Second-generation Immigrant Women Research Articles

A qualitative study exploring the perinatal experiences of social stress among first- and second-generation immigrant parents in Quebec, Canada

BackgroundPerinatal psychological distress adversely impacts the well-being and social adjustment of parents and their children. Expectant parents who have migrated may be at higher risk for perinatal psychological distress due to various migration-specific stressors and healthcare service barriers. Limited studies have examined the perceived determinants of perinatal distress in immigrant parents, particularly men. This study explored first and second-generation immigrant parents’ lived experiences of social stressors and facilitators of perinatal psychological well-being.MethodsParticipants were recruited by convenience and purposive sampling as part of a larger study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually with first and second-generation immigrant women and men in Quebec, Canada. An inductive thematic analysis was performed.ResultsSixteen women (age = 34.8 ± 3.7 years) and ten men (age = 35.1 ± 4.9 years) from various ethnic backgrounds participated in the study at 7.4 ± 0.73 and 7.5 ± 0.72 months postpartum, respectively. Three themes were identified: (1) cultural pressures (cultural differences in parenting, gender-related cultural pressures, health and baby-related practices), (2) health and social service access (social benefits and resources, and systemic barriers in health care), and (3) discrimination (physical appearance or parental-related discrimination, gender-related discrimination, ethnic-related discrimination). First-generation immigrant parents reported greater acculturative stress (i.e. mental health stigma, health care access) and ethnic discrimination concerns related to their distress. Among men, barriers include feeling as though the paternal role was devalued by society and not receiving consideration by health care.ConclusionsOur results highlight different social factors of perinatal well-being perceived by men and women from various ethnic and immigration backgrounds during the perinatal period. Perceived factors include macro-level factors, such as a country’s social climate, health and social policies and services, and social aspects of acculturative stress. Our findings suggest the need for continued efforts to challenge and eliminate discriminatory practices. Interventions and resources directed at first-generation immigrant parents should be bolstered. Understanding what parents perceive to facilitate or hinder their psychological well-being can help inform the development of tailored evidence-based programs and policies to better meet the mental health needs of Canadians and reduce gender disparities in the treatment of perinatal distress.

Hypertension in Pregnancy Among Immigrant and Swedish Women: A Cohort Study of All Pregnant Women in Sweden.

Little is known about risks of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in both first- and second-generation immigrant women in Europe and other Western countries; such knowledge may help elucidate the influence of genetic versus social factors on such risks. We aimed to study both first- and second-generation immigrant women for the presence of all types of hypertension (preexisting hypertension, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia) during pregnancy. A cohort study was conducted using data derived from the Swedish National Birth Register, the National Patient Register, and the Total Population Register. We used Cox regression analysis to compute hazard ratios (HRs) and 99% CIs while adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities. The first-generation study included a total of 1 084 212 deliveries and 68 311 hypertension cases, and the second-generation study included 989 986 deliveries and 67 505 hypertension cases. The fully adjusted HR (with 99% CI) for hypertension in pregnancy among first-generation immigrant women was 0.69 (0.66-0.72), and among second-generation immigrant women, it was 0.88 (0.86-0.91), compared with Swedish-born women with 2 Swedish-born parents. Women born in Finland or with parent(s) from Finland had higher risks, with fully adjusted HRs (99% CIs) of 1.30 (1.18-1.43) and 1.12 (1.07-1.17), respectively. Both first- and second-generation immigrant women had overall lower risks of hypertension in pregnancy compared with other Swedish women. However, the risk reduction was less pronounced in second-generation compared with first-generation immigrant women, suggesting that environmental factors in Sweden may have an important influence on risk of hypertension during pregnancy.

Diabetes risk during pregnancy among second-generation immigrants: A national cohort study in Sweden

Background and aimsGestational diabetes is more common in many first-generation immigrant women in Europe and other Western countries. Less is known about second-generation immigrant women; such knowledge is needed to understand generational influences on diabetes risk. We aimed to study second-generation immigrant women regarding the presence of all types of diabetes during pregnancy. Methods and resultsA cohort study was conducted using the Swedish National Birth Register, the National Patient Register, and the Total Population Register. We used Cox regression analysis to compute hazard ratios (HRs) and 99% confidence intervals (99% CI) for any diabetes during pregnancy and specific subtypes (gestational diabetes, pre-existing diabetes type 1, pre-existing diabetes type 2) in second-generation immigrant women compared with Swedish-born women with two Swedish-born parents while adjusting for sociodemographic factors, family history of diabetes, body mass index, smoking habits, and comorbidities. The study population included a total of 989,986 deliveries and 17,938 diabetes cases. The fully adjusted HR (with 99% CI) for any type of diabetes during pregnancy among second-generation immigrant women was 1.11 (1.05–1.18). Higher risks were found in women with parents from Africa, Asia, or Eastern Europe, as well as Denmark. A lower risk for pre-existing type 1 diabetes was found overall and for women with parents from most geographic regions. ConclusionIn this national cohort study, the risk of all types of diabetes during pregnancy was increased in second-generation immigrant women. Diabetes prevention and treatment is especially important in these women both before and during pregnancy.

A Comparision Between Whether and How Western Fashion Represents the Identity of Upper-Class Women in Shanghai and Chinese Immigrant Women in the United States during the 1920s

During the 1920s, the city of Shanghai became a hub of Western influence, as more foreigners and Chinese individuals with overseas degrees brought new ideas to the port city. The growing upper-class in Shanghai increasingly had access to purchase Western products, specifically Western fashion on Nanjing Road. Meanwhile, Chinese immigrants living in the United States during this decade experienced varying degrees of Western influence in their everyday lives and how they dressed. The topic of this paper addresses an understudied comparison, utilizing fashion as an angle to examine the identities of upper-class women in Shanghai and Chinese immigrant women in the United States during the 1920s. This paper observes primary sources including photographs and a newspaper as a method to address the research topic. This paper argues that during the 1920s, most second-generation Chinese immigrant women adopted Western fashion to assimilate into American culture. However, the first-generation Chinese immigrant women mostly maintained their Chinese culture despite being in a new environment. On the other hand, in Shanghai, Western fashion became popular among upper-class women during the 1920s as it reflected their social and economic power; their identity became increasingly linked to progressive Western womens ideals. Ultimately, this papers assertion contributes to shaping a larger perspective explaining how the different environments of Shanghai and the United States caused the upper-class women in Shanghai and Chinese immigrant women in the United States to have disparate values in regard to Western fashion.

Gendered Consequences of Social Mobility: Second-Generation Immigrants’ Work–Care Considerations in High-Status Occupations in Norway

Across Europe, children of low-educated migrants are entering high-status occupations. While the research literature has accounted for the determinants of this social mobility, few studies have explored how social mobility affects the lives of second-generation immigrant men and women in different ways. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 62 descendants of migrants in high-status occupations in Norway, this article asks how second-generation women and men experience their gendered opportunities and constraints after achieving upward social mobility. The analyses show how social mobility brings the second generation into social milieus where their majority Norwegian colleagues become their most relevant references for how to do work and family. Both the second-generation women and men share a strong dedication to work, however, while this requires the women to challenge gender-complementary expectations, the men largely rely on gender-complementary arrangements. The analyses thus suggest that social mobility changes the lives of women more than those of men.

Factors associated with first-generation immigrant parents’ unwillingness to vaccinate their daughters for HPV

PurposeHuman papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates for children of immigrant parents are substantially lower than US peers. This study aimed (1) to assess the prevalence of immigrant parents’ unwillingness to vaccinate their daughters, (2) to compare by race/ethnicity the prevalence of immigrant parents’ unwillingness to vaccinate their daughters, and (3) to examine predictors of the unwillingness stratified by race/ethnicity. MethodThis study conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). HPV-related data were extracted and analyzed from first-generation immigrant parents (n = 784) with daughters 11–12 years of age. ResultsThe frequency of unwillingness was high for all racial/ethnic groups (43–58%). Non-Hispanic White and Asian parents who were aware of or heard about the HPV vaccine were less likely to be unwilling to vaccinate their daughters. Also, older Hispanic immigrant parents were more likely to be unwilling to vaccinate their daughters for HPV. ConclusionTo curb future incidences of HPV-related cervical cancers among second-generation immigrant women, efforts are needed to encourage first-generation immigrant parents to presently vaccinate their daughters for HPV.

The Senior-Year Transition: Gendered Experiences of Second-Generation Immigrant College Students

Research documents persistent gender inequality in the educational experiences of second-generation immigrant (SGI) students whose parents immigrated to the United States. This qualitative study draws from 27 in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of SGI women as they navigate the senior-year transition in conversation with their parents. Findings show how beliefs regarding gender inform the contours of parental expectations for soon-to-be graduates. SGI women confronted a series of gendered expectations for (a) family life and marriage, (b) future careers and further education, and (c) geographic mobility. These dynamics became especially salient for women participants with brothers who were not subjected to the same expectations. SGI women described these expectations as manifestations of gendered double standards. Findings have implications for how higher education can address gender inequality and support SGI women in the senior-year transition.

Experiencing ‘nikah Captivity’ in the West

Abstract Based on interviews with Muslim minority women and Islamic authorities, this article proposes a step-based model for understanding Muslim divorce processes in diaspora. Such processes are highly dependent on individual women’s embedding in gendered geographies of power: The analysis shows that second-generation immigrant women generally are quite easily able to put a full end to unwanted marriages. In contrast, first-generation immigrant women may end up living in yearlong ‘nikah captivity’, unable to have their nikahs (their ‘Muslim marriages’) dissolved, even though they have obtained a divorce under Danish law. When (ex)husbands keep (ex)wives in such nikah captivity, it can be regarded as a type of post-separation violence, facilitated by the migration-induced separation of Muslims from Islamic institutions.

Is There Evidence of Gender Preference for Offspring in France? Examining the Predilections of Native Women and Immigrant Women from Asia and Africa

This paper investigates gender preferences for offspring within the native French population and among immigrants from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Turkey and Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos in France by combining the Family and Housing Survey (2011) and the Trajectories and Origins Survey (2008). In so doing, it is the first paper to examine the persistence (or lack thereof) of gender preferences among immigrants in France. This allows the findings of the paper to serve as a tool for monitoring the immigrant integration process in the country. Using (multilevel) logistic regressions to examine transitions to second and third child births contingent upon gender of existing children and by migration status provides two main results. First, regarding evidence of gender preferences, the results show: mixed gender preferences and weak daughter preference among native French women when transitioning to the third parity; mixed gender preferences among second-generation Turkish immigrant women when transitioning to the third parity; and a daughter preference for second-generation North African, Sub-Saharan African and Vietnamese-Laos-Cambodian immigrant women when transitioning to the third parity. Second, for the immigrant sample, these preferences emerge in the face of declining fertility, across subsequent generations of immigrants, and on average as a deviation from their country of origin gender preferences. This not only points to the malleability of gender preferences for offspring but also lends credence to both the selection and adaptation hypotheses in explaining immigrant integration in France.

Huntington\u2019s disease among immigrant groups and Swedish-born individuals: a cohort study of all adults 18 years of age and older in Sweden

BackgroundThere is a lack of studies of Huntington’s disease (HD) in immigrants.ObjectiveTo study the association between country of birth and incident HD in first-generation immigrants versus Swedish-born individuals and in second-generation immigrants versus Swedish-born individuals with Swedish-born parents.MethodsStudy populations included all adults aged 18 years and older in Sweden, i.e., in the first-generation study 6,042,891 individuals with 1034 HD cases and in the second-generation study 4,860,469 individuals with 1001 cases. HD was defined as having at least one registered diagnosis of HD in the National Patient Register. The incidence of HD in different first-generation immigrant groups versus Swedish-born individuals was assessed by Cox regression, expressed as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The models were stratified by sex and adjusted for age, geographical residence in Sweden, educational level, marital status, and neighborhood socioeconomic status.ResultsMean age-standardized incidence rates per 100,000 person-years were for all Swedish-born 0.82 and for all foreign born 0.53 and for all men 0.73 and for all women 0.81, with the highest incidence rates for the group 80–84 years of age. After adjusting for potential confounders, the HRs were lower in women in the first- and second-generation, i.e., 0.49 (95% CI 0.36–0.67) and 0.63 (95% 0.45–0.87), respectively, and also among women from Finland or with parents from Finland.SignificanceIn general, the risk of HD was lower in first-generation and second-generation immigrant women but not among male immigrants.

Gender norms and intimate partner violence

We study the relevance of gender norms in accounting for the incidence and intensity of domestic violence. We use data for 28 European countries from the 2012 EU survey on violence against women, and focus on first- and second-generation immigrant women. We find that, after controlling for country-of-residence fixed effects, as well as demographic characteristics and other source-country variables, higher gender equality in the country of ancestry is significantly associated with a lower risk of victimization in the host country. This suggests that gender norms may play an important role in explaining the incidence of intimate partner violence.

Multiple sclerosis among first‐ and second‐generation immigrant groups in Sweden

Risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) is low among first-generation immigrants in Sweden. We aimed to study incident MS in first- and second-generation immigrant groups. We included adults aged 18years and older in Sweden in first-generation (n=6042891) and second-generation (n=4860469) sub-studies. MS was defined via two diagnoses in the Swedish National Patient Register. MS risk was estimated by Cox regression, with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), in different immigrant groups, using Swedish-born as referents in first-generation sub-study, and individuals with Swedish-born parents in the second-generation. Full models were adjusted for age, geographic residence in Sweden, educational level, marital status, neighborhood socioeconomic status, and co-morbidity. MS was diagnosed among 10746 individuals in the first-generation sub-study, (men 3055 and women 7691), and 11737 in the second-generation sub-study (men 3549 and women 8188) in the period 1998-2015. The annual incidence rate was higher in Swedish-born compared to foreign-born, 11.5 vs 6.3 per 100000 person-years (age-standardized to the European standard population). Fully adjusted HRs were lower in first-generation immigrant men (HR 0.72, 0.64-0.82) and women (HR 0.67, 0.62-0.73), and in second-generation immigrant men (HR 0.88, 0.79-0.97) and women (HR 0.79; 0.73-0.84). Among first-generation immigrants, lower HRs were found in most groups. The MS risk was lower in first- and second-generation immigrants compared to Swedish-born or individuals with Swedish-born parents.

Case Studies of Intimate Partner Violence, Immigration-Related Stress, and Legal Violence During Pregnancy in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region

This article explores how experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) combined with immigration-related stress shaped pregnancy and postnatal experiences among two immigrant women in the U.S.-Mexico border region of El Paso, TX. Enactment of U.S. immigration policies was changing rapidly during the period of data collection (2018–2019), generating a heightened sense of immigration-related insecurities for research participants. This context brought attention to how immigration law can exacerbate the potential for adverse health outcomes for pregnant and postnatal women caught in abusive relationships. This article presents the case studies of two women, Sara and Sofi, whose experiences reflected broader patterns documented in a larger qualitative study of the emotional experience of pregnancy among 35 first- and second-generation immigrant women in the U.S.-Mexico border region. Both women’s narratives highlight the ways U.S. immigration laws led to a sense of entrapment in abusive relationships during their pregnancies, which put them at heightened vulnerability. Further, the stress they experienced had the potential to lead to embodied health vulnerabilities. The case studies presented illustrate the ways the law can fuel processes that contribute to health risks, highlighting how U.S. immigration law can function as legal violence.

Horizontal vs. vertical transmission of fertility preferences

I study the cultural transmission of fertility preferences among second-generation immigrant women observed in U.S. Censuses from 1910 to 1970. As hypothesized by Bisin and Verdier (2001), the transmission of preferences can be “vertical” or “horizontal”. Using a unique source documenting the variation in fertility behavior in Europe before and after the first demographic transition (1830–1970), I unpack the influence of parents (measured by source-country fertility at the time of departure from Europe) versus the influence of peers from the same source-country (measured by fertility of the same-age cohorts living in the source-country and transmitted by same-age recent immigrants). I find that the transmission mechanism is crucially affected by the number of foreign-born immigrant peers living in the same MSA. On one hand, the “vertical” channel of transmission is stronger in places where there are few newly arrived foreign-born immigrant couples from the same source-countries. On the other hand, the “horizontal” channel prevails in MSA’s densely populated by recently arrived immigrants from the same source-countries of second-generation ones.

The working mother-in-law effect on the labour force participation of first and second-generation immigrant women in the UK

ABSTRACTThere are clear differences in labour force participation rates of women of immigrant origins, both first and second generation, across a range of European countries. Many of these differences, particularly for women with low participation rates, are not fully explained in existing studies. I argue that to better understand differences in labour force participation, and the role of ‘culture’ in shaping them, we need to take account of the context provided by previous generations of women. While mothers may transmit expectations regarding participation directly to their daughters through intergenerational transmission and childhood socialisation, mothers-in-law may also be important in indirectly influencing their daughters-in-law through their sons’ behaviours and attitudes. Using the UK large-scale household panel study Understanding Society, the contribution of this paper is to investigate the ‘mother-in-law effect’ in the UK. I shed light on the extent to which partnered women’s participation is affected by the work status of their partner’s mother. I find a positive association between a working mother-in-law and female labour force participation, which remains sizeable after accounting for individual-level characteristics. I also show that Pakistani and Bangladeshi women’s participation is more sensitive to the work status of their mothers-in-law than that of other groups.

The impact of intergenerational cultural transmission on fertility decisions

This study examines the impact of cultural attitudes on the fertility decisions of women who were born in the U.S. To distinguish the economic and institutional effects from the cultural effects on fertility decisions, this study employs data from second-generation immigrant women who kept their heritage languages in the U.S. Total fertility rate (TFR) from the woman’s heritage country is defined as a cultural proxy for fertility decisions. The results of the models indicate that second-generation immigrant women who kept their heritage languages and whose parents emigrated from countries with higher/lower TFR have more/fewer children in the U.S., respectively. Heritage cultures have positive and statistically significant impact on women’s fertility decisions. The two main findings indicate that first, culture has quantitative effects on a woman’s fertility decisions and second, culture slowly shifts over time. The results also demonstrate the importance of cultural transmission from one generation to the next, which can be used by policy makers.

Closing Heaven's Door: Evidence from the 1920s U.S. Immigration Quota Acts

The introduction of immigration quotas in the 1920s fundamentally changed U.S. immigration policy. We exploit this policy change to estimate the economic consequences of immigration restrictions for the U.S. economy. The implementation of the quota system led to a long-lasting relative decline in population growth in areas with larger pre-existing immigrant communities of affected nationalities. This effect was largely driven by the policy-restricted supply of immigrants from quota-affected nationalities and lower fertility of first- and second-generation immigrant women. In the more affected areas labor productivity growth in manufacturing declined substantially and native workers were pushed into lower-wage occupations. While native white workers faced sizable earnings losses, black workers benefited from the quota system and improved their relative economic status within the more affected areas.

Obstetric and perinatal outcomes among immigrant and non-immigrant women in Berlin, Germany.

In Germany, regular immigrants and their descendants have legal and financial access to health care equal to the general citizenry. Nonetheless, some of their health outcomes are comparatively unfavorable, and that is only partially explained by their lower socioeconomic status (SES). The aim of this study was to assess whether this disparity exists also for obstetric and perinatal outcomes. We compared obstetric and perinatal outcomes between immigrant women (first or second generation) and non-immigrant women, delivering at three maternity hospitals in Berlin, Germany, 2011-2012. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess immigrant status and other possible risk factors for the baby being delivered preterm, small for gestational age (SGA), or transferred to neonatal care. The final database retained 6702 women, of whom 53.1% were first- or second-generation immigrants. First-generation Turkish immigrant women had significantly lower odds of preterm birth (OR 0.37, P<0.001), SGA (OR 0.60, P=0.0079), and transfer of the newborn to neonatal care (OR 0.61, P=0.0034). Second-generation immigrant women had significantly lower odds of preterm birth (OR 0.67, P=0.0049) or transfer of the newborn to neonatal care (OR 0.76, P=0.0312). Moreover, women with education below university level, age 35+, or smokers had higher odds for poor outcomes. This study provides strong evidence that health disparities for obstetric and perinatal health outcomes do not exist in immigrants relative to native Germans, but exist instead in women without post-secondary-level education compared to women with such education, regardless of ethnicity or migration history.

Enacted Identities of Immigrant-Origin Emerging Adult Women in Online Contexts: Capturing Multiple and Intersecting Identities Using Qualitative Strategies

ABSTRACTUsing a multiple intersecting identities enactment framework, and a qualitative methodology, this article examined the multiple and intersecting identities immigrant-origin emerging adult women enacted online and explored the meanings they ascribed to these identities (N = 14, M age ≈ 20; 57% = second-generation immigrant). Thematic analyses of 84 narratives revealed that the immigrant-origin emerging adult women enacted a range of identities online including: personal/individual, relational/social, gender, ethnic, civic, student, occupational, and athletic. Personal/individual and relational/social identities were enacted most frequently, and intersected most often. First-generation and second-generation immigrant women were somewhat similar in the rate with which they enacted their identities online. Results showed that second-generation immigrant women enacted their personal/individual, ethnic, and civic identities as well as their intersecting identities online most often. Findings have implications for theory and research about online enactment of multiple and intersecting identities among immigrant-origin youth.

Discourse as virtue ethics: Muslim women in the American Southwest

This article examines naturally occurring speech among participants in a young women’s halaqa, or study circle, at a mosque in the southwest United States to detail how “tactics of linguistic objectification” provide anchor points for ethical negotiations of difference. By focusing on linguistic micro-practices, including codeswitching and mock “foreign” accents, this paper brings a linguistic anthropological approach to bear upon this inquiry into discourse as a mode of phronesis. It is argued that, during informal conversation, core members of this group of largely second-generation immigrant women highlighted features of non-native English speech to monitor, examine, and mediate their own and their families’ hypervisibility as U.S. Muslims. As policy and public opinion paint a picture of Muslims as an existential threat to the west, these women’s language use, narratives and laughter act as in-group responses to social scrutiny that makes acknowledgement and normalization of Muslim difference obligatory. This article is published as part of a collection on discourse studies.