Please note, this is not an open access database or repository. We have focused on creating simple summaries of reports and articles that we have accessed through websites and academic journals, with a focus on key findings, so that even if a full report is not free to access you can reference it. When possible, we include a link to wherever the original document is hosted (which may or may not be open-access). If you come across a link that is no longer active, please let us know and we can update it. There are also some reports that will have been submitted directly to the project. In this case, these reports are uploaded directly with permission from the author or publisher. Any original documents found on this site are stored in Canada on our secure servers

Immigrant Mothers’ Perspectives of Barriers and Facilitators in Accessing Mental Health Care for Their Children

Data on immigrant and refugees’ access to services in Canada does not typically focus on children. To fill this gap, this study explored immigrant and refugee mothers’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators (things that help) for mental health care for their children in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Barriers included financial strain, lack of information, racism/discrimination, language barriers, stigma, feeling isolated, and feeling unheard by service providers. Facilitators included schools offering services, personal levels of higher education, and free services. Nurses can improve access to mental health services by addressing issues related to racism within the health system, by creating awareness related to mental health, and by providing trained interpreters to help bridge barriers in communications. Data on immigrant and refugees’ access to services in Canada does not typically focus on children. To fill this gap, this study explored immigrant and refugee mothers’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators (things that help) for mental health care for their children in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Barriers included financial strain, lack of information, racism/discrimination, language barriers, stigma, feeling isolated, and feeling unheard by service providers. Facilitators included schools offering services, personal levels of higher education, and free services. Nurses can improve access to mental health services by addressing issues related to racism within the health system, by creating awareness related to mental health, and by providing trained interpreters to help bridge barriers in communications.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Vulnerabilities and strengths in parent-adolescent relationships in Bangladeshi immigrant families in Alberta

This study investigated the challenges and parent-adolescent relationship factors that contribute to resilience and the successful adjustment of Bangladeshi families following immigration to Canada. The systems framework of family resilience (Walsh, 2006) was used to interpret how Bangladeshi immigrant adolescents and parents experienced and navigated immigration challenges. Using a qualitative approach, four adolescent girls and four parents of adolescents were interviewed to inquire into their experience of challenges related to adolescent development, the immigrant experiences, and parent-adolescent relationships influencing their post-immigration adjustment. Immigrant adolescents faced language and cultural barriers, bullying and discrimination in their school environment while rituals, customs and values from their culture of origin diminished. They felt pressured by their parent’s career expectations and felt they suffered gender discrimination in the family. Parents faced economic and career challenges and a difficult parenting experience. Optimism about the future, parental encouragement, mutual empathy of each other’s struggles, sharing feelings, open and clear communication, flexibility in parenting style and anchoring in cultural values and religious beliefs helped parents and adolescents become more resilient in maintaining a positive outlook with a positive view of their immigration. In some cases, the challenges of immigration pulled the families closer together in mutual support. It is hoped that findings from this study will assist in developing effective social programmes to ease adolescents’ and parents’ transitions among immigrants and to promote resiliency in immigrant families. This study investigated the challenges and parent-adolescent relationship factors that contribute to resilience and the successful adjustment of Bangladeshi families following immigration to Canada. The systems framework of family resilience (Walsh, 2006) was used to interpret how Bangladeshi immigrant adolescents and parents experienced and navigated immigration challenges. Using a qualitative approach, four adolescent girls and four parents of adolescents were interviewed to inquire into their experience of challenges related to adolescent development, the immigrant experiences, and parent-adolescent relationships influencing their post-immigration adjustment. Immigrant adolescents faced language and cultural barriers, bullying and discrimination in their school environment while rituals, customs and values from their culture of origin diminished. They felt pressured by their parent’s career expectations and felt they suffered gender discrimination in the family. Parents faced economic and career challenges and a difficult parenting experience. Optimism about the future, parental encouragement, mutual empathy of each other’s struggles, sharing feelings, open and clear communication, flexibility in parenting style and anchoring in cultural values and religious beliefs helped parents and adolescents become more resilient in maintaining a positive outlook with a positive view of their immigration. In some cases, the challenges of immigration pulled the families closer together in mutual support. It is hoped that findings from this study will assist in developing effective social programmes to ease adolescents’ and parents’ transitions among immigrants and to promote resiliency in immigrant families.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

School Resource Officers and the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Currently, there is a strong debate on whether School Resource Officers (SROs) should be removed from Edmonton schools. SROs are often not given specialized training to work in schools or with youth—they rely on basic police training. Illustrating this point, some students in Edmonton have claimed that officers at their schools view students as potential threats and criminals rather than as young students. The debate to remove SROs is part of the growing conversation around Black Lives Matter and police brutality. Many argue that SROs extend police involvement, discrimination, and brutality into the lives of BIPOC youth and children, which brings them into—and keeps them entrenched in— the criminal justice system. Currently, there is a strong debate on whether School Resource Officers (SROs) should be removed from Edmonton schools. SROs are often not given specialized training to work in schools or with youth—they rely on basic police training. Illustrating this point, some students in Edmonton have claimed that officers at their schools view students as potential threats and criminals rather than as young students. The debate to remove SROs is part of the growing conversation around Black Lives Matter and police brutality. Many argue that SROs extend police involvement, discrimination, and brutality into the lives of BIPOC youth and children, which brings them into—and keeps them entrenched in— the criminal justice system.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Brooks Class of 2023: Making meaningful change, together

Werklund School of Education research team at the University of Calgary facilitates 2-year anti-racism effort led by Brooks Composite High School students and administration. Werklund School of Education research team at the University of Calgary facilitates 2-year anti-racism effort led by Brooks Composite High School students and administration.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Health care for all: Undocumented migrants and the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Canada—A scoping review

What can be learned about the healthcare access of undocumented workers? How can health equity be advanced through sensitivity to the process of precaritization and the precarities informing their lives? Thailand and Spain are the only countries in the world that offer the same healthcare access to undocumented migrants as citizens. Most European countries only offer emergency services: France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland allow undocumented migrants to access similar services to citizens if they meet conditions (proof of identity; length of residence in the country). European cities such as Ghent, Frankfurt, and Dusseldorf, offer barrier-free healthcare. Throughout the USA, Federally Qualified Health Centers support care to the uninsured regardless of immigration status. In Canada, Ontario and Quebec, provide a base level of healthcare access to undocumented migrants, and a small number of stand-alone community-based clinics offer additional care and specialized services. To promote healthcare for undocumented migrants in Alberta, barrier-free access to vaccination, COVID-19 treatment, and proof of vaccinations are essential, but an equity lens to healthcare service— informed by analytic understanding and robust approach to precaritization as a social determinant, is most needed. What can be learned about the healthcare access of undocumented workers? How can health equity be advanced through sensitivity to the process of precaritization and the precarities informing their lives? Thailand and Spain are the only countries in the world that offer the same healthcare access to undocumented migrants as citizens. Most European countries only offer emergency services: France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland allow undocumented migrants to access similar services to citizens if they meet conditions (proof of identity; length of residence in the country). European cities such as Ghent, Frankfurt, and Dusseldorf, offer barrier-free healthcare. Throughout the USA, Federally Qualified Health Centers support care to the uninsured regardless of immigration status. In Canada, Ontario and Quebec, provide a base level of healthcare access to undocumented migrants, and a small number of stand-alone community-based clinics offer additional care and specialized services. To promote healthcare for undocumented migrants in Alberta, barrier-free access to vaccination, COVID-19 treatment, and proof of vaccinations are essential, but an equity lens to healthcare service— informed by analytic understanding and robust approach to precaritization as a social determinant, is most needed.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Stunting and overweight prevalence among resettled Yazidi, Syrian, and Iraqi pediatric refugees

Pediatric refugees face diverse health issues, including growth abnormalities, that can have serious long-term adverse health consequences for cognition, bone health, blood pressure, and more. In 2014, the terrorist group Daesh committed genocide against Yazidis, an ethnic and religious minority group in Iraq and Syria, displacing an estimated 200 000 people. The Canadian government resettled approximately 1500 Yazidi refugees between 2016 and 2017, prioritizing previously enslaved women and children. Many Yazidi children endured violence and prolonged starvation, yet the prevalence of growth abnormalities among them is unknown. We assessed growth indicators for resettled Yazidi and non–Yazidi pediatric refugees from Syria and Iraq. Pediatric refugees face diverse health issues, including growth abnormalities, that can have serious long-term adverse health consequences for cognition, bone health, blood pressure, and more. In 2014, the terrorist group Daesh committed genocide against Yazidis, an ethnic and religious minority group in Iraq and Syria, displacing an estimated 200 000 people. The Canadian government resettled approximately 1500 Yazidi refugees between 2016 and 2017, prioritizing previously enslaved women and children. Many Yazidi children endured violence and prolonged starvation, yet the prevalence of growth abnormalities among them is unknown. We assessed growth indicators for resettled Yazidi and non–Yazidi pediatric refugees from Syria and Iraq.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The intersections of race, immigrant status, and university confirmations in Toronto

Although the number of students attending university has been steadily increasing over the past 20 years, discrepancies remain across racialized student groups. Students who immigrate to Canada also face a number of barriers to university participation. However, few studies investigate variations in university participation across racialized immigrant student groups. We draw on an intersectional approach to analyze student data from the Toronto District School Board. We employ multilevel logistic regression to examine if there are interactive effects of being both racialized and having an immigrant status on confirming a university enrollment. Looking at self-identified race and immigrant status of students in combination reveals that there are important differences in the likelihood of confirming and offer of university admission between several self-identified racial categories, depending on if they were foreign-born. Although the number of students attending university has been steadily increasing over the past 20 years, discrepancies remain across racialized student groups. Students who immigrate to Canada also face a number of barriers to university participation. However, few studies investigate variations in university participation across racialized immigrant student groups. We draw on an intersectional approach to analyze student data from the Toronto District School Board. We employ multilevel logistic regression to examine if there are interactive effects of being both racialized and having an immigrant status on confirming a university enrollment. Looking at self-identified race and immigrant status of students in combination reveals that there are important differences in the likelihood of confirming and offer of university admission between several self-identified racial categories, depending on if they were foreign-born.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Parenting practices of Somali immigrant mothers in Alberta

This paper provides insights into the little-explored gendered perspective of the parenting practices of Somali immigrant mothers in Alberta. Mothers were interviewed about their parenting practices in a postmigration context, including challenges. Results suggest the need for anti-racist and culturally safe health, education, and child policies and practices. This paper provides insights into the little-explored gendered perspective of the parenting practices of Somali immigrant mothers in Alberta. Mothers were interviewed about their parenting practices in a postmigration context, including challenges. Results suggest the need for anti-racist and culturally safe health, education, and child policies and practices.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Vaccines for all: A formative evaluation of a multistakeholder community-engaged COVID-19 vaccine outreach clinic for migrant communities

Racialized, low-income, and migrant communities in East and Northeast Calgary were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, yet faced vaccine access barriers. This article is a formative evaluation of a low-barrier, community-engaged vaccine outreach clinic in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on June 5–6, 2021. Stakeholder respondents felt the clinic was effective (99.2%), efficient (96.9%), patient-centered (92.3%), and safe (90.8%), and that the outreach model was scalable 94.6% (123/130). Suggested improvements include increased time for clinic planning and promotion, more multilingual staff, and further efforts to reduce accessibility barriers, such as priority check-in for people with disabilities. These findings support the value of community-engaged outreach to improve vaccine equity among other marginalized newcomer communities. Racialized, low-income, and migrant communities in East and Northeast Calgary were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, yet faced vaccine access barriers. This article is a formative evaluation of a low-barrier, community-engaged vaccine outreach clinic in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on June 5–6, 2021. Stakeholder respondents felt the clinic was effective (99.2%), efficient (96.9%), patient-centered (92.3%), and safe (90.8%), and that the outreach model was scalable 94.6% (123/130). Suggested improvements include increased time for clinic planning and promotion, more multilingual staff, and further efforts to reduce accessibility barriers, such as priority check-in for people with disabilities. These findings support the value of community-engaged outreach to improve vaccine equity among other marginalized newcomer communities.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

“We’re always looking at the dollars and cents”: The financial wellbeing of racialized older immigrants in Canada through the lens of service providers

Analyzing data from a focus group with service providers in the city of Calgary, Alberta, this article identifies the barriers to financial well-being among racialized older immigrants and newcomers. Structural barriers discussed included the ten-year and twenty-year dependency period, and experiences of structured dependency within intergenerational family units. Analyzing data from a focus group with service providers in the city of Calgary, Alberta, this article identifies the barriers to financial well-being among racialized older immigrants and newcomers. Structural barriers discussed included the ten-year and twenty-year dependency period, and experiences of structured dependency within intergenerational family units.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly