Canadian research still tends to group
people of African descent as Black without considering the difference in their countries of
origins, socio-economic background, values and cultural context. This study examines the experiences of eight second generation youth of
Western African descent in two major cities in Alberta as they navigate the identity formation
process. Factors that influence their adoption of an identity, and the characteristics and
importance of their adopted identity were also investigated. Narratives were gathered through interviews with the youth in Edmonton and Calgary. Experiences that contributed towards their adoption of their identity include parental influence, interaction with members of the Canadian society, and socializing with members of their parent’s cultural community. However, their adopted identities were not static, but fluid in nature leading to a hybridity in their identification. The study also includes implications of the results from the research study for immigrant parents, educators, policy makers, service providers, as well as recommendations for the future research. Canadian research still tends to group
people of African descent as Black without considering the difference in their countries of
origins, socio-economic background, values and cultural context. This study examines the experiences of eight second generation youth of
Western African descent in two major cities in Alberta as they navigate the identity formation
process. Factors that influence their adoption of an identity, and the characteristics and
importance of their adopted identity were also investigated. Narratives were gathered through interviews with the youth in Edmonton and Calgary. Experiences that contributed towards their adoption of their identity include parental influence, interaction with members of the Canadian society, and socializing with members of their parent’s cultural community. However, their adopted identities were not static, but fluid in nature leading to a hybridity in their identification. The study also includes implications of the results from the research study for immigrant parents, educators, policy makers, service providers, as well as recommendations for the future research.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
Early childhood caries (ECC) is a severe form of tooth decay affecting the primary teeth of preschool children. Canadian surveys have found that children from disadvantaged groups, including recent immigrants, have higher rates of caries and lower rates of dental visits than Canadian-born children and tend to seek dental care for treatment reasons.Oral diseases disproportionally affect immigrant communities. For example, besides financial costs, African new immigrant families face additional barriers, including those related to language and cultural values, which leads to a lower rate of dental care uptake for their children. Therefore, there is a clear need to enhance prevention and treatment of oral diseases among recent immigrant children, especially those from communities with a higher prevalence of dental problems. Dental education for immigrant and refugee families can be accomplished through community leaders with experience in health promotion. These individuals have the potential to reach out to newcomer parents, raise their awareness of oral health and preventive care, and facilitate their children’s access to dental services. Early childhood caries (ECC) is a severe form of tooth decay affecting the primary teeth of preschool children. Canadian surveys have found that children from disadvantaged groups, including recent immigrants, have higher rates of caries and lower rates of dental visits than Canadian-born children and tend to seek dental care for treatment reasons.Oral diseases disproportionally affect immigrant communities. For example, besides financial costs, African new immigrant families face additional barriers, including those related to language and cultural values, which leads to a lower rate of dental care uptake for their children. Therefore, there is a clear need to enhance prevention and treatment of oral diseases among recent immigrant children, especially those from communities with a higher prevalence of dental problems. Dental education for immigrant and refugee families can be accomplished through community leaders with experience in health promotion. These individuals have the potential to reach out to newcomer parents, raise their awareness of oral health and preventive care, and facilitate their children’s access to dental services.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
