Research Library

Interviews were used to explore the experiences of immigrant parents in accessing Albertan healthcare services for their children. The findings highlight several challenges faced by immigrant families, including long wait times for health services, income inequity, and language barriers. The study emphasizes the importance of increasing the supply of health professionals, addressing income inequity, and providing trained interpreters to assist immigrant populations. Additionally, developing a therapeutic relationship with immigrants is identified as vital for improving access to healthcare. Interviews were used to explore the experiences of immigrant parents in accessing Albertan healthcare services for their children. The findings highlight several challenges faced by immigrant families, including long wait times for health services, income inequity, and language barriers. The study emphasizes the importance of increasing the supply of health professionals, addressing income inequity, and providing trained interpreters to assist immigrant populations. Additionally, developing a therapeutic relationship with immigrants is identified as vital for improving access to healthcare.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Beginning in April, 2020, The Immigrant Education Society conducted an internal study on staff and student reactions to the transition to remote services delivery precipitated by the COVID19 Pandemic. This consists of a preliminary survey deployed by the Research and Program Development Department, and the compilation of independently developed surveys deployed in June by the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) department and the Human Resources department. The analysis of the raw survey data was conducted by the Research and Program Development department. This document encompasses results from the Human Resources and LINC surveys. Beginning in April, 2020, The Immigrant Education Society conducted an internal study on staff and student reactions to the transition to remote services delivery precipitated by the COVID19 Pandemic. This consists of a preliminary survey deployed by the Research and Program Development Department, and the compilation of independently developed surveys deployed in June by the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) department and the Human Resources department. The analysis of the raw survey data was conducted by the Research and Program Development department. This document encompasses results from the Human Resources and LINC surveys.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The success of the out-of-school time collaborative program coordinated by REACH Edmonton in empowering immigrant and refugee children and youth was evaluated. The report provides a high-level summary of the program’s description and reach, highlighting the various programs offered by the 13 organizations in the collaborative. The report also includes an overview of the themes found across all programs from the summer youth feedback sessions. The report concludes with recommendations for future program development and expansion. Overall, the report demonstrates the positive impact of the Bridging Together collaborative in promoting the well-being and integration of immigrant and refugee children and youth in Edmonton. The success of the out-of-school time collaborative program coordinated by REACH Edmonton in empowering immigrant and refugee children and youth was evaluated. The report provides a high-level summary of the program’s description and reach, highlighting the various programs offered by the 13 organizations in the collaborative. The report also includes an overview of the themes found across all programs from the summer youth feedback sessions. The report concludes with recommendations for future program development and expansion. Overall, the report demonstrates the positive impact of the Bridging Together collaborative in promoting the well-being and integration of immigrant and refugee children and youth in Edmonton.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

This study in Calgary, AB explored how dual-language books (DLBs) can foster literacy instruction and learner engagement through language awareness. Canada’s changing demographics have resulted in mother tongue diversity and many urban schools identifying at least 25% of students as being English language learners, making it crucial to include a mix of languages in classroom interactions to engage all learners. The case study combined prereading linguistic prompts with a reading of 10 DLBs, one each week, by guest readers in Urdu, Tagalog, and Spanish, alongside the teacher reading in English. Video recordings and surveys collected data on the teacher’s, guest readers’, and learners’ reflections on the experience. Findings indicate that regardless of the learners’ linguistic heritage or English language competence, the DLBs offered a unique support for literacy engagement while fostering a focus on language awareness, reading strategies, and higher order engagement with text. This study in Calgary, AB explored how dual-language books (DLBs) can foster literacy instruction and learner engagement through language awareness. Canada’s changing demographics have resulted in mother tongue diversity and many urban schools identifying at least 25% of students as being English language learners, making it crucial to include a mix of languages in classroom interactions to engage all learners. The case study combined prereading linguistic prompts with a reading of 10 DLBs, one each week, by guest readers in Urdu, Tagalog, and Spanish, alongside the teacher reading in English. Video recordings and surveys collected data on the teacher’s, guest readers’, and learners’ reflections on the experience. Findings indicate that regardless of the learners’ linguistic heritage or English language competence, the DLBs offered a unique support for literacy engagement while fostering a focus on language awareness, reading strategies, and higher order engagement with text.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The 2013 Albertan flood resulted in devastating impacts for immigrant children, youth, and families across the province. This article presents the findings of the Alberta Resilient Communities (ARC) Project, a collaborative research initiative that aimed to better understand the social, economic, health, cultural, spiritual, and personal factors that contribute to resiliency among immigrant children and youth following the flood. The study findings demonstrate that immigrants faced significant socio-economic impacts, trauma, job loss, and housing instability as a result of the flood and its aftermath. Schools, immigrant parents, and community connections were found to play a key role in fostering immigrant child and youth resilience post-disaster. The 2013 Albertan flood resulted in devastating impacts for immigrant children, youth, and families across the province. This article presents the findings of the Alberta Resilient Communities (ARC) Project, a collaborative research initiative that aimed to better understand the social, economic, health, cultural, spiritual, and personal factors that contribute to resiliency among immigrant children and youth following the flood. The study findings demonstrate that immigrants faced significant socio-economic impacts, trauma, job loss, and housing instability as a result of the flood and its aftermath. Schools, immigrant parents, and community connections were found to play a key role in fostering immigrant child and youth resilience post-disaster.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Physical activity is essential for healthy aging; however, there has been little exploration of physical activity in Muslim older immigrants in Canada. Over one million Canadians identify as Muslim, the majority is first-generation immigrants, with increasing cohorts entering older age. Interviews and focus groups on physical activity and healthy aging were conducted with 68 older adults and community members from South Asian, Arab, and African Muslim ethnocultural communities in Edmonton, AB. Participants emphasized the importance of physical activity in older age and prioritized the need for physical activity programs. Four themes highlight Muslim older immigrants’ perspectives on physical activity in Canada: (a) values and approaches to staying active; (b) health factors: pain and health limitations; (c) social factors: culture, religion, and belonging; and (d) environmental factors: safety and accessibility. Physical activity is essential for healthy aging; however, there has been little exploration of physical activity in Muslim older immigrants in Canada. Over one million Canadians identify as Muslim, the majority is first-generation immigrants, with increasing cohorts entering older age. Interviews and focus groups on physical activity and healthy aging were conducted with 68 older adults and community members from South Asian, Arab, and African Muslim ethnocultural communities in Edmonton, AB. Participants emphasized the importance of physical activity in older age and prioritized the need for physical activity programs. Four themes highlight Muslim older immigrants’ perspectives on physical activity in Canada: (a) values and approaches to staying active; (b) health factors: pain and health limitations; (c) social factors: culture, religion, and belonging; and (d) environmental factors: safety and accessibility.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Investigations into immigrant resilience are now being called for in scholarly reviews of literature, policy, and practice related to immigrants, following decades in which the challenges they face in or pose to Western host societies took centre stage. Focusing on resilience not only recognizes immigrants’ strengths and contributions to their new homelands, but also creates a fertile landscape to explore possible pathways to optimize migration outcomes. The findings of focus group discussions with African immigrant stakeholders (service providers, community/religious leaders, and staff of policy-making bodies) in three Canadian cities align with this new emphasis. However, these findings also raise crucial questions about current conceptualizations of resilience applied to immigrants. Our thematic analysis indicates that African immigrants attach meanings, processes, and values to resilience that differ from conceptions of resilience in the scholarly literature. Their viewpoints and lived experiences presented below offer new understandings that prompt a re-evaluation of currently held assumptions about resilience rooted in Western individualistic notions about mental health. These assumptions, our study show, do not capture African immigrants’ settlement experiences and long-term adaptation to life in Western nations—as collectivist cultures. Investigations into immigrant resilience are now being called for in scholarly reviews of literature, policy, and practice related to immigrants, following decades in which the challenges they face in or pose to Western host societies took centre stage. Focusing on resilience not only recognizes immigrants’ strengths and contributions to their new homelands, but also creates a fertile landscape to explore possible pathways to optimize migration outcomes. The findings of focus group discussions with African immigrant stakeholders (service providers, community/religious leaders, and staff of policy-making bodies) in three Canadian cities align with this new emphasis. However, these findings also raise crucial questions about current conceptualizations of resilience applied to immigrants. Our thematic analysis indicates that African immigrants attach meanings, processes, and values to resilience that differ from conceptions of resilience in the scholarly literature. Their viewpoints and lived experiences presented below offer new understandings that prompt a re-evaluation of currently held assumptions about resilience rooted in Western individualistic notions about mental health. These assumptions, our study show, do not capture African immigrants’ settlement experiences and long-term adaptation to life in Western nations—as collectivist cultures.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

This article examines the financial literacy of older immigrants in Canada. Older immigrants experience multiple forms of financial exclusion rooted in the intersections between age, race, gender, immigration, and labour history. While the existing literature notes how immigrants are more likely to be unbanked because of structural barriers such as inaccessible services and language barriers, few studies have explored how older immigrants discuss their experiences and financial conditions. This paper explores the experiences of financial literacy among older immigrants in Calgary, Alberta through in-depth interviews and photographs taken by participants. We discuss the lived experiences and financial realities among older immigrants, how they perceive challenges to financial literacy as well as coping strategies. Themes focus on the ways in which histories of immigration and labour impact their financial security in later life. Photographs generated offer service providers and policy makers opportunities to think about and engage in interventions that better tackle issues of financial insecurity and inequality among older immigrants. This article examines the financial literacy of older immigrants in Canada. Older immigrants experience multiple forms of financial exclusion rooted in the intersections between age, race, gender, immigration, and labour history. While the existing literature notes how immigrants are more likely to be unbanked because of structural barriers such as inaccessible services and language barriers, few studies have explored how older immigrants discuss their experiences and financial conditions. This paper explores the experiences of financial literacy among older immigrants in Calgary, Alberta through in-depth interviews and photographs taken by participants. We discuss the lived experiences and financial realities among older immigrants, how they perceive challenges to financial literacy as well as coping strategies. Themes focus on the ways in which histories of immigration and labour impact their financial security in later life. Photographs generated offer service providers and policy makers opportunities to think about and engage in interventions that better tackle issues of financial insecurity and inequality among older immigrants.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The ability to communicate in the dominant language of the host society is essential to the short- and long-term integration of all newcomers. Research has shown that experiencing trauma may affect the speed at which a new language is learned by some newcomers. Other research shows that pre-arrival education has an influence on the language learning abilities of newcomers. Unfortunately, there is little research on the two issues and how they may combine to affect language learning among refugees. Our paper addresses the following question: How does pre-arrival education and trauma influence the ability of refugee women to learn a new language? Through narrative interviews with 35 newly arrived Yazidis in Toronto, Calgary, London and Winnipeg, we examine refugee women’s experience learning English from their point of view. Our evidence supports the idea that increasing support for timely access to address trauma, more funded time in Stage One language learning, and additional educational supports may accelerate the integration process. The ability to communicate in the dominant language of the host society is essential to the short- and long-term integration of all newcomers. Research has shown that experiencing trauma may affect the speed at which a new language is learned by some newcomers. Other research shows that pre-arrival education has an influence on the language learning abilities of newcomers. Unfortunately, there is little research on the two issues and how they may combine to affect language learning among refugees. Our paper addresses the following question: How does pre-arrival education and trauma influence the ability of refugee women to learn a new language? Through narrative interviews with 35 newly arrived Yazidis in Toronto, Calgary, London and Winnipeg, we examine refugee women’s experience learning English from their point of view. Our evidence supports the idea that increasing support for timely access to address trauma, more funded time in Stage One language learning, and additional educational supports may accelerate the integration process.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Although Canada is recognized internationally as a leader in immigration policy, supports are not responsive to the traumatic experiences of many newcomers. Many mothers and children arriving in Canada are at elevated risk of homelessness. Individual and group interviews with 18 newcomer mothers with current or recent experiences with homelessness and with 16 service providers working in multiple sectors were conducted. Three main themes emerged: gendered and racialized pathways into homelessness; system failures, and pre- and post-migration trauma. This study revealed structural barriers rooted in preoccupation with economic success that negate and exacerbate the effects of violence and homelessness. The impacts of structural discrimination and violence are embedded in federal policy. It is critical to posit gender and culturally appropriate alternatives that focus on system issues. Although Canada is recognized internationally as a leader in immigration policy, supports are not responsive to the traumatic experiences of many newcomers. Many mothers and children arriving in Canada are at elevated risk of homelessness. Individual and group interviews with 18 newcomer mothers with current or recent experiences with homelessness and with 16 service providers working in multiple sectors were conducted. Three main themes emerged: gendered and racialized pathways into homelessness; system failures, and pre- and post-migration trauma. This study revealed structural barriers rooted in preoccupation with economic success that negate and exacerbate the effects of violence and homelessness. The impacts of structural discrimination and violence are embedded in federal policy. It is critical to posit gender and culturally appropriate alternatives that focus on system issues.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly