Research Library

The Calgary-based Foundation for Black Communities’ (FFBC) Black Ideas Grant (BIG) Bridge and Build Program has provided funding for RaricaNow, an organization in Edmonton aiding 2SLGBTQ+ refugees. The numbers of 2SLGBTQ+ refugees continue to climb, and this grant will allow RaricaNow to provide housing and more settlement supports. The Calgary-based Foundation for Black Communities’ (FFBC) Black Ideas Grant (BIG) Bridge and Build Program has provided funding for RaricaNow, an organization in Edmonton aiding 2SLGBTQ+ refugees. The numbers of 2SLGBTQ+ refugees continue to climb, and this grant will allow RaricaNow to provide housing and more settlement supports.
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This study explored pathways to success through a narrative inquiry into the settlement and integration experiences of refugees from Ethiopia living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The study filled an important gap in information that accounted for success by refugees, although there was ample evidence regarding the structural challenges faced by all groups of newcomers in Canada. The end-goal was to develop a deeper understanding into how adult learning could be tailored to meet the needs of refugees and possibly other groups of newcomers. The theoretical frameworks that guided this study included insights about the role of agency, structure, and lifelong learning primarily through the scholarly contributions by Pierre Bourdieu, Anthony Giddens, and Peter Jarvis. Additionally, the study included insights by multiple scholars who explored the settlement and integration experiences of newcomers in Canada. The narrative data was collected through conversational interviews with the participants. Afterwards, the data was transcribed, analyzed, and stored in consideration of ethical practices. The study revealed multiple perspectives on the meaning of success based on insights shared by the participants. This study explored pathways to success through a narrative inquiry into the settlement and integration experiences of refugees from Ethiopia living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The study filled an important gap in information that accounted for success by refugees, although there was ample evidence regarding the structural challenges faced by all groups of newcomers in Canada. The end-goal was to develop a deeper understanding into how adult learning could be tailored to meet the needs of refugees and possibly other groups of newcomers. The theoretical frameworks that guided this study included insights about the role of agency, structure, and lifelong learning primarily through the scholarly contributions by Pierre Bourdieu, Anthony Giddens, and Peter Jarvis. Additionally, the study included insights by multiple scholars who explored the settlement and integration experiences of newcomers in Canada. The narrative data was collected through conversational interviews with the participants. Afterwards, the data was transcribed, analyzed, and stored in consideration of ethical practices. The study revealed multiple perspectives on the meaning of success based on insights shared by the participants.
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Research on immigrant and refugee vaccination uptake in Canada shows that immunization decisions vary by vaccine type, location, age and migration status. Despite their diversity, these studies often treat immigrant and refugee populations as a single group relative to other Canadians. In this comparative study, we explored how previous risk communication and immunization experiences influence immunization decisions by immigrant and refugee women from three communities across Canada. Participants included women from the Punjabi immigrant community located in Surrey and Abbotsford, British Columbia (n = 36), the Nigerian immigrant community located in Winnipeg, Manitoba (n = 43), and the Congolese refugee community in Edmonton, Alberta (n = 18). Using focus groups, we sought to understand immunization experiences in Canada and before arrival, and what information sources influenced the immunization decision-making process by the women in the three communities. Given our participants’ different communication preferences and needs, we argue that a one-size-fits-all communication approach is inappropriate for immigrant and refugee populations. Research on immigrant and refugee vaccination uptake in Canada shows that immunization decisions vary by vaccine type, location, age and migration status. Despite their diversity, these studies often treat immigrant and refugee populations as a single group relative to other Canadians. In this comparative study, we explored how previous risk communication and immunization experiences influence immunization decisions by immigrant and refugee women from three communities across Canada. Participants included women from the Punjabi immigrant community located in Surrey and Abbotsford, British Columbia (n = 36), the Nigerian immigrant community located in Winnipeg, Manitoba (n = 43), and the Congolese refugee community in Edmonton, Alberta (n = 18). Using focus groups, we sought to understand immunization experiences in Canada and before arrival, and what information sources influenced the immunization decision-making process by the women in the three communities. Given our participants’ different communication preferences and needs, we argue that a one-size-fits-all communication approach is inappropriate for immigrant and refugee populations.
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Last year, Alberta launched a temporary 1 year driver’s license exchange program for Ukrainian refugees with a Ukrainian Category B or BE driver’s license. The goal of the program was to help refugees find and access employment and care for their families. As of April 18, 2024, this program is now permanent. Last year, Alberta launched a temporary 1 year driver’s license exchange program for Ukrainian refugees with a Ukrainian Category B or BE driver’s license. The goal of the program was to help refugees find and access employment and care for their families. As of April 18, 2024, this program is now permanent.
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Forced migration is one of the most pressing crises of our lifetime. Of the millions forced to migrate, many come to know the brutality of state-managed migration that habitually denies asylum seekers and places substantive restrictions on refugees who have been resettled. Sociologists of sport and leisure have examined the sporting experiences of refugees through an intersectional lens, foregrounding how displacement and resettlement are differently lived and negotiated across overlapping power structures and markers of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, and legal status. Through a participatory and collective photovoice project, this article explores the experiences of an all-Afghan soccer team that played in a social, co-ed soccer league in the spring of 2022, just after they arrived in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In photovoice narratives and subsequent interviews, team members underlined many of the barriers they faced as they navigated the formal and informal rules and dominant norms of this seemingly inclusive sports landscape. In doing so, they revealed some of the limits of official discourses of Canadian multiculturism, which rarely accommodate more significant forms of difference, and which reproduce racial and ethnic hierarchies that powerfully discipline newcomers who are encouraged to embrace their precarious status as model minorities. Forced migration is one of the most pressing crises of our lifetime. Of the millions forced to migrate, many come to know the brutality of state-managed migration that habitually denies asylum seekers and places substantive restrictions on refugees who have been resettled. Sociologists of sport and leisure have examined the sporting experiences of refugees through an intersectional lens, foregrounding how displacement and resettlement are differently lived and negotiated across overlapping power structures and markers of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, and legal status. Through a participatory and collective photovoice project, this article explores the experiences of an all-Afghan soccer team that played in a social, co-ed soccer league in the spring of 2022, just after they arrived in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In photovoice narratives and subsequent interviews, team members underlined many of the barriers they faced as they navigated the formal and informal rules and dominant norms of this seemingly inclusive sports landscape. In doing so, they revealed some of the limits of official discourses of Canadian multiculturism, which rarely accommodate more significant forms of difference, and which reproduce racial and ethnic hierarchies that powerfully discipline newcomers who are encouraged to embrace their precarious status as model minorities.
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This paper focuses on the perspectives given by newcomer high school students as they discuss, through open dialogue and social media, their main challenges living in a new country. The scholars employed a collaborative action research approach and were guided by two questions: 1) How can newcomer students’ lived experiences inform best practices in the field of education? and 2) How did the social isolation brought on by COVID-19 affect the mental health/well-being of newcomer students? The results highlighted the racial, cultural, linguistic, and religious challenges these students face in their education as well as the considerable mental/emotional impact the COVID-19 pandemic had upon this demographic. The data holds major implications for best practice in the field of education, with specific emphasis on newcomer students. This paper focuses on the perspectives given by newcomer high school students as they discuss, through open dialogue and social media, their main challenges living in a new country. The scholars employed a collaborative action research approach and were guided by two questions: 1) How can newcomer students’ lived experiences inform best practices in the field of education? and 2) How did the social isolation brought on by COVID-19 affect the mental health/well-being of newcomer students? The results highlighted the racial, cultural, linguistic, and religious challenges these students face in their education as well as the considerable mental/emotional impact the COVID-19 pandemic had upon this demographic. The data holds major implications for best practice in the field of education, with specific emphasis on newcomer students.
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This article explores the strategies used by government-sponsored institutions dedicated to addressing systemic barriers to employment for racialized immigrants in Edmonton. The research involved conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with service providers, employment program coordinators from different settlement and employment agencies, and a research and training centre operating in Edmonton, Alberta. The first objective is to understand the barriers racialized immigrants face through the hiring and promotion process. The second objective is to understand the support provided by those institutions and the impact of their equity policies on how they assist racialized Canadians in finding gainful employment. Lastly, this study explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement on the employment of racialized immigrants in Edmonton. This article explores the strategies used by government-sponsored institutions dedicated to addressing systemic barriers to employment for racialized immigrants in Edmonton. The research involved conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with service providers, employment program coordinators from different settlement and employment agencies, and a research and training centre operating in Edmonton, Alberta. The first objective is to understand the barriers racialized immigrants face through the hiring and promotion process. The second objective is to understand the support provided by those institutions and the impact of their equity policies on how they assist racialized Canadians in finding gainful employment. Lastly, this study explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement on the employment of racialized immigrants in Edmonton.
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African immigrants are moving to high-income nations such as Canada in greater numbers in search of a better life. These immigrants frequently struggle with several issues, including limited social support, shifts in gender roles/status, cultural conflicts with their children, and language barriers. We used participatory action research (PAR) to gather data about Sub-Saharan African immigrants residing in Edmonton or Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with a focus on their viewpoints, difficulties, and experiences of parenting children in Canada. We contextualized our study and its findings using both postcolonial feminism and transnationalism approaches. Study findings show African immigrant parents place a high priority on respect between generations. The absence of assistance, conflicts caused by culture, and language barriers are notable difficulties they encountered in parenting. An additional factor is a lack of acquaintance with and comprehension of the culture of their new home nation. Several implications stem from our findings, including the need for interventional research that explores effective, culturally relevant strategies for enhancing parenting among African immigrants. Our findings demonstrate the need for culturally sensitive policies and practices that support the transition and integration of African immigrant families into Canadian society. It is imperative for health care providers and policy makers to develop and revise culturally appropriate policies that take into consideration the importance of African immigrants in destination countries. Adopting culturally relevant policies and practices will improve the wellbeing of this growing but underprivileged minority of Canadians. African immigrants are moving to high-income nations such as Canada in greater numbers in search of a better life. These immigrants frequently struggle with several issues, including limited social support, shifts in gender roles/status, cultural conflicts with their children, and language barriers. We used participatory action research (PAR) to gather data about Sub-Saharan African immigrants residing in Edmonton or Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with a focus on their viewpoints, difficulties, and experiences of parenting children in Canada. We contextualized our study and its findings using both postcolonial feminism and transnationalism approaches. Study findings show African immigrant parents place a high priority on respect between generations. The absence of assistance, conflicts caused by culture, and language barriers are notable difficulties they encountered in parenting. An additional factor is a lack of acquaintance with and comprehension of the culture of their new home nation. Several implications stem from our findings, including the need for interventional research that explores effective, culturally relevant strategies for enhancing parenting among African immigrants. Our findings demonstrate the need for culturally sensitive policies and practices that support the transition and integration of African immigrant families into Canadian society. It is imperative for health care providers and policy makers to develop and revise culturally appropriate policies that take into consideration the importance of African immigrants in destination countries. Adopting culturally relevant policies and practices will improve the wellbeing of this growing but underprivileged minority of Canadians.
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A comprehensive guide to all the services and programs offered by the Edmonton Newcomer Centre (formerly called the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers) as of Spring 2024. A comprehensive guide to all the services and programs offered by the Edmonton Newcomer Centre (formerly called the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers) as of Spring 2024.
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The World Health Organization stresses the need for tailored COVID-19 models of vaccination to meet the needs of diverse populations and ultimately reach high rates of vaccination. However, little evidence exists on how COVID-19 models of vaccination operated in the novel context of the pandemic, how vulnerable populations, such as refugees, experience COVID-19 vaccination systems in high-income countries, and what lessons may be learned from vaccination efforts with vulnerable populations. To address this gap, this study explored COVID-19 vaccine delivery models available to newcomer refugees and immigrants, and refugee experiences across diferent COVID-19 vaccine delivery models in Calgary, Canada, and surrounding area in 2021 and 2022, to understand the barriers, strengths, and strategies of models to support access to COVID-19 vaccination for newcomer refugees and immigrants. Structured interviews with Government Assisted Refugees (n=39), and semistructured interviews with Privately Sponsored Refugees (n=6), private refugee sponsors (n=3), and stakeholders involved in vaccination systems (n=13) were conducted in 2022. Thematic analysis was conducted to draw out themes related to barriers, strengths, and strategies of vaccine delivery models and the intersections with patient experiences. Newcomer refugee and immigrant focused vaccination models and strategies were explored. They demonstrated how partnerships between organizations, multi-pronged approaches, and culturally responsive services were crucial to navigate ongoing and emergent factors, such as vaccine hesitancy, mandates, and other determinants of under-vaccination. Many vaccination models presented through interviews were not specific to refugees and included immigrants, temporary residents, ethnocultural community members, and other vulnerable populations in their design. Increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake for newcomer refugees and immigrants, is complex and requires trust, ongoing information provision, and local partnerships to address ongoing and emerging factors. Three key policy implications were drawn. The World Health Organization stresses the need for tailored COVID-19 models of vaccination to meet the needs of diverse populations and ultimately reach high rates of vaccination. However, little evidence exists on how COVID-19 models of vaccination operated in the novel context of the pandemic, how vulnerable populations, such as refugees, experience COVID-19 vaccination systems in high-income countries, and what lessons may be learned from vaccination efforts with vulnerable populations. To address this gap, this study explored COVID-19 vaccine delivery models available to newcomer refugees and immigrants, and refugee experiences across diferent COVID-19 vaccine delivery models in Calgary, Canada, and surrounding area in 2021 and 2022, to understand the barriers, strengths, and strategies of models to support access to COVID-19 vaccination for newcomer refugees and immigrants. Structured interviews with Government Assisted Refugees (n=39), and semistructured interviews with Privately Sponsored Refugees (n=6), private refugee sponsors (n=3), and stakeholders involved in vaccination systems (n=13) were conducted in 2022. Thematic analysis was conducted to draw out themes related to barriers, strengths, and strategies of vaccine delivery models and the intersections with patient experiences. Newcomer refugee and immigrant focused vaccination models and strategies were explored. They demonstrated how partnerships between organizations, multi-pronged approaches, and culturally responsive services were crucial to navigate ongoing and emergent factors, such as vaccine hesitancy, mandates, and other determinants of under-vaccination. Many vaccination models presented through interviews were not specific to refugees and included immigrants, temporary residents, ethnocultural community members, and other vulnerable populations in their design. Increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake for newcomer refugees and immigrants, is complex and requires trust, ongoing information provision, and local partnerships to address ongoing and emerging factors. Three key policy implications were drawn.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly