Migration Studies Commons^™

Practice-Based Learning: Establishing Simple Monitoring Systems To Support Sgbv Programming In Refugee Settings, Chi-Chi Undie, Josephine Ngebeh, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Michael Gaitho, George Odwe, Nachela Chelwa, Harriet Birungi, Michael Mbizvo

Reproductive Health

Implementers of sexual and gender-based violence programs in refugee settings are typically eager to learn about the extent to which their programs are making a difference in the lives of those they serve. Basic monitoring information can help address this imperative without unduly burdening program implementers with time-consuming evaluations. The Sauti/VOICE project is guiding adaptation and implementation of evidence-based SGBV interventions in refugee contexts. These interventions are implemented by UNHCR partners in eight countries in the East, Horn, and Great Lakes region of Africa. Although Sauti/VOICE is primarily focused on integrating tested SGBV interventions into refugee contexts, monitoring the implementation …

Practice-Based Learning: Medico-Legal Evidence Collection As Part Of Post-Rape Care In Refugee Contexts, Michael Gaitho, Ronald Kotut, Anne Ngunjiri, Jane T. Thiomi, Josephine Ngebeh, Chi-Chi Undie

Reproductive Health

Health care providers collect an array of documentation and specimens to support criminal investigations. Such documentation and specimens are referred to as “medico-legal” or “forensic” evidence, and in the case of rape, include a survivor’s documented injuries and emotional state at the time of examination, as well as samples and specimens from the survivor’s body or clothing. For survivors of rape and defilement who want to obtain legal justice, medico-legal evidence is critical. In African countries, health providers and the police are depended upon to ensure such evidence is collected, but medico-legal evidence collection can present challenges. Evidence-based interventions are …

Développer Le Contenu D'Un Outil D'Aide À L'Amélioration Des Compétences Interculturelles Des Intervenants De La Cnesst À Partir D'Une Démarche De Coconstruction, Daniel Côté, Jessica Dubé, Nicolas Bastien, Sylvie Gravel

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Selon les intervenants de la Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), presque 50 % des travailleurs touchés par une lésion professionnelle sur l’île de Montréal seraient issus de l’immigration (ou de groupes ethnoculturels) (CNESST, 2010). Il ne s’agit que d’une estimation, puisque les indicateurs ethnoculturels tels que le pays de naissance, la langue maternelle ou autres ne sont pas des données colligées par la CNESST. Dans le cadre du projet de l’IRSST intitulé Comprendre le processus de réadaptation et de retour au travail dans le contexte des relations interculturelles (Côté et …

The Network Structure Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Filipina Migrant Domestic Workers: Comorbidity With Depression, Melissa R. Garabiles, Chao K. Lao, Brian J. Hall

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

Background

Labour migrants are exposed to potentially traumatic events throughout the migration cycle, making them susceptible to developing mental disorders. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often comorbid with depression. Comorbidity worsens the course of illness, prognosis, treatment response, and increases suicidal risk. Using network analysis, this study examined the structure of PTSD and depression in a sample of migrant domestic workers, an especially vulnerable community of labour migrants. This study sought to derive the central or most important symptoms, strongest edges or relationships among symptoms, and bridge symptoms between PTSD and depression.

Methods

Data were obtained from 1,375 Filipina domestic …

Birth Across Borders: Migueleña Maternal Experience In Palm Beach County, Florida, Inbal Mazar

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Dangers for pregnant Maya women in San Miguel Acatán, a highland hamlet in Huehuetenango, Guatemala are exceptionally high. Those who migrate to Palm Beach County, Florida also face significant risks during pregnancy. However, conceptualizing migrants as vulnerable and non-agentive dismisses the opportunity to explore other dimensions of migrant women experiences. Interviews with Migueleña mothers and midwives and health professionals and advocates in both regions revealed resilience strategies Migueleña migrants create and employ as they navigate linguistically and culturally foreign medical systems. The support they provide each other results in more positive maternal experiences under arduous circumstances. Over time, Migueleñas are …

Migration And Covid-19: Uttar Pradesh And Bihar, Population Council Institute

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To control the spread of COVID-19 in India and to aid the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Population Council and other nongovernmental organizations are conducting research to assess residents’ ability to follow sanitation and social distancing precautions under a countrywide lockdown. The Population Council COVID-19 study team is implementing rapid phone-based surveys to collect information on knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as needs, among 1,237 young people. As noted in this brief, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar are two of the highest out-migration states in India. Migration is mostly to metropolitan areas in Delhi, …

The Current State Of Migrant Health In Morocco: Pre-And Peri-Covid-19 Pandemic, Layla Babahaji

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the early 21st century, Morocco transitioned from being a predominantly transit migration country into both a transit and destination country for migrants. In 2013, the Moroccan government took significant steps to adapt the healthcare system in better integrating migrants in its policies. The government implemented the National Strategy on Immigration and Asylum that improved access to public health care for migrants. Recently, in March of 2020, Morocco declared a state of medical emergency due to the current COVID-19 pandemic that continues today. This paper addresses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the current state of migrant health in …

Covid 19 In U.S. Migrant Detention Centers: The Call For Freedom In The Face Of A Global Pandemic, Salma Rojas

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My research paper investigates the responses of the U.S. immigration detention system to the COVID 19 pandemic and determines the capacity of the detention centers to keep detained individuals alive and healthy. As I analyze their capacities, I look to past detention center outbreaks, updated public health resources, reports on ICE facility conditions and the testimonies of migrant people who were detained during the COVID 19 crisis. The urgency of the COVID 19 pandemic is why I dedicate part of my paper to what needs to be done to prevent the situation from worsening. In drawing from these various sources, …

La Comunicación Intercultural Entre Pacientes Bolivianos Y Trabajadores De Salud En Buenos Aires, Argentina / Intercultural Communication Between Bolivian Patients And Health-Care Workers In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lilly Snellman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Según la Ley de Migraciones 25.871 de 2004, los inmigrantes en Argentina tienen el mismo derecho a la atención médica que los argentinos nativos. El sistema de salud argentina es uno de los más inclusivos en el mundo, pero todavía hay barreras al acceso para comunidades e individuos marginados. Muchas veces los migrantes bolivianos son discriminados en la sociedad argentina por sus rasgos raciales, bajo nivel socioeconómico y diferencias culturales. Tres clases importantes de barreras para el acceso a la atención médica para los migrantes son las económicas, estructurales y comunicativas. En este estudio, decidí enfocarme en las brechas de …

Long-Term Mental Health Support For Refugees After Resettlement: Assessment Of Mental Health And Psychosocial Support Services For Refugees In Switzerland, Courtney W. Chan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

By definition, refugees are people forced to escape their home countries, often as a result of persecution, war, or disaster. While abundant literature exists on the psychological effects of trauma and corresponding psychological treatment during or immediately following crises, we know little about how post-migration factors affect refugees’ psychological well-being after resettlement. Few such longitudinal studies have been reported; moreover, evaluations of current long-term mental health and psychosocial services (MHPSS) and refugee access to MHPSS in host countries remain sparse. This study presents an evaluation of MHPSS services for refugees currently implemented around the world, with a focus on services …

Disability And Migration: How Systems Of Violence Intersect With The Production And Experience Of Disability For Migrants In Morocco, Frances Condon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project investigates the perspectives and experiences of physically disabled, chronically ill, or bodily-impaired migrants from south of the Sahara living in Rabat, Morocco. Increasing interest in disabled migrants’ rights from international organizations risks erasing those being ‘protected’ if it does not attend to the intersections of race, class, citizenship, and gender as they relate to the production and experience of disability for migrants. Produced by and for the (white) global North, I argue that traditional Euro-American disability studies scholarship is ill-equipped to address the issues faced by disabled migrants in post-colonial contexts. In addition to being ineffective, the uncritical …

Black Women’S Wellbeing: The Intersections Of Race, Immigrant Status, And Mental Health Among African Diasporan Women In Houston, Texas, Sianneh Vesslee

African American and Africana Studies Summer Fellows

My central research question is: how has white supremacy impacted African Diaspora women’s mental health, access to mental healthcare, and identities as mental health patients in the United States as discernible in advertisements and state policies for psychological wellness? More specifically, I will investigate whether and/or how white supremacy shapes the ways in which advertising and state policies for mental healthcare address the particular needs of black women who immigrate to Houston, Texas from Lagos, Nigeria and Coahuila, Mexico. I choose those geographies because Houston is a U.S. city with one of the highest populations of black immigrants from Nigeria …

Female Genital Mutilation In The United States: Estimating The Number Of Girls At Risk, Phyllis Chesler

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Female genital mutilation (FGM) destroys the capacity of women to experience sexual pleasure. It causes serious medical complications such as bleeding, painful urination, cysts, dangerous and recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, the growth of scar tissue that make marital intercourse a nightmare and that turns childbirth into an experience of danger and torture. Due to immigration, FGM now poses a potential health crisis in the West, both in Europe and in the United States. To estimate how many girls who live in the West are at risk, one can measure the prevalence of FGM in the non-Western countries where …

Home And Healing In The In-Between: Migrant And Refugee Mental Health In Tunisia, Donia Torabian

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research is a study of migrant conceptions of home and healing in Tunisia. It seeks to understand the ways in which migration, trauma, and healing interact as lived experiences for people who migrate for various reasons to Tunisia. Using past research from Terre d’Asile and Médecins du Monde, the research seeks to understand the main risk and protective factors of migrant mental health. The research is a qualitative study of the ways in which migrants identify with having experienced trauma and the healing practices they may have brought to or learned in Tunisia. It also hopes to build connections …

Nationalizing Services For The Trans-National: How Sub-Saharan Migrants Navigate Healthcare Access In Tunisia, Batoul Hasan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The right to human health and the resources that empower this state is an entitlement recognized under international law. With the circumstances surrounding their journeys, migrants face increased risks and vulnerabilities that necessitate social protections. Nations of reception, due to exclusionary policies or lack of capacity, may fail to guarantee these protections. This study investigates how this phenomenon unfolds in Tunisia, a middle-income nation undergoing a host of political and economic changes, but one that’s nonetheless become an alluring destination for migrants, specifically those from sub-Saharan African nations. The analysis proceeds from an assessment of the public health situation in …

When Crayons Meet Tibetan Living Room Walls: Early Childhood In Exile, Emma Hart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study aims to understand early childhood caregiving among Tibetan refugees living in Nepal. Due to the brain’s enormous developmental plasticity from ages zero to three, children’s experiences during this period are extremely important to explaining their future learnings in school, interactions with people, and engagements with their surroundings. Through interviews and observations, Tibetan parents shared their conceptions of early childhood, parent-child interaction norms, dreams for their children, and how their status as refugees in Nepal affects these. Research was conducted in two Pokhara district Tibetan settlements and one settlement in Mustang. Connected by the flow of children and adults …

A Qualitative Metasynthesis Of Published Research Exploring The Pregnancy And Resettlement Experience Among Refugee Women, Diana M. Kingsbury, Sheryl L. Chatfield

The Qualitative Report

The number of refugees and asylum seekers throughout the world continues to increase, leading to increasing challenges in meeting healthcare needs of these individuals. Women’s antenatal health is of particular concern due to their vulnerability to sexual violence and the substantial proportion of refugees consisting of women and girls of or nearing reproductive age. The purpose of this qualitative metasynthesis was to integrate and interpret findings from previously published research reports in which authors explored aspects of pregnancy among resettled refugee women. Following a systematic search process, we used Dedoose qualitative data analysis software to manage the process of extracting …

Mlk Book Read 2019 (Research Materials), Holy Cross Libraries

Library Resources for Campus Events

A bibliography of resources available through the Holy Cross Libraries which provide additional information related to the MLK Winter Book Read, based on the best-seller “Brother, I'm Dying" by Edwidge Danticat.

The Global Compact On Refugees: How The Sauti/Voice Project Fits, Josephine Ngebeh, Chi-Chi Undie, Joanina Karugaba

Reproductive Health

How can stakeholders support refugees in the present-day unprecedented global refugee crisis? At least one way is by entering into a clearly defined compact to do so. Developed in 2018, the Global Compact on Refugees is a nonbinding agreement among United Nations Member States and other relevant stakeholders, including international organizations. A symbol of political will, the Compact demonstrates the commitment of the international community to enhanced cooperation and solidarity with both refugees and their host communities. The Global Compact on Refugees provides the international community with guidance for supporting present-day refugee communities, characterized by large populations and protracted refugee …

Sauti/Voice Project: First Unhcr-Population Council Regional Workshop, Josephine Ngebeh, Chi-Chi Undie, Joanina Karugaba, George Odwe, Nachela Chelwa, Harriet Birungi, Michael Mbizvo

Reproductive Health

In 2014, the UNHCR East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (EHAGL) Africa Bureau in Nairobi, and the Population Council/Nairobi established technical cooperation for Improving Evidence-based Programming for Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in Refugee Operations in the East and Horn of Africa. The Africa Bureau works closely with the Council to initiate appropriate interventions for the prevention of, and response to, SGBV in refugee operations. The Council’s technical team is represented by the Council-led Africa Regional SGBV Network. Technical cooperation between the Africa Bureau and the Council has resulted in a new initiative: VOICE—Violence Prevention and Response Through …

Practice-Based Learning: Observations On One-Stop Centers In Refugee Settings, Chi-Chi Undie, Josephine Ngebeh, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Joanina Karugaba

Reproductive Health

One-Stop Centers’ (OSCs) have grown in popularity for responding to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the East, Horn, and Great Lakes regions of Africa. OSCs attempt to provide an integrated, multisectoral response to SGBV survivors’ needs in one location. In resource-constrained settings, the most common services offered at OSCs include health care, psycho-social support, police and judicial services, as well as social support. Studies demonstrate that health-facility-based OSCs that are owned and run by health-facility staff are more effective than NGO-run OSCs in achieving the broadest range of desired health and legal outcomes for SGBV survivors. In collaboration with …

Practice-Based Learning: Integrating Sgbv Screening Into Health Facilities In Refugee Contexts, Chi-Chi Undie, Josephine Ngebeh, Joanina Karugaba, Harriet Birungi, Michael Mbizvo

Reproductive Health

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) “screening” refers to the standardized assessment of clients for SGBV incidents, regardless of reasons for presenting at a health facility. This practice has been shown to be feasible and effective in various countries and contexts in the East and Southern African region, resulting in proactive identification of female survivors, and their successful referrals for comprehensive SGBV care. In the last decade, health facilities in the region have been increasingly eager to incorporate such screening within the normal protocols of their health-care providers. In collaboration with the Population Council-led Africa Regional SGBV Network, the UNHCR East, …

There You Enjoy Life Here You Work- Brazilian And Dominican Immigrant Views On Work And Health In The Us, Cristina Brinkerhoff, Carlos Eduardo Siqueira, Rosalyn Negrón, Natalicia Tracy

Gastón Institute Publications

Abstract: Structural inequalities in the U.S. work environment place most immigrants in low paying, high-risk jobs. Understanding how work experiences and influence the health of different immigrant populations is essential to address disparities. This article explores how Brazilian and Dominican immigrants feel about their experiences working in the U.S. and how the relationship between work and culture might impact their health. In partnership with the Dominican Development Center and the Brazilian Worker Center, we held five cultural conversations (CCs) with Brazilians (n = 48) and five with Dominicans (n = 40). CCs are participatory, unstructured groups facilitated by representatives from …

Dios, Drogas, Dinero: ¿QuiéN Gana Con El Traslado De Adictos De Puerto Rico A Ee.Uu.?, Claudia E. Irizarry Aponte, Eliana Y. Perez

Capstones

For the last 25 years, evangelical leaders have been shipping off opioid addicts in Puerto Rico to cities in the mainland US, mainly New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia--under the promise they’ll receive state-of-the-art rehabilitation treatment, only to end up in unregulated transitional homes and flophouses where they don’t receive proper medical care or psychotherapy. In turn, many of these unregulated transitional homes, also run by evangelical leaders, may charge Medicaid kickbacks from their “patients.”

While this so-called “air bridge” from Puerto Rico to the U.S. goes back decades, it gained momentum from 2005 to 2014, when evangelical leaders joined …

Effects Of An Educational Intervention On Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates In Marshallese Mothers Residing In The U.S., Connor K. Otto

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: The largest population of Marshallese immigrants in the Contiguous U.S. resides in Northwest Arkansas. Despite adequate access to healthcare, the Marshallese face many health disparities, perhaps partly due to the language barrier they face in healthcare settings and education. Regarding breastfeeding rates, women in the Marshall Islands have a significantly higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding than in Marshallese women residing in the U.S. who face cultural barriers. Breastfeeding is positively correlated to many benefits for infants and is recommended exclusively for at least 6 months by pediatric policy organizations.

Objective: The purpose of this research is to examine breastfeeding …

Depression, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And A History Of Pervasive Gender-Based Violence Among Women Asylum Seekers Who Have Undergone Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Retrospective Case Review, Hazel Lever, Deborah Ottenheimer, Jimmitti Teysir, Elizabeth Singer, Holly G. Atkinson

Publications and Research

We sought to evaluate the frequency of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and any experiences of violence in women who had undergone Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and were seeking asylum in the United States. We undertook a retrospective qualitative descriptive study of FGM/C cases seen in an asylum clinic over a 2-year period. Standardized questionnaires provided quantitative scores for anxiety, depression and PTSD. Clients’ personal and physician medical affidavits were analyzed for experiences of violence. Of the 13 cases, anxiety and depression were exhibited by 92 and 100% of women, while all seven women screened for PTSD had symptoms. Qualitative analysis revealed …

The Social Provision Of Healthcare To Migrants In The Us And In China, Van C. Tran, Katharine M. Donato

Publications and Research

This article develops a comparative analysis of healthcare provision to migrants in the US and in China. It proceeds in three parts. First, we begin by describing the growth of the unauthorized population and trace the evolution of social provision of healthcare to immigrants, highlighting the restrictive nature of federal social provisions and greater autonomy of state and local governments in redefining eligibility criteria in the US. Second, we examine the impact of legal status on healthcare access and utilization among Mexicans, using original data from the 2007 Hispanic Healthcare Survey and the Mexican Migration Project. We find that unauthorized …

A Qualitative Study Of Asylum Seekers Experience As Mentees With The Welcoming The Stranger Program, Deborah H. W. Hamilton

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Asylum seekers are foreign nationals who enter the United States legally fleeing danger in their home country. Over 26,000 individuals were granted asylum in 2015, with 3.4% of the State of Maine’s population identifying as immigrants. Portland Maine’s General Assistance (GA) office reports nearly 40% of GA recipients were visa holders seeking asylum during fiscal year 2016. Asylum seekers arrive with psychological and physical burdens and then face hurdles trying to gain legal status while attempting to get their basic needs met in the social service systems. Organizations have been created on a grassroots level to provide support and bypass …

Sans-Papiers, Sans-Santé: A Study Of Undocumented Migrant Women’S Access To Reproductive And Obstetric Health Care In Switzerland, Sarah Kinch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent years, Switzerland has seen increasing numbers of foreign-born residents, making it one of the many countries affected by the European Migrant Crisis. Of these newly-settled migrants, many live in the country illegally, otherwise known as undocumented migrants or “Sans-Papiers.” While Switzerland grants its Sans-Papiers population a right to health, thus making medical insurance and care legal for the undocumented community, many still see increased adverse health outcomes among the population. As more than half of the Sans-Papiers living in Switzerland are female, women are therefore increasingly at risk for worse reproductive and obstetric health. This study sought to …

Migration And Child Domestic Work: Evidence From Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Domestic work is frequently the initial survival strategy for rural Ethiopian girls migrating to urban areas. Following migration from rural areas, most girls enter the workforce as domestic workers, because it is a readily available form of work requiring little or no education. In 2015–16, the Population Council undertook a study of migrant, out-of-school girls in urban and rural areas in six Ethiopian regions which demonstrated that this is a common phenomenon. Originating from poor rural areas and armed with little in the way of education, domestic workers receive low pay and frequently work in abusive situations, including sexual abuse. …