Intersection Of Race Research Articles

‘At the heart of the community’ – a Somali woman’s experience of ‘alignment’ of support to escape social isolation in pregnancy and early motherhood

ABSTRACT Purpose Stresses in pregnancy and early motherhood can affect women’s health and wellbeing, and babies’ development. Migrant women face compounding stressors from the intersection of gender, race, social class, migration, and language. We explored one Somali woman’s experience of pregnancy and the transition to motherhood, following migration to an urban environment in the Global North, aiming to understand resilience in this specific socio-cultural context. Methods This case study used interpretative phenomenological analysis of a single two-hour semi-structured interview with a Somali woman in the UK to explore how this experience may have relevance for communities and practitioners in the Global North. Results We identified two overarching themes in this woman’s experience: “vicious” and “virtuous” circles, attempting to make sense of her experience of isolation and lack of wellbeing, and subsequent confidence, engagement, and community-building. Conclusions An experience of “alignment” in social relationships appeared to make possible the shift from “vicious” to “virtuous” circle, which enabled escape from social isolation. This account of transformation—from social isolation to community contribution—underlines the role of community organizations facilitating positive social networks and peer support during pregnancy and early motherhood.

Analysis of Bias in International Education from the Perspective of Intersectionality Theory

International students encounter more psychological, structural, and social challenges that negatively affect their mental health, academic engagement, and college readiness. Collectively, these challenges have a crucially negative effect on their academic achievement. To be specific, previous researchers often attribute international students' lower academic performance to experiences of sexism or racism alone. However, intersectionality theory suggests that harmful stereotypes can compound and lead to heightened discrimination; for instance, black female students experience significantly more discrimination than white male students, thereby considerably limiting their opportunities to achieve excellent academic success and engage in university social activities. Thus, by reviewing previous findings, the current study argues that the multiple disadvantaged identities of international students compound to negatively affect their academic performance, particularly when they have intersections of both underprivileged gender and race. The current study highlights the critical role of intersectional identities in international students' differential vulnerability, making them more vulnerable to intersectional biases than native students. Furthermore, the up-to-date intervention proposed to promote education equity for international students is discussed. Fortunately, numerous classroom designs attempt to engage international students in classroom education and are deployed to satisfy international students' diverse needs, the most sophisticated of which is the flipped classroom.

Equity Assessment of Groundwater Vulnerability and Risk in Drinking Water Supplies in Arid Regions

Groundwater is a vital drinking water source, especially in arid regions, sustaining both urban and rural populations. Its quality is influenced by natural (hydrogeological) and human-driven (demographic, policy) factors, which may pose significant public health risks, especially for communities relying on unregulated water supplies. This study addresses critical gaps by examining groundwater vulnerability and contamination disparities, emphasizing their implications for public health and equitable resource management. It analyzes the impact of socio-hydrogeological factors on arsenic and nitrate levels in groundwater-supplied systems in Arizona, U.S. Methods include spatial analysis, ANOVA, multivariate regression, and cluster analysis. Significant disparities in arsenic and nitrate contamination, including exceedances of regulatory limits, were observed across supply types, aquifer characteristics, jurisdictional oversights, and groundwater management areas. Domestic wells and community water systems showed distinct contamination risks. Groundwater vulnerability was influenced by geological differences (karst vs. alluvial aquifers) and regulatory oversight, with Tribal and State systems facing unique challenges and resource needs. Socioeconomic disparities were evident, with minority communities, institutional facilities, rural areas, and specific housing types disproportionately exposed to higher contaminant levels. These findings unveil the intersection of race, socioeconomic status, and public health risks, offering an adaptable framework for addressing similar groundwater challenges in arid and semi-arid regions globally. This study is innovative in its focus on policy distinctions between private and regulated wells, karst and alluvial aquifers, and State and Tribal jurisdictions. It emphasizes the need for targeted vulnerability assessments and remediation strategies that integrate geological, hydrological, and regulatory factors to address risk disparities in vulnerable communities. These environmental inequities underscore the urgent need for stronger regulations and strategic resource allocation to support marginalized communities. The study recommends enhancing monitoring protocols, prioritizing resource distribution, and implementing targeted policy interventions to ensure equitable and sustainable access to safe drinking water in arid regions.

“People Would Just Say, ‘That Doesn’t Exist’”: An Analysis of the Experiences of Racialized International Students as Settler Colonial, Racial, and Gendered Violence

A growing body of scholarship reveals that racialized international students in the West are disproportionately vulnerable to exploitation and violence on and off university and college campuses, and in public and private spaces. This harm may be due to the actions of individuals (such as landlords, employers, fellow international students, non-international student classmates, professors, strangers, and members of their ethnic communities), as well as the policies and inaction of institutions and governments. These institutional and systemic factors include precarious immigration status and visa and immigration requirements, unregulated homestay programs, unregulated tuition fees, and the intersections of racism, sexism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia. This paper draws on interviews with racialized international students and university employees who provide services to international students at a comprehensive university in Ontario, Canada, and argues that the everyday and structural violence the students may face is best understood as constitutive of the violence of White settler colonialism.

Cultural hybridity and the black diaspora: Representations in contemporary African and African-American narratives

Cultural hybridity stands as a defining characteristic of Black diasporic literature, reflecting the intricate blending of African and Western traditions in the lived experiences of African and African-American communities. This study examines the representation of cultural hybridity in contemporary African and African-American narratives, with a particular focus on its role in shaping complex Black identities. By analyzing novels such as Teju Cole's Open City and Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, the paper explores how literature navigates the tensions between ancestral heritage and modernity, community and individuality, and belonging and alienation. Teju Cole’s Open City presents a protagonist grappling with the layered nuances of identity, tracing the intersections of race, class, and global migration. In contrast, Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing explores generational trauma and cultural continuity, connecting African roots to the fragmented histories of descendants scattered across the diaspora. These works highlight how hybridity serves not only as a site of conflict but also as a source of strength and renewal, enabling characters to embrace multifaceted identities. Through themes such as dual identities, displacement, and cultural negotiation, this paper reveals how Black diasporic literature serves as a lens to explore the fluidity of identity. The study argues that cultural hybridity is not merely a consequence of colonialism or migration but an evolving force that redefines what it means to be African or African-American in a globalized world. Ultimately, these narratives challenge rigid notions of identity, offering a rich tapestry of voices that affirm the resilience and creativity of the Black diaspora.

The dynamics of empowering women in the post-missionary Church of Christ in Zimbabwe

The evolution of the Ladies’ Circle into the Mother’s Union in the Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (COCZ) holds great significance in that circles in Africa symbolize collectiveness and consensual decision-making. The Ladies’ Circle emerged as a response by white women influenced by the Victorian Womanhood Cult with regard to the discontent they felt with patriarchy in the church. Black women supported white female missionaries in leadership roles, when they (black women), continued to face oppression due to (white and black) male resistance to change, as well as fear of losing male-privileges. Empirical evidence in the COCZ suggests that black women in Zimbabwe made significant progress in the secular world compared to their progress in church. This study uses a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a theoretical framework to examine how the transformation of the Ladies’ Circle into the Mothers’ Union empowered African women to deal with their own oppression. It aims to understand how white women overcame restrictive Victorian norms and the Womanhood Cult, which promoted submissiveness and domesticity as defining aspects of womanhood. The study further notes that inconsistencies in addressing race and gender differences in the church perpetuated the dominance of African men on women within the church. This study thus acknowledges that the Women’s Unions, like the Mothers’ Union, have the potential to empower COCZ women and challenge racial and gender oppression within that church.Contribution: The study reveals that denying women’s involvement in church can have debilitating effects on gender equality in Zimbabwe. The Ladies’ Circle, a platform created by the Church of Christ, provides women with a space for social and religious participation. The intersection of gender, race, and religion used by religious and cultural authorities to control women, call for a re-examination of the COCZ’s theological foundations on these subjects.

Social Media Shadows: Unveiling the Hidden Struggles of African American Youth on Facebook

Abstract: While Facebook has become a central element of digital culture, its impact on the mental health of African American youth remains underexplored, particularly in relation to intersecting marginalized identities. Despite extensive research on social media and youth well-being, there is a significant gap in understanding how Facebook contributes to mental health challenges like depression and anxiety, especially for African American adolescents who experience systemic racism and discrimination both offline and online. This paper addresses these shortcomings by examining the intersection of race, socio-economic status, and the pervasive influence of social media on African American youth. Utilizing the Ecological Systems Model and Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), this study critically analyzes existing literature to uncover how Facebook exacerbates mental health struggles through online discrimination, cyberbullying, and harmful social comparison. Furthermore, the research highlights the underrepresentation of African American LGBTQ+ youth in current studies, emphasizing the need for intersectional approaches. Findings reveal that while Facebook offers opportunities for connection and identity exploration, it also intensifies mental health challenges due to frequent exposure to online racism and social exclusion. This study concludes by advocating for targeted interventions, including digital literacy programs, supportive online communities, and improved content moderation, to mitigate the negative mental health impacts on African American youth in the digital age.

"I find value in myself": Queer Asian American men's self-love and resistance in the face of White supremacy.

Queer (i.e., gay, bisexual, or another sexual minority identity) Asian American men experience unique challenges and strengths related to their social identities at the intersection of race and sexual orientation. While a sizable body of research has shown how this population faces racism within the broader queer community, there is little research that specifically examines the strengths of this population, including how they cultivate self-love in the face of White supremacy. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine how queer Asian American men who endorse self-love regardless of what queer white men think of them cultivate that self-love, as well as to understand the benefits of this self-love. Using a qualitative, grounded theory approach with 20 queer Asian American men who endorsed self-love regardless of what queer White men think of them, results indicated the core category of facilitating forces of self-love. Within this overarching category, results highlighted four key categories: location (i.e., predominantly White area, racially diverse area, and transition from one area to another), social support (i.e., processing experiences and challenging the status quo), self-reflection (i.e., journaling, therapy, and increasing critical consciousness/viewing the self-in-context), and active resistance (i.e., externalizing racism, distancing from Whiteness, seeking representation, engaging in activism or advocacy, and cultivating self-worth). This study highlights the specific mechanisms by which queer Asian American men love themselves regardless of queer white men's views of them, posing larger implications for how marginalized groups can resist and thrive in the face of societal oppression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Intersectional racial and gender bias in family court

Custody cases characterized by conflict may involve allegations of abuse or parental alienation, necessitating a thorough examination of the situation for the child’s wellbeing. This case series describes stereotypes and biases faced by three racialized fathers, resulting in problems in the processes and outcomes of the family court system. Occurring at the intersection of race, culture, religion, and gender, social myths about these fathers of South Asian and MENA (Middle Eastern, North African, Arab) descent led to inequities in parental rights and harm to their children. Biases experienced by fathers included racism, sexism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia, which manifested as presumptions that such fathers espoused outdated gender roles, exerted excessive authority in the home, and were unwilling to adapt to mainstream culture—which can bias the decision-making of custody evaluators, child advocates, lawyers, and judges. This paper presents the relevant facts of each case, critical errors made by the court—such as ignoring the voices of the fathers, delayed verdict delivery, inadequate assessment of abuse, and failure to prioritize the children's welfare. This article discusses stigma, abuse, interracial dynamic, and the mental health toll of this process on fathers, despite having respected professions and financial resources. Also addressed is the challenge of differentiating parental alienation from estrangement due to child abuse when children reject a parent. It is hoped that by recognizing and addressing these biases outcomes in parental disputes can be greatly improved.

Optimism and resilience among the precariat: a gendered analysis of community home-based care work in South Africa

ABSTRACT Community Home-Based Care (CHBC) workers around the world have not been satisfied with their work over the years. In South Africa, unfair labor practices and poor organization of CHBC work have recently led to strikes and unionization by caregivers. At the frontline of caregiving are black working-class women whose dominance illuminates how the intersections of gender, class and race contribute to care workers’ precariat position. Regardless of the gendered precarious encounters, the 20 female CHBC workers from Soweto, South Africa, who participated in this study, are optimistic and resilient. This article visibilizes the optimism, resilience, positivity, self-empowerment, control, the gendered power, and agency that care workers exercise in response to the challenges that characterize care work. Beyond merely illuminating the gendered oppositional binaries, the article calls for the deconstruction of gendered hierarchies in care work to disrupt the exclusive participation of women in the global labor markets as care workers.

Abstract 4123509: The Intersection of Race and Ethnicity, Social Determinants of Health, and Hypertension Prevalence: A Community-Level Analysis

Background: Despite being one of the most diverse cities in the United States, Chicago is also notably segregated. The distinct separation among its 77 communities provides an opportunity to examine racial and ethnic segregation and the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on health outcomes. Research Question: How do race/ethnicity and SDOH influence hypertension (HTN) prevalence? Aim: To examine the relationships between race/ethnicity, SDOH, and HTN prevalence at the community level. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Chicago Health Atlas collected between 2021 and 2022. The sample included data from all 77 Chicago communities and 2,738,956 of its residents. Two-step latent profile analyses were performed to classify each of the community according to the predominant race/ethnicity of its residents (Asian, Black, Hispanic, or White) and SDOH level (low, moderate, high), which was defined as how favorable the physical and social conditions are within the community and determined using 14 indicators (Table 1). Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the prevalence of HTN among the communities by predominant race/ethnicity and SDOH level. Results: Among the 77 communities, 28 were predominantly Black, 27 were predominantly White, 21 were predominantly Hispanic, and 1 was predominantly Asian. HTN prevalence was highest in predominantly Black communities (39.9%), then the Asian community (35.8%), Hispanic communities (28.8%), and White communities (25.2%), p <.001. Based on the 14 SDOH indicators, 26 of the communities were classified as low SDOH (unfavorable conditions), 25 as moderate SDOH (moderately favorable), and 26 as high SDOH (favorable). HTN prevalence was highest in low SDOH communities (36.3%), followed by moderate SDOH communities (31.4%), and lowest in high SDOH communities (27.2%), p =.003. Conclusions: The findings highlight significant disparities in HTN prevalence across Chicago's communities, with higher rates observed in predominantly Black and low SDOH areas. These results underscore the need for targeted public health interventions to address the intersection of racial/ethnic segregation and SDOH.

Mother knows best: how working mothers influence gender and racial differences in educational expectations for graduate school

Educational expectations have increased over time in the United States. Most adolescents expect to earn a bachelor’s degree and a graduate or professional degree. Although past research has generally agreed on the status-attainment perspective to understand educational expectations, these frameworks are limited in terms of the type of parental resources they address, as well as inattention to the intersection of gender and race over time. We address these gaps and investigate variations in youths’ expectations for graduate school by mother’s employment status, gender, and race using Monitoring the Future data from twelfth graders from 1976 to 2019. We find that mother’s employment status positively influences women’s graduate school expectations more than men’s across all racial groups we examine with young Black women holding the highest graduate school expectations. We also find that maternal employment patterns graduate school expectations over time but only for White respondents. Black respondents hold higher expectations, but this trend is stable across maternal employment status.

Black immigrant literacies: Intersections of race, language and culture in the classroom

Black immigrant literacies: Intersections of race, language and culture in the classroom

The Effect of Race and Sex on Contact Sex Crime Arrest Odds

ABSTRACTThis article investigates how the intersection of race and sex affects contact sex crime arrest odds. Logistic regression analyses of 2012–2016 U.S. National Incident‐Based Reporting System data for 391,352 people reported to law enforcement for contact sex crimes reveals that Black people reported for contact sex crimes have higher odds of arrest than those reported who are not Black, and the relationship between race and arrest odds varies by sex—the effect is stronger for those labeled “female” or “other” and weaker for those labeled “male.” I posit that sex strengthens the effect of race on contact sex crime arrest odds for those who are not male because race helps construct non‐male bodies as masculine, and in a U.S. cultural context that has viewed sex as a legitimate way of asserting male dominance, sexual violence is masculine. However, race is not necessary to construct most male bodies as masculine, making the strength of race's effect on contact sex crime arrest odds less significant for males.

Book banning and contractual expectations of white cisheteropatriarchy: a praxis for epistemic justice in K–12 schools

ABSTRACT In the United States, schools are expected to navigate the political climate of anti–critical race theory and anti-LGBTQ + discrimination, where white identity politics herald white knowledge as the invisible standard against which racial, gender, and sexuality differences are constructed. State policies that facilitate the removal of diverse books in schools and libraries – compounded by nationally driven and locally expressed efforts to further expand such bans, whether successful or not – reintroduce students to stratified curricular expectations. In this context, we interrogate the relationship between white cisheteropatriarchal curricular expectations and the racial contract and the role of GLSEN’s Rainbow Library in confronting the perpetuation of testimonial, hermeneutic, and agential injustices. We conclude with a reflection on possible pathways for terminating white cisheteropatriarchy in further pursuing epistemic justice at the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality.

To CRT (in your Dissertation) or not CRT? That is the Question!

Recently the notion of Critical Race Theory (CRT) has come under fire by those with a limited knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings surrounding the intersection of education, law, and race in American society. To support those students eager to incorporate CRT as a framework within their research, the authors analyzed the dissertations of students receiving Education Doctorates (EdD). The researchers set out to determine how EdD students used CRT, how they framed problems of practice (POP), how they operationalized CRT, and to understand how those former students interrogated their findings in the pursuit of truth. The authors intend for this work to expand the knowledge base on CRT and inform scholarly practitioners on how to operationalize CRT to create sustainable change in the American education system.

Occupational and social mobility of skilled migrants: an intersectional analysis

ABSTRACT Research on skilled migration has grown substantially in recent years. Drawing on 58 in-depth interviews with skilled Americans in China, this paper explores how the intersectionality of race, gender, and citizenship shapes their occupational and social mobility, and whether these two forms of mobility align. The findings suggest that skilled migrants’ social identities simultaneously create both advantages and disadvantages in their occupational and social mobility. I coined the term ‘glass box’ to describe their experiences: while many enjoyed enhanced occupational mobility, they eventually hit a ‘glass ceiling’ that blocked access to top positions and faced ‘glass walls’ that pigeonholed them into a narrow range of occupations. However, their social identities also brought privileges, forming a ‘glass floor’ that protected them from employment precarity. Their social mobility, extending beyond occupational mobility, improved to varying degrees after migration to China but declined rapidly and unexpectedly following the outbreak of COVID-19. While changes to skilled Americans’ occupational and social mobility aligned most of the time, there were notable exceptions where these two forms of mobility shifted in opposite directions. Such contradictory experiences highlight the persistent structural barriers that shape their professional and social trajectories.

Intersectionality of sex and race in COVID-19 mortality and vaccination inequities in Massachusetts

BackgroundInequities in COVID-19 incidence, morbidity, and mortality between racial and ethnic groups in the United States (U.S.) have been documented since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Similarly, disparities by sex for COVID-19 morbidity and mortality have emerged, with men dying at a higher rate than women. Little research has been done to understand how the intersection of sex and race impacts COVID-19 inequities in Massachusetts (MA). This cross-sectional study examined how COVID-19 mortality rates (February 2020- May 2023) and vaccination rates (December 2020-February 2023) varied by sex across racial groups in MA.MethodsUsing Massachusetts Department of Public Health data of all COVID-19 mortality cases and primary series vaccinations in MA from 2020 to 2023, we calculated both age-specific and age-adjusted COVID-19 mortality rates in order to account for differences in age distributions across sex-race groups.ResultsOverall, men across all age-race groups consistently had a higher mortality rate compared to their female counterparts. The age-standardized mortality rate difference between White men and White women is the smallest, with the rate for White men being 1.3 times higher than White women. The age-standardized mortality rate between Hispanic men and Hispanic women varies the largest, with the rate for Hispanic men being 1.7 times higher than Hispanic women. Notably, Black women and White women have similar vaccination rates, yet the age-standardized mortality rate for Black women is 1.4 times the rate of White women.ConclusionsOur findings show that there are disparities at the intersection of sex and race for COVID-19 mortality and vaccination in MA. This highlights the importance for targeted COVID-19 interventions at the intersection of sex and race and the need for detailed COVID-19 reporting by sex within race groups.

Transcript: The Intersection of Race and Poverty in Criminal Justice

Transcript: The Intersection of Race and Poverty in Criminal Justice

Migrant housing struggle and racial discrimination: The case of postsocialist Leipzig and Riga

The civic mobilisation welcoming Ukrainian refugees after Russia’s invasion in February 2022 has shown how housing is a social infrastructure based on care and solidarity. But it has also shown its discriminatory face. By drawing on our recent collaborative research in Leipzig and Riga and conceptual reflections from previous research, this paper elaborates on how practices of welcoming and housing refugees intertwine with state racism and everyday discrimination. It is grounded in two intersecting lines of inquiry. The first one focuses on migrant housing struggles in the context of increased financialisation, privatisation and austerity urbanism. The second expands on the intersection of race and discrimination with housing, asking how race and racial discrimination intersect and affect migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers’ access to and experiences with housing. The underlying argument is that while housing is the site where this type of discrimination becomes spatialised and visible (and thus can be challenged), there is still a missing discourse around discrimination in migration and housing policy.