Submission ID 118231
| Issue/Objective | Barriers to family reunification have contributed to the growth of transnational families over the years, especially those from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Though historically, Toronto has attracted the highest proportion of migrants, in recent years, more and more Black Africans have been settling in medium-sized cities like Hamilton. In Hamilton, Nigeria is the most common source of African newcomers. Black African migrants have varied motivations for migration, which have increasingly been related to economic reasons. |
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| Methodology/Approach | This qualitative descriptive study explores the ways in which transnational family separation affects the psychosocial well-being of Black African migrant parents living in Hamilton. This study began with a descriptive analysis of the demographic data of participants in the Hamilton site (n=150) of a larger research project. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 participants from Nigeria, Uganda, and Sudan and were analyzed thematically using NVivo 12. Participants were parents over 18 years old, had at least one child of school age, had been living in Hamilton for at least 6 months, and had lived in Canada for less than 5 years. |
| Results | The study was guided by a modified mediated daily stressors model, which shows that transnational family separation is a traumatic event for many Black African migrant families and has ripple effects that compound many of the stressors they experience after resettlement. The results were categorized into four themes: 1) the impact of stress on psychosocial well-being, 2) shifting identities: parenting and gender roles, 3) interaction with various systems in Canada, and 4) coping with the stress of family separation and unmet basic needs (daily stressors) simultaneously. Black African migrant parents show resourcefulness, creativity, and collaboration by finding solutions to issues like food affordability and food insecurity. They use individual, communal, and discursive coping strategies to address personal and cultural suffering linked to family separation and daily stressors. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | The findings from this study can inform policies related to government, health services, mental health service delivery, immigration, and employment in Hamilton and Ontario. Involving Black African migrant families in decision-making will lead to more effective solutions for improving their psychosocial well-being and integration into Canadian society. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Tsinat Semagn McMaster University Ingrid Waldron McMaster University Allison Williams McMaster University Olive Wahoush McMaster University |
