Strategizing to Strengthen Social Inclusion: The Agency of Black African Immigrant Youth in Alberta, Canada

The past two decades have witnessed a rapid increase of immigrant population in U.S. schools. Little is known, however, about factors that promote cross-cultural experiences, academic achievement, and/or challenges of Black African immigrant youth, which is particularly significant today in the midst of the current social and political discourse over the influence of immigration in U.S. schools. Sixty Ghanaian-born immigrant students were recruited and interviewed. Analyses, which draw from in-depth interviews and observations, revealed that resilience to succeed, teacher and parent support, positive school environment, past histories including educational experiences, and challenging factors of racism, classism, xenophobia, acculturative stress, changes in curriculum, language, and cultural discrimination emerged as the major factors that largely influenced academic achievement of these learners. This article discusses the implications of these findings for educators who are tasked to render better educational settings for Black African immigrant students to succeed in U.S. schools.

Download Full-text

Social media identities of African immigrant youth: implications for educators

Multicultural Education Review ◽

10.1080/2005615x.2017.1346558 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 188-200

Author(s):

George Nantwi ◽

Hui Soo Chae ◽

Gary Natriello

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Immigrant Youth ◽

African Immigrant

Download Full-text

Gender-Based Expectations and their Effect on Mental Health Amongst Black African Immigrant Young Men Living in Canada

Witness: The Canadian Journal of Critical Nursing Discourse ◽

10.25071/2291-5796.16 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 82-90

Author(s):

Omolola Olawo

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Service Utilization ◽

African Immigrants ◽

Interpretive Description ◽

African Immigrant ◽

Black African ◽

Speaking Out ◽

Cultural Expectations ◽

Gender Based ◽

Immigrant Men

Black African immigrant men’s mental health is relatively understudied. This article is part of a larger study that explored the perceptions of mental health amongst African immigrant youth living in Canada. Using an interpretive description methodology, underpinned by an intersectional and critical lens, this article addresses racial, societal, and cultural expectations that could have an effect on Black African immigrant men’s mental health. Eight men and women who self-identified as Black African immigrants between the ages of 18 and 25 participated in the overall study, while five participants contributed the data for this article. Masculinity as a determinant of health, the resilience of African men, and the intersections of identity and vulnerability are discussed. It is concluded that the stigma surrounding Black African men speaking out about their mental health warrants a deeper examination in relation to their mental health outcomes. Areas of further inquiry include exploring mental health service utilization amongst Black African immigrant men.

Download Full-text

The Meaning of Video Gameplay

Journal of Underrepresented & Minority Progress ◽

10.32674/jump.v4i1.2025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 109-126

Author(s):

Rebecca Y. Bayeck

Keyword(s):

Video Game ◽

Immigrant Students ◽

The United States ◽

Cultural Continuity ◽

Primary Data ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

African Immigrant ◽

Black African ◽

Data Collection Technique

Reseaech on African immigrant students video gameplay is still in its infancy . Yet, the popularity of video games among college students in the United States suggest that African immigrant students may be video game players. This paper explores the video gameplay of three Black African immigrant students at an institution of higher education. This study draws on research on immigrants use of media and on video game literature to analyze the participants ‘experiences. This exploratory qualitative case study of three Black African immigrant students uses semi-structured interviews as the primary data collection technique. The findings show that gameplay was a means to adjust to the new environment, a way to preserve identity, and ensure cultural continuity.

Download Full-text

African Immigrant and the Struggle against Class, Racism and Xenophobic Consequences in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Volume 5 - 2020, Issue 9 - September - International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ◽

10.38124/ijisrt20jul837 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (7) ◽

pp. 1460-1468

Author(s):

Ernest Muchu Toh

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

South African ◽

African Continent ◽

African Unity ◽

African Immigrant ◽

Black African ◽

Entire World ◽

The Way

This paper brings to understanding the effects of class and racism which are manifested in xenophobic attacks against foreign blacks in South Africa. Xenophobic attacks have been persistent in the country for over the last two decade. It has amongst other things slowed the economy, particularly affected the country’s relations with the African continent and tainted the image of South Africa to the entire world. These attacks turn the livelihood of Africans immigrants into a daily struggle to adapt, survive, integrate themselves and contributes to the development of the country. The article seeks to unveil the reasons South African blacks behave the way they do against their fellow Black African counterparts despite the call for African unity and solidarity also known as ‘Ubuntu’. From the findings, it demonstrates that the act of xenophobia is a manifestation of effect of mindset influenced by the apartheid policy, which was based on hatred, class, race, and violence.

Download Full-text

Exploring Factors That Facilitate Acculturation Strategies and Academic Success of West African Immigrant Youth in Urban Schools

Education and Urban Society ◽

10.1177/0013124519846279 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

pp. 21-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alex Kumi-Yeboah ◽

Gordon Brobbey ◽

Patriann Smith

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Academic Success ◽

Extracurricular Activities ◽

Immigrant Students ◽

Immigrant Youth ◽

West African ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Acculturation Strategies ◽

African Immigrant ◽

New School

Immigrant students in U.S. educational system experience challenges learning to adapt and integrate into new educational environments. Little is known, however, about factors that facilitate acculturation strategies of immigrant youth from West Africa and how they affect their academic success and challenges faced. Considering the current political discourse over the influence of immigration in U.S. schools, 20 immigrant youth from Ghana and Nigeria were recruited and interviewed in the metropolitan area of New York City. Analyses of semi-structured interviews revealed that teacher, parent, and peer support; social and electronic media; and extracurricular activities emerged as the factors that helped acculturation strategies and academic success. Challenging factors were dealing with sociocultural differences; discrimination, stress, and social integration; and language differences. The article discusses the implications of these findings for teachers to understand acculturation strategies to help West African immigrant youth to adapt, acculturate, and integrate into new school environments.

Download Full-text

Introducing a Black African Immigrant Womanist Approach to Examine the Experiences of African Immigrant Women in International Migration

Immigrant Women’s Voices and Integrating Feminism Into Migration Theory - Advances in Religious and Cultural Studies ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-4664-2.ch004 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 61-79

Author(s):

Florence Nyemba

Keyword(s):

International Migration ◽

Immigrant Women ◽

Future Research ◽

Large Female ◽

Migration Process ◽

African Immigrant ◽

Black African ◽

Migration Literature ◽

African Immigrant Women ◽

Migration Theories

According to the International Organization of Migration, women constituted 47.9% of the world's 272 million international migrants in 2019. These three regions North America (51.8%), Europe (51.8%) and Oceania (50.4%) accommodated a large female migrant population compared to men (UN DESA, 2019). Black African immigrant women contribute significantly to this surge of female migration. Given the increasing population of women in international migration process, the main focus of this chapter is to argue that although women from different nations have become visible in the migration literature, there are no theories or concepts to explore their experiences in the migration process. To encourage the development of gendered international migration theories, this chapter introduces a Black African immigrant womanist approach to guide future research studies to explore the unique experiences of African immigrant women at all stages of the migration process. Four case studies were used to highlight the authenticity of this new concept.

Download Full-text