The team presented a poster at the 150th American Public Health Association Conference (APHA) on November 7, 2022 titled “Exploring Experiences of Discrimination and Stigma Among U.S. Immigrants: A Qualitative Analysis.” The poster was presented in the Social Determinants of Health Among Immigrants, Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Communities session.
A measure of the impacts of internalized stigma on immigrant groups and their health has yet to be created. The Immigrant Stigma Study aims to analyze immigrants’ experiences of stigma/self-stigma within the U.S. context to develop such a tool. The poster showed the results of the thematic analysis of participants’ responses to explore the research question: What are people’s experiences of being stigmatized as an immigrant in the U.S.? Participants shared being othered due to their immigration status and language traits. They identified experiences of racism and discrimination due to a hostile U.S. immigration climate. There were different ways of negotiating (accepting – resisting) stigma and stereotypes associated with immigrants. While some accepted the status quo, others resisted the stereotypes and some resisted being identified as immigrants.
Read the full abstract here.
