures, we are able to better understand why they are different and what specific services they may require.

Adding Nativity, Citizenship, and Immigration Status to Health Monitoring and Survey Data.

Immigration status and related policies have a significant impact on health outcomes. Yet major national health surveys currently provide little or no information about immigration status, rendering subgroups of noncitizens largely invisible. Even measures of citizenship, nativity, country of birth, and years in the United States, which provide critical information about immigration history, are not consistently included in national data sets. The main objections to asking directly about immigration status are that (1) such questions are too stigmatizing, risking lower response rates and inaccurate responses; and (2) answering the questions may expose respondents to possible immigration or criminal consequences. Our analysis shows that these objections are unfounded or can be mitigated. National health surveys have evolved over the past decades to include questions about mental health, substance use, sexual orientation, and gender identity-topics once assumed to be too stigmatizing to ask about, with possible negative legal consequences. We argue that the time has come to obtain more detailed information about immigration status as well as to consistently include the measures of immigration history mentioned so that we can better evaluate the health consequences of immigrant-related policy choices. (Am J Public Health. 2025;115(1):75-82. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307867).

Will cultural diversity block the process of urbanization? — Empirical Study from the perspective of dialect

&lt;p&gt;Based on the data samples of 276 cities at prefecture level and above in China from 2000 to 2012, using dialect diversity as a proxy to measure cultural diversity, using random effect model, system generalized moment estimation, two-stage least square method and other methods, this paper conducted an empirical investigation on the impact of cultural diversity on China's urbanization for the first time. It is found that dialect diversity has a significant negative impact on urbanization rate; considering the possibility of missing variables, the influence of dialect diversity on urbanization rate is still significantly negative; after using the historical immigration as the instrumental variable of dialect diversity, this negative influence still exists, but the degree of influence has decreased. Therefore, the cultural variables represented by dialects are an important factor affecting the process of urbanization.&lt;/p&gt;

A IMIGRAÇÃO JAPONESA EM PORTO VELHO

This article aims to present the trajectory of Japanese immigrants to the Amazon region, more specifically to Porto Velho, Rondônia, at the beginning of the 20th century. This migration is analyzed as the result of a treaty signed between Brazil and Japan, considering the perspective of national interests on both sides. The article will examine the problems and difficulties faced by the families who arrived in the region, recount their history, and recognize the community's contribution to the city's development. The study seeks to contextualize the relationships between the governments involved, shedding light on issues relevant to contemporary debates about migratory rights in Brazil, the integration of foreign communities, and the fight against discrimination. This work presents accounts based on the commemorative edition celebrating 50 years of the September 13th Colony (1954-2004), provided by the Japanese-Brazilian Cultural Association of Rondônia-Nikkey. The methodology employed includes bibliographic procedures such as literature review, scientific articles, family accounts, normative interpretation, and reflective analysis. This research intends to contribute to the preservation of memory and the construction of a more complete and in-depth understanding of the history of Japanese immigration in Rondônia, thereby strengthening a more inclusive and plural society.

Anti-Black racism in Canadian health care: a qualitative study of diverse perceptions of racism and racial discrimination among Black adults in Montreal, Quebec

BackgroundRacism has been shown to impact the health of Black persons through its influence on health care, including its expression through implicit biases in provider training, attitudes, and behaviours. Less is known about the experiences of racism in contexts outside of the USA, and how race and racism interact with other social locations and systems of discrimination to shape Black patients’ experiences of racism in health care encounters. To help address this gap, this study examined diverse Black individuals’ perceived experiences of, and attitudes towards, anti-Black racism and racial discrimination in Canadian health care, specifically in Montreal, Quebec.MethodsThis descriptive qualitative study adopted a social constructionist approach. Employing purposive maximal variation and snowball sampling strategies, eligible study participants were: self-identified Black persons aged 18 years and older who lived in Montreal during the COVID-19 pandemic, who could speak English or French, and who were registered with the Quebec medical insurance program. In-depth interviews were conducted, and a Framework Analysis approach guided the systematic exploration and interpretation of data using an intersectionality lens.ResultsWe interviewed 32 participants, the majority of whom were women (59%), university educated (69%), and modestly comfortable financially (41%), but diverse in terms of age (22 to 79 years), country of origin, and self-defined ethnicity. We identified five major themes demonstrating substantial variations in perceived racism in health care that are influenced by unique social locations such as gender identity, age, and immigration history: (1) no perceptions of racism in health care, (2) ambiguous perceptions of racism in health care, (3) perceptions of overt interpersonal racism in health care, (4) perceptions of covert interpersonal racism in health care (including the downplaying of health concerns, stereotyping, and racial microaggressions), and (5) perceptions of systemic racism in health care.ConclusionsPerceptions of anti-Black racism and racial discrimination in Canadian health care are complex and may include intra-racial group differences. This study begins to address the dearth of empirical research documenting experiences of anti-Black racism in health care in Quebec, highlighting a continued need for serious consideration of the ways in which racism may manifest in the province, as well as a need for anti-racist advocacy. Advancing racial health equity requires greater sensitivity from providers and decision makers to variations in Black patients’ health care experiences, towards ensuring that they have access to high quality and equitable health care services.

Living between two cultures: stress in Korean American family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

Objectives Korean-American primary family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) may face unique stress, attributable to the distinctive characteristics of Korean-Americans, including their immigration history, culture, and language. Using narrative inquiry, we explored caregiving experiences, focusing on stress, and identified factors contributing to stress among Korean-American family caregivers providing in-home care to individuals with ADRD. Method We conducted one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with 15 Korean-American family caregivers of individuals with ADRD. We analyzed the participants’ stress in the context of temporality (i.e. timelines of their caregiving), sociality (i.e. cultural and familiar contexts), and place (i.e. various life settings). Results The majority of participants were female (73%), Korean-born immigrants (93%), and had relatively high levels of education with an average of 16 years of education. We found that 1) caregivers’ stress continued but varied along the ADRD caregiving trajectory, 2) cultural expectations and relationship dynamics amplified stress levels, and 3) maintaining a Korean identity while living in the United States limited caregivers’ social connections. Conclusion Our findings highlight the nuances of stress among Korean-American ADRD family caregivers. Specific support needs should be addressed in the development of culturally tailored stress reduction interventions for this understudied population.

Curating Commonality: Multimodal Materialities of Intercommunal Northern African Heritage

This paper delineates multimodal materialities of intercommunal curation. I center the case of curating commonality of northern African (Maghrebi) Judeo-Islamic encounters and interactions across generations through plural Maghrebi Jewish narratives, and in the changing shape of museum curation culture. Algeria is central to historiographies of French imperial pluralism and their post-imperial metropolitan reconfigurations. For context, I introduce two curatorial modes which showcased Maghrebi Jewish trajectories in Paris: the IMA (Institut du monde arabe, Arab World Institute) exhibition Juifs d’Orient (Jews from the Orient) and the Musée de l’histoire et des cultures de l’immigration (Museum for the History of Immigration) Juifs et musulmans de l’empire à l’hexagone (Jews and Muslims from empire to Hexagone/France) where I pay attention to the exhibitions’ impact as sites encounter and interaction. Then, as a counterpoint, as participant-observer I explore a 2023 grassroots festival for North African Jewish cultures which closed with a cemetery visit of great Jewish Algeria Andalusi musicians (singers and composers). These included Reinette l’Oranaise, whose biography, music, and contemporary reception I presented to an intergenerational audience. These co-constructed experiences chime with the development of multimodal practices connected to the curation of complex intergenerational historiographical narratives between digital film and cultural reception.

Inequalities in Transitions to Home Care: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

ObjectivesTo investigate inequalities in transitions to home care across a broad set of demographic and socioeconomic factors in Canadian middle-aged and older adults. DesignLongitudinal, retrospective cohort study. Setting and ParticipantsA total of 51,338 community-dwelling adults aged 45+ years, using national data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging across 3 timepoints from 2011 to 2021. MethodsWe analyzed transitions in home care use using multistate Markov models, with home care use and nonuse as transient states, and loss to follow-up as a terminal state. We calculated hazard ratios for transitions between states adjusting for factors related to home care need (ie, functional limitations, chronic conditions) within the following equity strata: income, education, immigration history, sex, gender, rurality, racial background, and tangible social support. ResultsAcross all timepoints, 5.4% of non–home care users transitioned to home care by the next timepoint and 33.2% of home care users continued to use home care at the next timepoint. Among non–home care users, identifying as a woman, female, white, completing higher levels of education, having higher income, and having less support available was associated with an increased likelihood of transitioning to home care use. Among home care users, higher income was also associated with a greater likelihood to discontinue using home care compared with lower income users. The association between income and home care use was stronger among female individuals. Conclusions and ImplicationsWe found meaningful differences in home care transitions across several equity strata. Individuals with higher income have greater ability to access to private care, creating inequity in access to home care services. Gendered factors such as income and social support have important associations with home care use. Home care planning and policy must address the unique barriers and disadvantages diverse populations face to ensure equitable use of home care and promote healthy aging.

Differences in Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration by Migration History in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Objective: To estimate differences in breastfeeding initiation and duration across dimensions of migration history (migration to the U.S. 50 states/District of Columbia [DC] in childhood, adulthood, or not at all) in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Methods: We used data from HCHS/SOL on 520 individuals with a post-baseline live birth and information on breastfeeding collected at Visit 2 (2014-2017). We fit log binomial models adjusted for parity, age at pregnancy, education, income, and immigration history and incorporating sampling weights. Results: Overall, 84% of participants reported initiating breastfeeding and 30% reported breastfeeding for 6 or more months. On average, individuals reported breastfeeding for a median of 88 days (interquartile range: 156). Compared with those born in the U.S. 50 states/DC, individuals born in another country or U.S. territory who arrived in the U.S. 50 states/DC as children (<18 years old) were 2.7 times more likely to initiate breastfeeding (adjusted prevalence ratio 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4, 4.9) and those who arrived as adults were 2 times more likely to initiate breastfeeding (adjusted prevalence ratio 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.6). We observed similar patterns for breastfeeding continuation. Conclusions: The timing and duration of life course experiences such as migration are key determinants of breastfeeding behavior among Hispanic/Latina postpartum persons.

Contextualizing experiences of cultural stress: A qualitative exploration among Hispanic/Latinx youth in Miami and Los Angeles.

Hispanic/Latinx youth vary in their immigration heritage (e.g., country of origin, familial migration history, etc.) and the structure of their communities. This study is a qualitative exploration of Hispanic/Latinx youth experiences of cultural stress in Miami and Los Angeles in 2021. A total of 23 Hispanic/Latinx adolescents in Los Angeles (n = 12) and Miami (n = 11) provided in-depth interviews to assess: (a) appraisals of family immigration history and (b) experiences across three cultural stressors: sociopolitical, language brokering, and intragroup marginalization. Interviews were analyzed using a general inductive analytic approach and case comparison methodology to assess differences across sites. For appraisals of family immigration history, gratitude and hope emerged as positive emotions experienced when youth reflected on their immigrant origins. Miami participants reported perceived worsening of sociopolitical stress as a result of changes in political administration whereas participants in Los Angeles felt a sense of relief. Participants in Miami and Los Angeles reported similar strengths and challenges in language brokering with COVID-19 variedly impacting youth's perceived language brokering stress. Last, to youth intragroup marginalization experienced from family members was experienced as more detrimental than from peers, and they reported the use of cognitive reframes to cope. Cultural stressors are dynamic and diverse. This study further informs cultural stress theory by cataloging how families' immigration history and national current events inform experiences of stress among youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

‘Standing with Each Other’: Indigenous-Muslim Relation-Making on Turtle Island

Within the context of the northern part of Turtle Island, the space of relationships between Indigenous and Muslim communities is one intertwined within the history and geopolitical realities of settler-colonialism and immigration. This paper is an exploration of the theme of space, and relationship formation from the perspective of Muslim and Indigenous peoples in Canada who have engaged in building relations over the past two decades. This article is based on a wider qualitative semi-structured interview-based research project, supported by content analyses of existing literature and online resources produced by relevant organizations and initiatives. The research analysis has led me to thematically organize these spaces into four general types of spaces: 1) organization-led spaces of relationship building; 2) spaces of conviviality as pathways to relationship building; 3) relational spaces defined through acts of documentation; and 4) spiritually and emotionally bonded spaces that transcend a secular framework. This analysis led to identifying practices of relational meaning-making that form a preliminary understanding of what characterizes Indigenous-Muslim relations on Turtle Island.

A reflective study on the intricate history of Chinese immigration in Peninsular Malaysia

This article presents a reflective microcosm to faithfully echo the intricate history of Chinese immigration in Peninsular Malaysia, focusing on two migration waves that occurred during the Malacca Sultanate and colonial eras. It meticulously examines the underlying causes, defining the characteristics, patterns and quantities of each immigration wave by drawing upon historical documents, tombstone inscriptions and demographic data. In a significant departure from conventional wisdom, this study challenges the prevailing notion that Chinese immigrants were overwhelmingly male, shedding light on the fact that the initial wave featured a higher proportion of females. Moreover, the analysis illuminates the intricate interplay between local colonial policies and the external factors emanating from China, demonstrating their profound influence on migration patterns and quantities. The present quantitative study offers fresh insights into the multifaceted experiences of Chinese immigrants in Peninsular Malaysia. It underscores the key findings while bringing attention to the associated complexities and nuances.

The Melting-Pot and Its Legacies

Abstract This article examines Israel Zangwill's 1908 play The Melting-Pot as a document in American immigration history, and the role of its most contested tropes – interfaith marriage and the melting-pot itself – in his efforts to rescue suffering Jews of Europe. Through close readings of the play and with reference to other works by Zangwill in the early twentieth century, the article looks at the play as a pragmatic work in a time of international upheaval and American nativism. A discussion of the play's reception by critics and audiences indicates that what was most controversial at the time of its production was not necessarily what Zangwill was most desirous to convey. But a look at its varied meanings over time reveals the persistence of the melting-pot metaphor in discussions of immigration, identity, ethnicity and nationhood, especially in the American imaginary.

Older Adults in Administrative Quagmire: A Scoping Review of Policy and Program Coordination Across Six Marginalized Older Adult Populations.

Coordination of governmental action is crowded with policies and programs that are highly interdependent, sometimes operating in silos if not contradicting each other. These dilemmas, or administrative quagmires, are heightened for older adults in general, but they are particularly problematic for marginalized older adults because these groups often require public assistance and support. This scoping review studies the coordination of governmental action on aging published in social science journals, focusing on 6 groups of marginalized older adults: those with histories of immigration, individuals with severe mental health problems, those who have had experiences of homelessness, formerly incarcerated individuals, members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community, and individuals living in a rural area. A 5-stage scoping review methodology was followed, and 53 articles (published between 2000 and 2022) from 5 social science databases were analyzed. The analysis revealed a limited number of contributions with coordination as a primary focus. Understandings of coordination varied but tended to examine structure, organization, and relationships between sectors. When coordination was the primary object of a study, it was often analyzed in 1 specific policy area or within a clinical setting along the lines of facilitating care coordination. This scoping review reveals a mutual neglect on the part of public administration and policy scholars toward marginalized older adults and a lack of public administration considerations on the part of scholars studying long-term care and social service programs for these marginalized older adults.

Equity in home care use in Canada: a cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian longitudinal study on ageing

BackgroundAlthough home care is an essential service that enables older adults to age at home, there are concerns that not all populations have equitable access to home care services in...

Dismantling Colonial Laughter: Tracing Emergent African Diaspora Stand-Up Comedy in French and German

This study redirects attention from English-speaking African diaspora stand-up productions to French and German language expressions of purposively selected comedians with recent immigration history from Africa performing within mainland Europe. Through a socio-historical interrogation of specific colonial histories and joke themes, the paper comparatively explores the French language stage acts of Fary Lopez, Samia Orosemane (France) and Cécile Djunga (Belgium and France) and the German language works of Dave Davis (Germany), Charles Nguela (Switzerland), and Soso Mugiraneza (Austria). The aim is to show how the individuated colonial histories of the nations in which these comics reside and the chronicles of their relations with Africa(ns) and Black peoples feature in joke formulations and satiric jibes of the jokesters. Through these explorations, this essay studies how stand-up comedy’s transformative power challenges societal norms and attitudes using the backdrop of the concurrently heterogeneous and dissimilar colonial histories of the African continent and its diasporas. Moreover, through its focus on non-English expressions, it presents the unique intersections of language, “race,” ethnicity and colonial histories, as well as the geographic and linguistic spread of the African diaspora beyond European nations with direct colonial contact with the continent. Thus, the enquiry posits joke performances as platforms for cultural expression and critique as well as a site within which African peoples negotiate their presence in non-African environments.

Landscapes of Hope

Historians have examined vernacular duplex homes in Milwaukee’s north side neighborhoods to write the history of the white working-class immigrants who settled this industrial metropolis during the early years of the twentieth century. African Americans moved into these neighborhoods in the later decades of the twentieth century. This paper explores how current Black residents construe the history of their neighborhood. To examine what such a historical narrative might look like, this paper presents three stories from a single city block: a twentieth century narrative of growth, a more recent story of decline, and a longer aspirational dream of a shared commons. Grounded in the material world that they observe around them, the current inhabitants assemble these diverse memories in anachronic ways, around multiple experiences of time such as nostalgia, a sense of disenfranchisement in the present moment, and an aspirational dream of a yet unrealized future. This ability to craft a complex narrative of place in a precarious world has emerged as a form of collective resistance against realities of racism, segregation, and urban disinvestment.

Cervical cancer disparities in stage at presentation for disaggregated Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

Over 20 million people in the United States identified as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander (AANHPI) in 2022. Despite the diversity of immigration histories, lived experiences, and health needs within the AANHPI community, prior studies in cervical cancer have considered this group in aggregate. We sought to analyze disparities in cervical cancer stage at presentation in the United States, focusing on disaggregated AANHPI groups. Data from the United States National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2020 of 122,926 patients newly diagnosed with cervical cancer was retrospectively analyzed. AANHPI patients were disaggregated by country of origin. Logistic regression, adjusted for clinical and sociodemographic factors, was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios. Higher adjusted odds ratios indicate an increased likelihood of metastatic versus non-metastatic disease at diagnosis. Out of 122,926 patients with cervical cancer, 5,142 (4.2%) identified as AANHPI. Compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients, pooled AANHPI patients presented at lower stages of cancer (NHW: 58.7% diagnosed local/regional, AANHPI: 85.6% at local/regional, χ2 P<0.001). The largest AANHPI subgroups included Filipino Americans (n=1051, 20.4% of AANHPI), Chinese Americans (n=995, 19.4%), Asian Indian/Pakistani Americans (n=711, 13.8%), Vietnamese Americans (n=627, 12.2%), and Korean Americans (n=550, 10.7%) respectively. AANHPI disaggregation revealed that Pacific Islander American patients had higher odds of presenting with metastatic disease (aOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.21-2.06, p = 0.001) relative to non-Hispanic White patients. Conversely, Chinese American (aOR 0.47, 95% CI 0.37-0.59, p < 0.001), Vietnamese American (aOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.41-0.70, p < 0.001), Hmong American (aOR 0.46, 95% CI 0.22-0.97, p = 0.040), and Indian/Pakistani American (aOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.61-0.94, p = 0.013) patients were less likely to present with metastatic disease. Compared to the largest AANHPI group (Chinese American), nine other subgroups were more likely to present with metastatic disease. The largest differences were observed in Pacific Islander American (aOR 3.44, 95% CI 2.41-4.91, p < 0.001), Thai American (aOR 2.79, 95% CI 1.41-5.53, p = 0.003), Kampuchean American (aOR 2.39, 95% CI 1.29-4.42, p = 0.006), Native Hawaiian American (aOR 2.23, 95% CI 1.37-3.63, p = 0.001), and Laotian American (aOR 2.02, 95% CI 1.13-3.61, p = 0.017). In contrast, Vietnamese American (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 0.85-1.71, p = 0.303) and Hmong American (aOR 1.09, 95% CI 0.50-2.37, p = 0.828) patients did not show a statistically significant difference in presenting with metastatic disease compared to Chinese American patients. Aggregated evaluation of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander monolith masks disparities in outcomes for distinct populations at risk for equity gaps. This disaggregation study shows that marginalized groups within the larger AANHPI population - including Pacific Islander American and Thai American patients - may face different exposures and larger structural barriers to cancer screening and early-stage diagnosis. A future focus on community based disaggregated research and tailored interventions is necessary to close these gaps.

David Hyun and architectural hybridity: first architect in the history of Korean immigration to America

ABSTRACT This study focuses on David Hyun, the first registered Korean-American architect, and his architecture, which expressed the hybridity of East Asian ethnicity and architectural modernism in the late-twentieth-century urban environment of Los Angeles, California. Hyun was the son of a figure pivotal in promulgating Korea’s independence movement to the world during the Japanese colonial period. Hyun and his family immigrated to and settled in Hawaii in 1924. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he took night classes in architecture at the University of Southern California. Earning his architectural license in 1950, Hyun became the first 1.5-generation Korean immigrant to become a registered architect in the United States. He expressed cultural identity through his design works while engaging in various social activities as a leader of the Los Angeles Korean community. This study explores Hyun’s family background and examines his identity and practice as a Korean-American architect through his architectural and urban projects from the 1950s to the 1990s, including the Japanese Village Plaza, Korea City Master Plan, and Hyun Residence. Understanding Hyun and his architecture will hopefully contribute to research on the Korean diaspora across America and the world.