A Demographic and Sociological Perspective on

In this article, Mr. Jorge Chapa focuses on the underlying appreciation of the humanity of undocumented immigrants in . In doing so, he attempts to provide lawmakers and policymakers with demographic information and sociological perspectives on undocumented immigrants. As such, he presents information on the racialization of undocumented immigrants (the assumption that all undocumented immigrants are Mexican), the guest worker program, employer recruiting efforts that can constitute a de facto guest worker program, and the use of undocumented immigrants in the meatpacking industry. He concludes that comprehensive immigration reform should take such demographic information and sociological perspectives into account to ensure that U.S. immigration polices and practices are consistent with the pressures and incentives created by U.S. economic policies and practices

A Demographic and Sociological Perspective on

In this article, Mr. Jorge Chapa focuses on the underlying appreciation of the humanity of undocumented immigrants in . In doing so, he attempts to provide lawmakers and policymakers with demographic information and sociological perspectives on undocumented immigrants. As such, he presents information on the racialization of undocumented immigrants (the assumption that all undocumented immigrants are Mexican), the guest worker program, employer recruiting efforts that can constitute a de facto guest worker program, and the use of undocumented immigrants in the meatpacking industry. He concludes that comprehensive immigration reform should take such demographic information and sociological perspectives into account to ensure that U.S. immigration polices and practices are consistent with the pressures and incentives created by U.S. economic policies and practices

Expectations of Canadian Life, Actual Post-Arrival Experience, and Pre-Arrival Information Seeking: Results from a Study on Bangladeshi Immigrants in Canada

In this poster, I present findings from my doctoral study on the transitional information practices of Bangladeshi immigrants in Ontario, focusing on the tensions between pre-arrival expectations and actual experiences of Canadian life and on pre-arrival information practices. I conducted surveys (n=205) and semi-structured interviews (n=58) to understand my participants’ settlement information practices. It is evident in my study that there is a significant gap in Bangladeshi immigrants’ expectations of Canadian life and actual post-arrival experience that can be analyzed in terms of information experience, especially in terms of employment expectations and mental preparedness for changes in life circumstances

A qualitative study on the experiences of southern European immigrant parents navigating the Norwegian healthcare system

Background Patients’ experiences with health providers and their diagnostic and treatment expectations are shaped by cultural health beliefs and previous experiences with healthcare services in home country. This study explores how Southern European immigrant parents navigate the Norwegian healthcare system, through its focus on how this group manage their expectations on diagnosis and treatment practices when these are unmet. Methods The study had a qualitative research design. Fourteen in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions with 20 Southern European immigrant parents were conducted in 2017 in three Norwegian municipalities. With the help of NVivo software, data were transcribed verbatim and coded. Following a thematic analysis approach to identify patterns in immigrants’ experiences with the Norwegian healthcare services, the codes were organized into two themes. Results The first theme includes immigrants’ expectations on diagnostic tests and medical treatment. Southern European immigrants expected more diagnostic tests and pharmacological treatment than what was deemed necessary by Norwegian health providers. Experiences with unmet expectations influenced how immigrants addressed their and their children’s healthcare needs. The second theme comprises immigrants’ experiences of seeking healthcare in Norway (attending medical consultations in the private sector, seeking immigrant healthcare providers, and navigating the healthcare through their Norwegian social networks). This category includes also the alternative solutions immigrants undertook when they were dissatisfied with the diagnosis and treatment practices they were offered in Norway (self-medication and seeking healthcare in home countries). Conclusions Cultural health beliefs and previous experiences with healthcare services from home country shaped immigrants’ expectations on diagnosis and treatment practices. This had great implications for their navigation through the healthcare system and interactions with health providers in the host country. The study suggests that successful inclusion of immigrants into the Norwegian healthcare system requires an acknowledgment of the cultural factors that influence access and use of healthcare services. Exploring immigrants’ perspectives and experiences offers important information to understand the challenges of cross-cultural healthcare and to improve communication and equitable access.publishedVersio

Research Note: Bayesian Record Linkage with Application to Chinese Immigrants in Raleigh-Durham (ChIRDU) Study

Many population surveys do not provide information on respondents' residential addresses, instead offering coarse geographies like zip code or higher aggregations. However, fine resolution geography can be beneficial for characterizing neighborhoods, especially for relatively rare populations such as immigrants. One way to obtain such information is to link survey records to records in auxiliary databases that include residential addresses by matching on variables common to both files. In this research note, we present an approach based on probabilistic record linkage that enables matching survey participants in the Chinese Immigrants in Raleigh-Durham (ChIRDU) Study to records from InfoUSA, an information provider of residential records. The two files use different Chinese name romanization practices, which we address through a novel and generalizable strategy for constructing records' pairwise comparison vectors for romanized names. Using a fully Bayesian record linkage model, we characterize the geospatial distribution of Chinese immigrants in the Raleigh-Durham area

Highly skilled South African immigrants in New Zealand : a thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

This exploratory research represents a first step into investigating the acculturation strategies employed by highly skilled South African immigrants to New Zealand. It answers the call for information to be added to the body of knowledge, in this emergent research area for New Zealand, on this specific immigrant group. The report examines the match between the South African and New Zealand acculturation strategies in the workplace, and highlights the relationships expected as a result. It also identifies factors helping and hindering the acculturation of South African immigrants. Limiting factors such as time constrained the report; however, results add new information to the body of knowledge in the fields of immigration to New Zealand, emigration from South Africa, and acculturation in New Zealand. The research used convenience and snowball techniques to identify participants, and structured interviews with open ended questions were used to elicit their migration experiences. Data analysis was qualitative, and consisted of identification of themes that could be used to classify participant groups. The research concluded that highly skilled South African immigrants to New Zealand pursue either an integrative or assimilative acculturation strategy. Those pursuing an integrative strategy are likely to have consensual relationships with New Zealanders in the workplace, given the New Zealand expectation that immigrants should integrate into the host culture. However, those pursuing an assimilation strategy may experience more problematic relationships in the New Zealand workplace. The main factors helping the integration group to acculturate were developing shared understanding and acceptance between different cultural groups. The factors helping the assimilation group were their ability to be flexible and adapt to change. The main factor hindering the acculturation of the integration group was that their expectations of New Zealand workplaces were not met. For the assimilation group the main hindering factor was suffering from acculturative stress. A major implication of the research for New Zealand workplaces is developing a better understanding of highly skilled South African employees, which in particular will affect selection and retention practices for this group. By developing shared understanding, a better fit between the person and their environment can be achieved. This can help ensure the skills of this immigrant group are utilised in New Zealand's growing knowledge economy

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among Immigrants in Canada: A Scoping Review on Self-Management

BACKGROUND: Diabetes, a chronic disease commonly experienced by immigrants in Canada, can be complicated by cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, non-traumatic lower extremity amputation, diabetic retinopathy, and end-stage renal disease. Immigrants from Africa, South Asia, and Latin America are at risk of diabetes because of genetic, sociocultural, environmental, and economic factors. Self-management practices are critical in preventing poor outcomes for individuals with diabetes. OBJECTIVES: This scoping review identifies gaps in the range, scope, nature, and characteristics of self-management practices among immigrants with type 2 diabetes in Canada. METHODS: The review was initiated by accessing 152 primary studies and peer-retrieved articles published in English and retrieved from PubMed, CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, grey literature, and ProQuest Dissertation and Theses databases. After reviewing the abstracts and removing studies that failed to meet inclusion and exclusion criteria, 12 studies were selected for the review. RESULTS: Self-management of type 2 diabetes among Canadian immigrants is influenced by language proficiency, finances, patient-provider preferences, and support from family, health providers, and peers. Length of stay in Canada, acculturation, and cultural beliefs were also found to impinge on diabetes self-management in immigrants. CONCLUSION: More information about the influence of religion, the influence of immigration, and refugee status in specific ethnic groups, as well as studies on the lived experiences of immigrants with type 2 diabetes in Canada, are needed to guide nursing care and improve health outcomes of immigrants with type 2 diabetes mellitus

ICT Support for Refugees and Undocumented Immigrants

Immigrant integration has become a primary political concern for leaders in Germany and the United States. The information systems (IS) community has begun to research how information and communications technologies can assist immigrants and refugees, such as by examining how countries can facilitate social-inclusion processes. Migrants face the challenge of joining closed communities that cannot integrate or fear doing so. We conducted a panel discussion at the 2019 Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) in Cancun, Mexico, to introduce multiple viewpoints on immigration. In particular, the panel discussed how technology can both support and prevent immigrants from succeeding in their quest. We conducted the panel to stimulate a thoughtful and dynamic discussion on best practices and recommendations to enhance the discipline’s impact on alleviating the challenges that occur for immigrants in their host countries. In this panel report, we introduce the topic of using ICT to help immigrants integrate and identify differences between North/Central America and Europe. We also discuss how immigrants (particularly refugees) use ICT to connect with others, feel that they belong, and maintain their identity. We also uncover the dark and bright sides of how governments use ICT to deter illegal immigration. Finally, we present recommendations for researchers and practitioners on how to best use ICT to assist with immigration

We Are What We Eat: A Cultural Examination of Immigrant Health and Nutrition in Middle Tennessee

The purpose of this research is to examine recent Hispanic immigrants to Middle Tennessee from an anthropological perspective to discover possible correlations to answer the research questions: how are Latino and Hispanic immigrant populations’ nutritional statuses affected by acculturation to the United States and to Middle Tennessee, and what factors come to playin changing their own food practices? Results include information gleaned from previous ethnographic research as well as from interviews with local Hispanic immigrants relating to food insecurity, the impact of school lunches on immigrant children’s health, and possible remedies tohalt the declining health of immigrants to the Middle Tennessee. is research suggests that the immigrant experience is not the same for every group or even for each individual, that health outcomes of other immigrants dier according to their experiences of acculturation

The German immigrant community of Richmond, Virginia : 1848-1852

This thesis explores the community of German immigrants in Richmond, and Henrico County, Virginia, prior to the influx of the political refugees of the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. The arrival and adjustment of the immigrants to their new home, occupations, social organization and political activities are discussed, as well as their impact upon the growth and development of the city of Richmond in general. Information on Richmond\u27s German community was obtained from the 1850 census, memoirs, church and synagogue registers, city directories, newspapers, and tax records. The data gathered were sorted by computer, offering a detailed statistical view of the immigrant population. The social and religious practices of the immigrants are explored and discussed, as are employment, housing, education and politics