African Diaspora Research Articles

Artists' Statements: IJPS volume 11, issue 1

Ani Ganzala and Taya Mâ Shere first met in an artists’ commune on the sacred shores of Bahia, Brazil, and have remained close friends ever since. Their creative work is rooted in ancestral dreaming, earth reverence, and spiritual activism. The curation of Ani’s visual art with Taya’s music in this journal was sparked by their recent retreat time together. Ani’s two pieces featured here are: “Aruanda,” (this issue's cover art) which highlights the relationship between the Black Diaspora and botanical technologies for physical and spiritual healing; and “No mundo aquático dos peixes e réptais, nós sonhamos / In the aquatic world of fish and reptiles, we dream,” which depicts physical and spiritual connection through black and queer love. Taya Mâ’s music is deeply rooted in her ritual and spiritual practice. Her piece featured here, “solidarity,” is a love song for liberation, an invocation of interdependence, and a call for collective care across realms.

Survival and social support networks: visual narratives of labour market integration among highly skilled African immigrants in Quebec

Despite the growing presence of highly skilled African immigrants in Quebec, Canada, there is a paucity of research on their adaptation processes, specifically regarding survival and social support. This study addresses this gap by investigating the survival strategies of highly skilled African immigrants (HSAI) in Quebec, utilising photovoice to vividly capture their social support systems and survival cultivation. Drawing on Ungar's (2012. The Social Ecology of Resilience: A Handbook of Theory and Practice. Springer) ecological perspective of survival, and Tardy’s model (1985. “Social Support Measurement.” American Journal of Community Psychology 13 (2): 187–202) of social support, this research elucidates the strategies employed by HSAIs to thrive. Data collection involved respondents sharing photographs that symbolise their survival while assimilating into Quebec's labour market, revealing that family, cultural groups, religious organisations, recreational activities, and professional networks play pivotal roles in their adaptation. These findings highlight the importance of a multifaceted support system in fostering survival and successful integration, suggesting that policymakers should focus on enhancing these networks to aid HSAIs’ adjustment to life in Quebec.

Confined within a sugarcane monoculture: A participatory assessment of water pollution and potential health risks in the community of El Tiple, Colombia

Communities neighboring monoculture plantations are vulnerable to different forms of pollution associated with agro-industrial operations. Herein, we examine the case of El Tiple, a rural Afro descendant community embedded within one of the largest sugarcane plantations in the Americas. We implemented a participatory approach to assess water pollution, exposure via water ingestion, and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with the use of local water sources available to the community. We conducted household surveys to unveil demographic characteristics and family dynamics linked to water consumption. Additionally, we measured water quality parameters and assessed the concentration glyphosate, its major metabolite (aminomethylphosphonic acid) and metals and metalloids. Drinking water El Tiple households is sourced from three primary sources: the local aqueduct system, water delivery trucks, and private deep wells. Tests on water samples from both the local aqueduct and delivery trucks showed no traces of pesticides, metals, or metalloids surpassing regulatory limits set by Colombian or EPA standards. However, we found concentration of contaminants of primary concern, including mercury (up to 0.0052 ppm) and lead (up to 0.0375 ppm) that exceed the permissible regulatory thresholds in water from groundwater wells. Residents of the peripheric subdivisions of El Tiple are four times more reliant on well water extraction than residents of the central area of the town due to lack of access to public drinking water and sanitation infrastructure. Finally, adult women and school-age children have a higher health risk associated with exposure to local pollutants than adult men due to their constant presence in the town. We conclude that expanding the coverage of clean water and sanitation infrastructure to include all households of the community would be the most recommended measure to minimize exposure and risk via ingestion of water pollutants.

Economic cybercrime in the diaspora: case of Ghanaian nationals in the USA

Purpose This study aims to delve into economic cybercrime within the African diaspora, with a specific focus on Ghanaian nationals residing in the USA. It aims to shed light on the nuanced and unique approaches that diasporic actors adopt to execute economic cybercrimes, especially online frauds. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on press releases and official indictments collected from the U.S. Department of Justice, the study adopted content analysis. Through this approach, the study outlines its findings Findings The analysis reveals patterns in economic cybercrimes among Ghanaians abroad. Notably, the findings suggest that diasporic individuals often work with local accomplices to perpetrate various economic cybercrimes, with money laundering being particularly prevalent among those living outside their home country. This underscores the profound influence of geographical location on the choice of cybercriminal activities. Moreover, the research reveals that diasporic actors use several tactics, including adopting false identities to interact with victims and the creation of sham companies for laundering money. Additionally, demographic characteristics such as age and gender seem to significantly influence the involvement of diasporic individuals in economic cybercrimes. Research limitations/implications The research was primarily based on press releases and official indictments within the USA. Although these sources offer substantial insight into the rise of cybercrime among Ghanaian diaspora members, their focus on specific data types and geographical regions might constrain our comprehension of the nuances of this phenomenon, particularly across various diasporic groups and regions. Hence, future research could enhance our understanding by conducting fieldwork, not just in the USA but also in other areas using primary data to delve deeper into the issue of cybercrime within the diaspora. Practical implications The study’s findings have implications for individuals, organizations and policymakers alike. By understanding the strategies of economic cybercrime offenders, as demonstrated in this research, individuals can be better equipped to navigate digital technologies for both personal and business purposes. Moreover, policymakers and government agencies can use these insights to develop policies aimed at mitigating the spread of economic cybercrimes, particularly within diasporic communities. Originality/value The paper stands out for its innovative approach and scope. While numerous studies have explored cybercrime activities, the prevalence among diasporic actors remains underexamined. Through its methodology and scope, this paper opens avenues for further research into the phenomenon of cybercrime within diasporic communities.

Rare pathogenic structural variants show potential to enhance prostate cancer germline testing for African men.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is highly heritable, with men of African ancestry at greatest risk and associated lethality. Lack of representation in genomic data means germline testing guidelines exclude for African men. Established that structural variations (SVs) are major contributors to human disease and prostate tumourigenesis, their role is under-appreciated in familial and therapeutic testing. Utilising a clinico-methodologically matched African (n = 113) versus European (n = 57) deep-sequenced PCa resource, we interrogated 42,966 high-quality germline SVs using a best-fit pathogenicity prediction workflow. We identified 15 potentially pathogenic SVs representing 12.4% African and 7.0% European patients, of which 72% and 86% met germline testing standard-of-care recommendations, respectively. Notable African-specific loss-of-function gene candidates include DNA damage repair MLH1 and BARD1 and tumour suppressors FOXP1, WASF1 and RB1. Representing only a fraction of the vast African diaspora, this study raises considerations with respect to the contribution of kilo-to-mega-base rare variants to PCa pathogenicity and African associated disparity.

DEHUMANISATION OF COLONISED HUMANS REVISITED: RACIAL SPECIESISM AND CALIBAN’S “EXPLOD[ING] PROSPERO’S OLD MYTH” IN AIME CESAIRE’S A TEMPEST

The political turmoil between the 1950s and the 1970s that stemmed from the liberation movements in Africa, and in the Caribbean Islands, in which African/ black diaspora is so common, triggered many writers of the time to visit colonial literature in order to be able to find a meaning for the liberation struggles of the blacks. Similarly, Aimé Césaire, a Francophone literary and political figure, revisited Shakespeare’s The Tempest (around 1611), and adapted it into A Tempest (Une Tempête,1969). A Tempest is a play in which Shakespearean Prospero’s strong and univocal status is replaced by strong and rebellious Caliban, who subverts all the colonial discourses that marginalise and dehumanise the blacks. In the light of these discussions, this paper aims to discuss that in A Tempest, Caliban becomes an instrument for Césaire in order to demarginalise the blacks contrary to Prospero’s dehumanising methods applied through racial speciesism. By means of Caliban’s “explod[ing] Prospero’s old myth”, Césaire wants to prove that blacks are humans, too, with a glorious history and identity to be proud of.

Breaking into the Labor Market in the Face of Racism and Oppression: Resiliency and Well-Being of Highly Skilled African Immigrants in Quebec

Breaking into the Labor Market in the Face of Racism and Oppression: Resiliency and Well-Being of Highly Skilled African Immigrants in Quebec

The Spirit of the Pluriverse: Africana Spirit-Based Epistemologies and Interepistemic Thinking

Abstract In this article, I argue that interepistemic thinking is characteristic of Africana spirit-based epistemologies and that such thinking is essential to the construction of the pluriverse. I demonstrate that the spiritual basis of many Africana epistemologies facilitates interepistemic thinking and the making of a more equitable, functional, and healthy “modernity.” This is despite narratives of modernity, such as that of Max Weber, that are embedded in a secular-rationalist ideology, which tend to mark spirituality as an invalid means of accessing, representing, or (re)producing truth, marking it as “primitive,” destined to disappear, and as incompatible with the so-called modern world. For this reason, decoloniality as it applies to an analysis of Africana spirit-based epistemologies must demonstrate the limited, Eurocentric nature of the secular-rationalist paradigm. I support these arguments through an analysis of the role of interepistemic thinking in the spirit-based epistemologies apparent in what are commonly referred to as African diasporic religions. In doing so, I will also offer a critical perspective on the application of religion as a conceptual category to the realities of the peoples of the African diaspora, following important recent scholarship in the study of religion. I will begin with a review of the nature of the pluriverse and a brief description of Nelson Maldonado-Torres’s (2008) critique of secularism, followed by an analysis of interepistemic thinking as it can be observed within Africana spirit-based epistemologies, and conclude with an explanation of how this may inform a critical reconsideration of the epistemic bases that undergird the modern/colonial world system.

The United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent: Reflections, Challenges, and Future Directions

The United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent: Reflections, Challenges, and Future Directions

Genetic testing in cancer care: An assessment of current practice in Africa.

e13784 Background: Genetic testing provides forprecision oncologic intervention, improving outcomes and minimizing traditional cytotoxicity. It has caused a dramatic change in the oncology landscape but remains underutilized in Africa. Data on genetic alterations associated with cancer in people of African descent continue to be inadequate due to multi-layered factors such as availability and cost of testing, provider awareness and knowledge, and availability and cost of targeted therapy. With cancer projected to be the leading cause of mortality in Africa within the next two decades, identifying the current patterns of testing and reasons for low uptake is crucial for developing strategies to improve cancer care and outcomes in Africa. This study aimed to map the current utilization pattern of cancer genetic testing among oncologists in Africa. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was administered to oncologists practicing in Africa. Responses were collected between September 2023 and January 2024 following IRB approval from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Health Research and Ethics Committee. Surveys were administered in English and French. Results: 245 oncologists across 28 African countries participated in this study. The mean age of respondents was 41.6 (SD: 8.3), with 64.5% being male and Nigerians comprising the largest proportion (33.0%). The majority of respondents practice in public/government-owned facilities (44.1%), and 64.5% held consultant/attending positions. Survey findings showed that 69.8% of oncologists lacked confidence in understanding/interpreting genetic test results, 93.5% expressed the need for assistance in interpreting results, and 64.1% were unable to discuss findings confidently with patients. The most ordered test was BRCA1/2 (47.3%), while ABC and RB1 genes were the least commonly ordered (0.008% and 0.02%, respectively). The primary reason for ordering genetic tests (63.3%) was the potential to guide treatment planning. However, 54.7% reported not referring any patients for genetic testing in the past year. Barriers to testing included the high cost of tests (78%) and targeted therapies (60.4%). Furthermore, 67.8% of respondents lacked previous formal training in cancer genetics with nearly all respondents (97.6%) expressing interest in formal training and a preference for online courses (71.8%). Conclusions: This survey highlights the critical need to develop the capacity for understanding cancer genetic testing and targeted treatment options among oncologists in Africa. To optimize uptake, strategies must be developed to reduce testing costs through resource pooling and to reduce the high cost of targeted treatment. Oncologists should be encouraged to prioritize testing that guides actionable targets to promote the uptake of targeted treatment options in Africa.

Archiving, Curating and Teaching Afro-Latin American Film

Abstract: Working at the intersections of Latin American film studies, Afro-Latin American studies, digital humanities (DH), and decolonial pedagogical praxes, this article aims to engage with educators interested in teaching about Afro-descendant representation, antiracist audiovisual productions, the legacy of the African diaspora in Latin America, and the diverse perspectives of Afro-descendants in the region—through the lens of Latin American film and media. In dialogue with calls to decolonize traditional film and media studies curricula, this article critically analyzes the scholarly, archival and digital landscapes of resources focused on Black representation in Latin American cinemas and Afro-Latin American media makers. I identify some of the archival and curatorial exclusionary practices that affect the visibilization of Afro-descendant representation and productions within national cinematecas from the region. Finally, I share a digital humanities project designed to amplify Afro-descendant representation and filmmakers in Latin American cinemas through the curation and creation of resources that center Black voices, experiences, and communities.

‘Toutes sortes de vices’: Possession, Healing, and Religious Convergences in Early Nineteenth-Century Nova Scotia

In the fall of 1810, two young Acadian women exhibited signs interpreted by their predominantly Catholic community as a possession or enchantment by threatening spiritual forces. Family and neighbours banded together and performed unorthodox rituals that offer historians of religion and of Acadia the opportunity to analyze several Atlantic influences on this rural parish. It is an intriguing case in the religious and social history of Nova Scotia that demonstrates multiple cultural aspects in convergence. The Acadian community’s history and its location on a colonial fringe connected its members with diverse ritual knowledges. This article argues that the nature of the girls’ symptoms and the methods that the Acadian community used to bring healing reached beyond lay Roman Catholicism. The Acadians were influenced by New Light evangelical theology and baptismal spirituality from New England, as well as African diaspora spiritual elements from a nearby Black Loyalist settlement.

Dead Tired

Abstract This essay concerns the descriptions of exhaustion connected to the suicidal thoughts and actions of Anyanwu, the protagonist of Octavia E. Butler’s novel Wild Seed (1980). Expanding the disability studies concept of desirelessness to graze Black diaspora studies, this essay resists the total absorption of enslaved Black women’s suicidal thoughts and actions into the collective political motivations of the living, even as it resists their banishment. Rather than speak authoritatively about an action ultimately undertaken alone, the essay feels for the ordinary edges of the limits of “diaspora” to consider more carefully those who are lost to the collective, those who turn away from it, and those for whom suicide cannot be categorized comfortably as only resistance or defeat. Or, plainly stated: Without purpose and without pity, we can still love you.

Perceptions of Dementia and Dementia Care Among African Immigrants in Minnesota: Insights From Community Conversations.

This qualitative descriptive study explored the perceptions of dementia, dementia care, and caregiving within the African immigrant community. Six community conversations (focus groups) were held with 24 participants. Three conversations were led by project advisory board members and utilized a 12-question conversation guide. The recorded conversations were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Of the 24 African immigrants who participated, 52% were 55-75 years old, 67% identified as female, and 39% were married or cohabitating. Twenty percent were currently providing care to a relative with dementia and 40% had provided care to a relative with dementia in the past. Four themes were identified. These included (1) attitudes toward mental health, illnesses, and poor health, (2) community attitudes toward dementia, and dementia caregiving, (3) barriers to dementia care and caregiving, and (4) current dementia care resources in the African immigrant community. The findings show that African immigrant cultural beliefs significantly shape dementia care and caregiving attitudes, preferences, and behavioral practices. African immigrants' cultural backgrounds influence (or have the potential to influence) timely access and engagement in dementia care. And, depending on how deeply held these cultural beliefs are, they could affect dementia care and caregiving both positively and negatively. With the rapidly growing immigrant older adult population, there is a need for systemic strategies to facilitate affordable and culturally responsive dementia care for African immigrants and other minoritized older adults.

A Critical Discourse on Self Discovery in Alice Walker’s Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah

Alice Walker and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are renowned female writers from different backgrounds, countries and as such, different ideologies. They share a lot in common as their novels revolve around women, their struggles, challenges and experiences in life. Alice Walker concentrates on African-American women while Adichie focuses on the experiences of Africans, especially women who left the shores of Africa to the western world, their struggles, challenges encountered for being black and being a woman which Bell Hooks regards as “double tragedy”. This study is a comparative analysis of the self discovery in their novels: Now is the time to open your Heart by Alice Walker and Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie. It examines how the female protagonists: Kate and Ifemelu re-discover themselves and carve out a niche for themselves despite the challenges they face in their various journey in life. This study attempts to disabuse the minds of those who believe that women should be regarded as objects to be played with; rather they are subjects as could be ascertained from the lives of the characters, especially, the protagonists. Effort will be made to examine their pitiable experience which ranges from racism, segregation, humiliation and exploitation. Womanist and Post-colonial theories have been employed in this study to ostensibly facilitate a link between the experiences of Africans in Diaspora and the American system of government.

Toward an Ethnoracial Ontology for the Study of Race and Ethnicity: The Case of African Americans and Black Immigrants in the United States

One of the central issues in the study of race and ethnicity is ontology. That is, after decades of scientific inquiry, we continue to debate definitions for race and ethnicity. Broadly speaking, the questions that frame this debate are: what is race, what is ethnicity, are they the same, or are they different? As this debate continues, many are using an amalgamated term— ethnoracial. However, there is yet no formal definition or ontology for this term. Indeed, most seem to use it to avoid getting entangled in the often contentious and still ongoing debate on ontologies for race and ethnicity. That is, most seem to use this term to avoid questions and concerns associated with the underlying ‘nature’ of these group formations and, instead, seek to focus the readers’ attention on their descriptions of and explanations for the associated intergroup identities, conflicts and disparities. Within this context, and given certain anomalies I have come across in my studies of the relative positioning of African Americans and Black immigrants in the United States, I am calling for the formal development of a new ontology for the study of race and ethnicity. The crux of my argument is that, since processes of racialization and/or ethnogenesis emerge in the wake of human migrations—to include international migration, internal migration, colonialism, and slavery—they yield a single underlying ontology— ethnoraciality.

Teaching Black Diaspora Stories with Digital Archives in the Classroom

One of the prime difficulties in the current teaching environment is educating students to make use of research skills that teach them not only how to be good historians but also how to be critical thinkers who can engage and evaluate sources. This piece focuses on the use of well-managed digital archives, which provide students with a focused set of research materials that help build a foundational point of historical inquiry. In addition to discussing the pedagogical benefits of such research, emphasis is also placed on specific assignments centered on several online databases, including “The Land Act Legacy Project Collection” of the South African History Archive (SAHA), the African Activist Archive of Michigan State University, and the “Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936 to 1938” of the Library of Congress. If these current times have taught anything, it is that digital literacy and proper research methods are essential components in understanding information during times of political and cultural change. By engaging with the stories in these digital archives, students learn about the diversity of opinions and opportunities that defined these stories of the Black diaspora throughout the twentieth century and beyond.

Mapping the evidence on factors related to postpartum contraception among sub-Saharan African immigrant and refugee women in the United States of America: A scoping review protocol.

Postpartum contraception is essential to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care because it encourages healthy spacing between births, helps women avoid unwanted pregnancies, and lessens the risks of health problems for mothers and babies. Sub-Saharan African immigrant and refugee populations are rapidly increasing in the United States, and they come from a wide range of cultural, linguistic, religious, and social origins, which may pose challenges in timely access to culturally acceptable SRH care, for preventing mistimed or unwanted childbearing. The objective of this scoping review is to assess the extent of the available literature on postpartum contraception among sub-Saharan African immigrant and refugee women living in the United States. We developed preliminary search terms with the help of an expert librarian, consisting of keywords including birth intervals, birth spacing, contraception, postpartum contraception or family planning, and USA or America, and sub-Saharan African immigrants, or emigrants. The study will include the following electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE, and the Global Health Database. The sources will include studies on postpartum care and contraceptive access and utilization among sub-Saharan African immigrants living in the US. Citations, abstracts, and full texts will be independently screened by two reviewers. We will use narrative synthesis to analyze the data using quantitative and qualitative methods. Factors associated with postpartum contraception will be organized using the domains and constructs of the PEN-3 Model as a guiding framework. This scoping review will map the research on postpartum contraception among sub-Saharan African immigrant and refugee women living in the US. We expect to identify knowledge gaps, and barriers and facilitators of postpartum contraception in this population. Based on the findings of the review, recommendations will be made for advocacy and program and policy development toward optimizing interpregnancy intervals in sub-Saharan African immigrants living in the US. Review registration Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/s385j.

6 - The African diaspora in times of COVID-19

Within a conceptual framework proposed by the African Union, which views the diaspora as a sixth African region, this article analyses the economic situation of Senegalese street vendors in the city of Seville, in the southern European border region. For this community, street trading is the most important economic activity and source of income, of which tourism is a significant market. Using an ethnographic methodology, including interviews with street vendors, City Council officials, a lawyer-activist and observation, the study examines institutional perceptions and the treatment of Senegalese street vendors within the administrative and planning processes of the public administration, and the relationship this has with tourism. The results show how ethnocentric prejudices and criminalising stereotypes influence local administration policy. The analysis also examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of the lack of institutional assistance for this population group, how the Senegalese population coped with the economic impact of lockdown through their own networks and support systems, and by migrating outward. The results presented in this article are part of a broader research project on urban development and sociospatial impacts of tourism in large cities in Andalusia, Spain (PAIDI-FEDER 2020: R+D+i Project).

Multi-omics in nasal epithelium reveals three axes of dysregulation for asthma risk in the African Diaspora populations

Asthma has striking disparities across ancestral groups, but the molecular underpinning of these differences is poorly understood and minimally studied. A goal of the Consortium on Asthma among African-ancestry Populations in the Americas (CAAPA) is to understand multi-omic signatures of asthma focusing on populations of African ancestry. RNASeq and DNA methylation data are generated from nasal epithelium including cases (current asthma, N = 253) and controls (never-asthma, N = 283) from 7 different geographic sites to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and gene networks. We identify 389 DEGs; the top DEG, FN1, was downregulated in cases (q = 3.26 × 10−9) and encodes fibronectin which plays a role in wound healing. The top three gene expression modules implicate networks related to immune response (CEACAM5; p = 9.62 × 10−16 and CPA3; p = 2.39 × 10−14) and wound healing (FN1; p = 7.63 × 10−9). Multi-omic analysis identifies FKBP5, a co-chaperone of glucocorticoid receptor signaling known to be involved in drug response in asthma, where the association between nasal epithelium gene expression is likely regulated by methylation and is associated with increased use of inhaled corticosteroids. This work reveals molecular dysregulation on three axes – increased Th2 inflammation, decreased capacity for wound healing, and impaired drug response – that may play a critical role in asthma within the African Diaspora.