Faith, An Alien and Narrow Path of Christian Ethics in Migration

Exchange ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Immigrant Communities ◽  
Undocumented Migrant ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Christian Morality ◽  
Immigrant Churches ◽  
Context Of Situation ◽  
Immigrant Congregations

Abstract The rise of African immigrant communities in the diaspora, especially in Europe and North America, have contributed significantly to the renewal of Christian presence in those contexts. There are significant numbers of the membership of African immigrant congregations who are economic migrants and whose immigration statuses have not been regularized. The average undocumented migrant lives a very difficult life due to the inability to provide authentic papers for work. This affects the lives of immigrants in several ways, including access to healthcare and education for children. In those circumstances the temptation to survive by assuming false identities is very strong. The mission of immigrant churches includes the provision of ‘protection’ for their vulnerable members who need to survive a physically precarious diaspora. That African immigrants often reinterpret their problems in terms of attacks from supernatural forces and envious witches at ‘home’ in Africa informs the approach of the leadership to care and counselling. This paper proposes to identify the pastoral problems of African immigrant Christians within the context of situation ethics and how the inability to regularize their stay in Europe and North America affects Christian morality and mission in ‘alien lands’.

scholarly journals “They Wait until the Disease Has Taking over You and the Doctors Cannot Do Anything about It”: Qualitative Insights from Harambee! 2.0

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12706
Author(s):  
Shukri A. Hassan ◽  
Farah Mohamed ◽  
Najma Sheikh ◽  
Guiomar Basualdo ◽  
Nahom A. Daniel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Preventive Health Care ◽  
Immigrant Communities ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Black African ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Immigrant Experiences ◽  
Preventative Healthcare

African immigrants make up a large subgroup of Black/African-Americans in the US. However, because African immigrant groups are typically categorized as “Black,” little is known about their preventative healthcare needs. Differences in culture, life and healthcare experiences between African immigrant populations and US-born people may influence preventive health care uptake. Thus, policymakers and healthcare providers lack information needed to make informed decisions around preventive care for African immigrants. This formative study was conducted among the largest East African immigrant communities in King County, WA. We recruited religious leaders, community leaders, health professionals, and lay community members to participate in thirty key informant interviews and five focus group discussions (n = 72 total), to better understand preventative healthcare attitudes in these communities. Through inductive coding and thematic analysis, we identified factors that impact preventative healthcare attitudes of the Somali, Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant communities and deter them from accessing and utilizing healthcare. Cultural beliefs and attitudes around preventative healthcare, mistrust of westernized healthcare, religious beliefs/views, intersecting identities and shared immigrant experiences all influence how participants view preventative healthcare. Our results suggest that interventions that address these factors are needed to most effectively increase uptake of preventative healthcare in African immigrant communities.

scholarly journals Longer Residence in the United States is Associated With More Physical Function Limitations in African Immigrant Older Adults

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482097760
Author(s):  
Manka Nkimbeng ◽  
Yvonne Commodore-Mensah ◽  
Jacqueline L. Angel ◽  
Karen Bandeen-Roche ◽  
Roland J. Thorpe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Racial Discrimination ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
The United States ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
High Discrimination ◽  
The Mean

Acculturation and racial discrimination have been independently associated with physical function limitations in immigrant and United States (U.S.)-born populations. This study examined the relationships among acculturation, racial discrimination, and physical function limitations in N = 165 African immigrant older adults using multiple linear regression. The mean age was 62 years ( SD = 8 years), and 61% were female. Older adults who resided in the United States for 10 years or more had more physical function limitations compared with those who resided here for less than 10 years ( b = −2.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [–5.01, –0.23]). Compared to lower discrimination, those with high discrimination had more physical function limitations ( b = −2.51, 95% CI = [–4.91, –0.17]), but this was no longer significant after controlling for length of residence and acculturation strategy. Residing in the United States for more than 10 years is associated with poorer physical function. Longitudinal studies with large, diverse samples of African immigrants are needed to confirm these associations.

Abstract P397: Social Determinants of Hypertension and Diabetes Among African Immigrants: The African Immigrant Health Study

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwabunmi Ogungbe ◽  
Ruth-alma N Turkson-ocran ◽  
Diana Baptiste ◽  
Binu Koirala ◽  
Cheryl R Dennison Himmelfarb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Immigrant Health ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
African Immigrant Health

Introduction: The differences in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Black ethnic groups in the U.S. remain largely unexplained. African immigrants are particularly likely to have high rates of hypertension and diabetes, and less likely to be screened, diagnosed or receive treatment. Objective: To examine the association between social determinants of health (SDoH) and hypertension and diabetes among African immigrants. Methods: The African Immigrant Health Study was a cross-sectional study of 465 African immigrants living in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Data collection was performed through a combination of physical examinations and questionnaires. The outcomes were self-reported hypertension and diabetes. Elements of SDoH collected were education, income, health insurance, employment and marital status. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between SDoH and hypertension/diabetes. Results: The mean age of participants was 46.8(±11.5) years and 60% were women; 64% had ≥ college degree, 83% were employed, 67% had health insurance, and 70% were married/co-habiting. Mean body mass index was 30.7 (±18.3) kg/m 2 . The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was 32%, and 13% respectively. The odds of diabetes were higher amongst those who were unemployed [aOR: 2.86 (1.39-5.56)] ( Table ). Education, health insurance, income and marital status were not associated with hypertension or diabetes after accounting for age and sex. Conclusion: Among African immigrants, we observed that those who were unemployed had a higher likelihood of self-reported diabetes than those who were employed. Additional studies are needed to further study the contributions of social determinants of hypertension and diabetes as well as and developing health policy and interventions to improve cardiovascular health.

scholarly journals African Immigrant Health: Prostate Cancer Attitudes, Perceptions, and Barriers

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 155798832094546
Author(s):  
Nipher Malika ◽  
Oyinkansola Ogundimu ◽  
Lisa Roberts ◽  
Qais Alemi ◽  
Carlos Casiano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Racial Groups ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Planning Development ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Prostate Health ◽  
Immigrant Men

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among Black men who present with higher incidence, mortality, and survival compared to other racial groups. African immigrant men, however, are underrepresented in PCa research and thus this research sought to address that gap. This study applied a social determinants of health framework to understand the knowledge, perceptions, and behavioral tendencies regarding PCa in African immigrants. African immigrant men and women residing in different parts of the country (California, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Florida) from various faith-based organizations, African community groups, and social groups were recruited to participate in key informant interviews ( n = 10) and two focus groups ( n = 23). Four themes were identified in this study: (a) PCa knowledge and attitudes—while knowledge is very limited, perceptions about prostate health are very strong; (b) culture and gender identity strongly influence African health beliefs; (c) preservation of manhood; and (d) psychosocial stressors (e.g., financial, racial, immigration, lack of community, and negative perceptions of invasiveness of screening) are factors that play a major role in the overall health of African immigrant men. The results of this qualitative study unveiled perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of PCa among African immigrants that should inform the planning, development, and implementation of preventive programs to promote men’s health and PCa awareness.

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