Search Results (13)

Despite the Nepalese diaspora being a part of the South Asian diaspora in Canada—the largest fraction of Canadian diasporas—systematic investigations into and knowledge about the Nepalese diaspora is strikingly limited. The existing studies centred on the South Asian diaspora predominantly deal with the Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi diasporas and often homogenize the Nepalese diaspora with these diasporic groups. This study, as the first scholarly investigation into this group, examines the emerging and fast-growing Nepalese diasporic community in Canada. Based on government data, reports, and in-depth semi-structured interviews, this article presents the history of the Nepalese diaspora in Canada. It also delineates their diasporic experiences as they arrive and embark on a new journey to Canada and some contemporary socio-cultural and intergenerational issues that have arisen in this diasporic community. The article finds a rapid growth in the Nepalese diaspora in about the last two decades. It identifies the quest for a better life, health care, social security, children’s education, and escape from political turmoil and instability in their native country as the chief reasons for this influx of Nepalese in Canada. The article also uncovers dramatic career shifts, adaptation or settlement-related strains, longing for homeland, cultural decline, and growing intergenerational gaps as the key post-immigration challenges encountered by the Nepalese diaspora in Canada. Full article

This paper will focus on illustrating through qualitative personal narratives the lived realities of three South Asian Indian women in academia across the continuum of their experiences personally, professionally, and as academics within the field of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). The authors will speak to their South Asian identity, their acculturation experiences as Asian Indian women in the US professional and academic context, their different generational experiences in immigration journeys, their different academic and clinical journeys, and other contextual variables such as age, solidarity with other South Asian women in academia, peer mentorship experiences, and finding their own voices and empowerment through connections with other women with similar experiences. In addition to the lack of formal academic mentorship, the authors will describe how they as South Asian Indian women have grappled with the challenges of systemic gender and racial biases that undermined their development as academics and hindered their progress toward gender and racial equality in academic and clinical settings. The authors will situate their personal narratives within the frameworks of feminist solidarity and social justice through describing their mentorship experiences, as mentors and mentees, and how they still were able to establish their professional identities as professional, academic, South Asian women of color. Full article

This paper explores the challenges of measuring and classifying the East African Asian population in Aotearoa New Zealand. As a particularly diverse country, New Zealand has a significant and varied population of immigrants from South Asia, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, along with immigrants of South Asian origin, from Fiji, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and East Africa. New Zealand’s system of ethnic classification relies on self-identification, with a broad definition of ethnicity encompassing heritage, ancestry, culture, language and feelings of belonging. However, the collection of this information at a granularity that enables detailed analysis is constrained for the South Asian population, regardless of origin or identification. People are typically presented with the choice of selecting “Indian” ethnicity as a tick box, or providing ethnicities under “Other” as write-in descriptors, which in turn are coded to a limited set of categories within the classification being used. This practice potentially conceals a diversity of ethnicities, which can only partially be hinted at by responses to questions relating to religions, languages and birthplaces, especially for second or third-generation descendants of migrants. Ethnic classification at the highest level, moreover, includes East African Indians as Asian, rather than African, reflecting diasporic heritage as a shorthand for ancestry and overlooking the relevance of layers of identity associated with the double diaspora. Drawing on Peter J. Aspinall’s work on collective terminology in ethnic data collection and categorizing the “Asian” ethnic group in the UK, this paper looks at the overlaps and disconnects between heritage, ethnicity and national belonging in classifying less clearcut identities. We explore the strengths and limitations of New Zealand’s self-identification approach to ethnic identity, and query what exactly is being asked of groups on the margins: when self-identification does not match external perception, are we looking for geographic, cultural, or genetic origins? A focus on the East African Asian population in Aotearoa highlights the complexity of identity for diasporic groups with distant ancestral links with India, as lived experience of cultural connection extends far beyond the bounds of ethnicity, language and even ancestry. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted families and displaced individuals. For migrant workers, these disruptions and displacements exacerbated the state-imposed constraints on family formation. But how did high-skilled and high-wage immigrants, presumably immune from these challenges, provide care to and receive care from families during the pandemic? Based on 33 in-depth interviews with high-skilled Asian Indian immigrants in the USA during the pandemic, we note disruptions in their care to and from families. These disruptions reveal a persistent pattern of dispersion in immigrant families which leads to what we call “dispersed care.” By “dispersed care” we identify the effects of various state-imposed immigration laws and policies, which force immigrants to divide and allocate care among multiple fragments of their families in home and host countries. Dispersed care affects immigrant workers’ professional output, forcing them to make difficult choices between their career and care commitments. To unsettle the assumed homogeneity of high-skilled “Asian Indians,” we choose participants at diverse intersections of their migration pathways—naturalized US citizens, permanent US residents, and temporary visa holders or nonimmigrants. While naturalized US citizens and permanent residents have better resources to maintain transnational family ties than nonimmigrants, all of them face the intersectional challenges of dispersed care. Full article

Objective: Mixed evidence exists in the research examining the effects of religion on health outcomes. Due to the severity of health conditions experienced by immigrants and racial and ethnic minorities in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic, this research aims to examine the influence of religious involvement on self-assessed health among healthcare support professionals of Asian Indian origin living in the US. Method: The study used oral history narratives of phenomenological tradition, obtained through interviews of 16 healthcare support professionals of Asian-Indian origin and from three different religious backgrounds. The study cohort was made up of individuals residing in the greater Detroit and Lansing areas in Michigan. Findings: Although the narratives indicated that religious engagement plays a positive role in health outcomes among care professionals, simultaneously, it was found that religion-specific meaning intersects their immigration, settlement, family expectations, and work-related experiences in the US. Future research should extend the scholarship examining gender differences in the effect of religion on self-assessed health among healthcare support professionals of Asian-Indian origin. Full article

Discrimination against Asians in the USA and its impact on their mental health are urgent public health concerns. Most research on discrimination against Asians has used aggregated Asian group samples. Focusing on Gujaratis, a specific subgroup of Asian Indians, the second-largest Asian group in the USA, this study examined the relationships between everyday discrimination and psychological distress and how they vary by gender. Data were collected via computer-assisted telephone interviews with a representative sample of 553 Gujaratis aged 18 to 65 years residing in a Midwestern state. Negative binomial regression analyses were conducted to examine how exposure to unfair treatment and three types of social support, respectively, was associated with depressive symptoms. For both women and men, unfair treatment was positively associated with depressive symptoms, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. For women, but not for men, the incidence rate ratio became non-significant when adding social support measures to the model. All three social support measures for women, and only satisfaction with social support for men, were significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms. The findings highlight the need for further research on the role of different types of social support and gender differences, which can inform gender- and socioculturally-relevant intervention efforts. Full article

Asian Indians (AIs) are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus than other ethnic groups. AIs also have lower body mass index (BMI) values than other populations, so can benefit from strategies other than weight reduction. Macronutrient distributions are associated with improved glycemic control; however, no specific distribution is generally recommended. This study looks at whether a macronutrient distribution of 50:30:20 (percent of total calories from carbohydrates, fats, and protein) is related to diabetes status in AIs. Diet and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were assessed from convenience sample of AI adults in Maryland. A ratio of actual to needed calories using the 50:30:20 macronutrient distribution was then tested against diabetes status to identify associations. All groups except non-diabetic females, were in negative energy balance. The non-diabetic group consumed larger actual to needed ratios of protein than pre-diabetics and diabetics. However, all groups consumed protein at the lower end of the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR), and the quality of all macronutrients consumed was low. Therefore, weight loss may not be the recommendation for diabetes management for AIs. Increasing protein and insoluble fiber consumption, could play a critical role. Full article

Introduction: We aimed to assess the impact of socio-economic determinants of health (SEDH) on survival disparities within and between the ethnic groups of young-onset (<50 years age) colorectal adenocarcinoma patients. Patients and Methods: Surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) registry was used to identify colorectal adenocarcinoma patients aged between 25–49 years from 2012 and 2016. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan–Meir method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the hazard effect of SEDH. American community survey (ACS) data 2012–2016 were used to analyze the impact of high school education, immigration status, poverty, household income, employment, marital status, and insurance type. Results: A total of 17,145 young-onset colorectal adenocarcinoma patients were studied. Hispanic (H) = 2874, Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native (NHAIAN) = 164, Non-Hispanic Asian Pacific Islander (NHAPI) = 1676, Non-Hispanic black (NHB) = 2305, Non-Hispanic white (NHW) = 10,126. Overall cancer-specific survival was, at 5 years, 69 m. NHB (65.58 m) and NHAIAN (65.67 m) experienced worse survival compared with NHW (70.11 m), NHAPI (68.7), and H (68.31). High school education conferred improved cancer-specific survival significantly with NHAPI, NHB, and NHW but not with H and NHAIAN. Poverty lowered and high school education improved cancer-specific survival (CSS) in NHB, NHW, and NHAPI. Unemployment was associated with lowered CSS in H and NAPI. Lower income below the median negatively impacted survival among H, NHAPI NHB, and NHW. Recent immigration within the last 12 months lowered CSS survival in NHW. Commercial health insurance compared with government insurance conferred improved CSS in all groups. Conclusions: Survival disparities were found among all races with young-onset colorectal adenocarcinoma. The pattern of SEDH influencing survival was unique to each race. Overall higher income levels, high school education, private insurance, and marital status appeared to be independent factors conferring favorable survival found on multivariate analysis. Full article

The present study examines the spatial assimilation patterns of immigrants who arrived as children. The main objective is to predict the likelihood of living in ethnic areas for decimal generation immigrants (1.25, 1.5, and 1.75) among Asian Indians, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, and Vietnamese. Using 2013–2017 5-Year ACS Estimates and IPUMS, it applies the measure of local spatial clustering (the Local Moran’s I statistic) to identify ethnic areas and the logistic regression model to assess the effects of immigrant generational status, cultural, and socioeconomic assimilation on the probability of living in ethnic areas. The findings show that the 1.25 and 1.5 decimal generation immigrants of Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, and Koreans demonstrate higher propensities of living in ethnic areas compared to the first generation of each ethnic group, respectively. Meanwhile, their Asian Indians and Vietnamese counterparts show spatial assimilation. Regardless of generational effects, English language ability positively relates to the probability of living in nonethnic areas, whereas economic assimilation indicators reveal mixed results. We found substantial evidence for resurgent ethnicity theory and some support of spatial assimilation model, indicating the ethnic disparity in spatial assimilation patterns among Asian immigrants. Our paper highlights the nonlinear assimilation patterns among Asian decimal generations. Results suggest that, for Asian immigrants in the U.S., age-at-arrival and ethnicity are both significant predictors of residential preference. Full article

The Short Acculturation Scale (SAS) has been widely used for assessing the level of the acculturation of migrants in Western countries. However, the validity of SAS for use in cosmopolitan settings without a single prevailing culture is unclear. We examined the validity and reliability of a version of the SAS adapted to a multi-ethnic Asian society. We used cross-sectional data from 12,610 Singaporean citizens and permanent residents, aged 21–75 years, of Chinese, Malay, and Indian ethnicity. Our version used 11 items, with 5 questions on language use, 3 on media use, and 3 on ethnic social relations, to measure acculturation. Our version of the SAS had good internal consistency. The three-factor CFA model had a good fit to our data. The results from the multiple group CFA supported metric invariance and partial scalar invariance across the three ethnic groups. The total score was positively correlated with generation in Singapore and the number of languages spoken. Among first generation immigrants, country of origin, but not the duration of residence was significantly associated with the acculturation score. Our three-factor version of the SAS is a reliable and valid tool for measuring acculturation in Singapore residents. These findings indicate that adapted SAS can be used to assess acculturation in multicultural settings. Full article

In Middle Asia, the dragonfly Pantala flavescens makes regular seasonal migrations. In spring, sexually mature dragonflies (immigrants) arrive in this region for reproduction. Dragonflies of the aboriginal generation (residents) develop in about two months, and migrate south in autumn. Residents of Middle Asia have significantly lower δ²H values (−123.5 (SD 17.2)‰, n = 53) than immigrants (−64.4 (9.7)‰, n = 12), as well as aboriginal dragonfly species from Ethiopia (−47.9 (10.8)‰, n = 4) and the Sahel zone (−50.1 (15.5)‰, n = 11). Phenological data on P. flavescens in the Afro-Asian region and a comparison with published isotopic data on migratory insects from this region suggest that (i) the probable area of origin of P. flavescens immigrants is located in tropical parts of East Africa and/or the Arabian Peninsula and (ii) the autumn migration of Middle Asian residents to the south may also pass through the Indian Ocean. We assume that in the Afro-Asian region, there is an extensive migration circle of P. flavescens covering East Africa, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent with a total length of more than 14,000 km. Full article

Cultural influences are deeply rooted, and continue to affect the lives of Asian-Indian (AI) immigrants living in Western culture. Emerging literature suggests the powerful nature of traditions and culture on the lives, mental and physical health of AI immigrants, particularly women. The purpose of this study was to explore depression among AI women in Central California (CC). This mixed-methods research was conducted in collaboration with the CC Punjabi community and the support of local religious leaders. All interviews were conducted in Punjabi and English. Whenever possible we utilized validated scales aligned with emerging themes from the qualitative data, which also provided contextualization to survey responses. In all we conducted 11 key informant interviews, four focus groups (n = 47) and a rigorously developed anonymous survey (n = 350). Social dynamics and traditional expectations including gendered roles significantly affected mental health among women participants. Subgroups along the lines of language choice (Punjabi vs. English) experience and report depression differently in part due to the highly stigmatized nature of mental health issues in this model minority community. The findings of this study highlight the importance of utilizing mixed methods to access hard to reach populations regarding sensitive topics such as mental health. Full article

India has one of the highest burdens of diabetes worldwide, and rates of diabetes are also high among Asian Indian immigrants that have migrated into the United States (U.S.). Sikhs represent a significant portion of Asian Indians in the U.S. Diabetes prevention programs have shown the benefits of using lifestyle intervention to reduce diabetes risk, yet there have been no culturally-tailored programs for diabetes prevention in the Sikh community. Using a quasi-experimental two-arm design, 126 Sikh Asian Indians living in New York City were enrolled in a six-workshop intervention led by community health workers. A total of 108 participants completed baseline and 6-month follow-up surveys between March 2012 and October 2013. Main outcome measures included clinical variables (weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol) and health behaviors (changes in physical activity, food behaviors, and diabetes knowledge). Changes were significant for the treatment group in weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, physical activity, food behaviors, and diabetes knowledge, and between group differences were significant for glucose, diabetes knowledge, portion control, and physical activity social interaction. Retention rates were high. Findings demonstrate that a diabetes prevention program in the Sikh community is acceptable, feasible, and efficacious. Full article