M7A1 ASSIGNMENT

Immigrant Women and Healthcare Challenges

Bruce W. Norcise Jr.

Immigrant Women and Healthcare Challenges

Even though women form one of the integral characters throughout the world, immigration is hardly perceived as their story. Historically and statistically, they account for about half of the total immigrants and the number seems to be on the rise. Again, it is worth noting that women’s motive for migration has been complex and marred with many challenges. One of these challenges points to the hustle in accessing quality and timely healthcare in their choice to find a new home in a new country. Indeed gender has affected immigrant women’s motivation to immigrate due to challenges they encounter. Therefore, the present writing focuses on women immigrants and highlights specific healthcare challenges they experience. In particular, it is based on certain factors such as income disparity, stigmatization, and lack of education among other factors that affect their access to quality healthcare.

Overview of Women Immigration

The transit of individuals seems one of the greatest challenges humanity faces globally. In America, as the case in the rest of the world, the existence of female immigrants has escalated in the recent years Amiri et al., (2018). Today, women migration trend is globally recognized even though it is not often considered in most migratory research. Studies which have been conducted from the gender perspective are few. For instance, studies which seek to evaluate health issues associated with women immigration are both scarce and recent in many countries such as Portugal. According to Amiri and the rest, Portugal did not have epidemiology studies on the state of health of the immigrant population. Again, the information about the accessibility of the quality health cares for immigrant populations is limited.

Since the available information about women immigration is scattered, both integrated and systematic analysis is difficult. In line with Amiri et al., (2018), investigations of women immigrants in many countries seem to favor homogenation. As a result, it does not explain useful specifics of identities which results in various forms of oppression and challenges. Unlike men, women immigrants are vulnerable to discrimination and suffer health care issues. Some theories explain the relationship that exists between health care access and women immigration highlighted as follows.

The Relationship between Health and Women Immigration

Three explanatory theories have been reviewed that helps in the understanding of the association between women immigrants and health care challenges they face. According to the review conducted by Sassen, (2016), the three theories include selective migration and health, effect of migration on health and acculturation and health. Firstly, with regards selective migration, Sassen asserts that migration refers to a type of natural selection. As a result, women immigrants tend to be healthy and they can respond to health issues due to the migratory encounter. It views migration as an opportunity that aids in social and personal development of immigrants especially female immigrants. Based on Sassen’s analysis, the theory shows that an immigrant with a better health than that of natives, it is a factor which protects health.

The second theory involves the negative effect of migration on health which is based on the assumption that immigration as an experience often results in stress among women and thus is likely to pose health risks. Based on this perspective, certain factors lead to high prevalence of both psychological and physical diseases among women immigrants. They include poor integration, living and environmental conditions and social assimilation Sassen, (2016). Also, decreased socio-economic status and racial discrimination at times contribute significantly. Lastly, according to acculturation theory on health, Sassen asserts that women immigrants always integrate and adopt new cultures such as adapting norms, values, and health practices in the new country. Their decreased capacity to adapt such cultures causes them to experience many difficulties in getting access to appropriate health care. Therefore, some of the main health care challenges that women immigrants experience are discussed in detail as follows.

Healthcare Challenges Faced by Immigrant Women

Stigma and Vulnerability to abuse

Firstly, women immigrants especially the middle working class experience some forms of verbal and physical abuse. According to Hacker et al., (2017), it results due to stigmatization based on difference in race and immigration status. Consequently, abuse both at work and home make immigrants to suffer health care issues. For instance, abusive partners and even employers take advantage of their immigration status to keep them from accessing health care insurance. Again, because of the vulnerability, they are prevented from departing from abusive relationships and jobs. In most instances, single mothers struggle to cope with the burden of providing for their children both food and quality health care. Other factors contributing to deterioration of health care among women immigrants are lack of education and unemployment.

Lack of Education and Unemployment

Socio-economic factors like lack of education and unemployment contribute to health care issues among women immigrants significantly. Education and employment are related; lack of education is likely to results in unemployment. As asserted by Hacker et al., (2017), lack of basic education (limited access to GP) forms the biggest challenge that women immigrants experience in their quest for quality health care. Hacker and the rest define limited access to GP to mean that women immigrants who lack even the basic education do not have the knowledge of particular health care services. Therefore, they are at a great risk of suffering from depression and developing cardiovascular diseases thus have a high mortality rate.

Personal Concern for Women Immigrants

Despite the health care issues and other challenges that women immigrants experience globally, I believe they have made significant contributions to a given society and economy. For example, their labor is integral to creating and ensuring there is a strong economy either through paid jobs or business activities. As a result, it is high time a common-sense remedy to immigration systems be put in place. It would address women immigrants’ health care issues and related challenges and thus each country begins to value their contribution. The remedy could be achieved when legislative passes immigration reforms that allow immigrants to attain citizenship, promotes health insurance (the greatest need), and offers protection against any form of abuse. One of the best programs that often agitate for such reforms is the modern immigrant rights movement highlighted below.

The Modern Immigrant Rights Movement

The development of the modern immigrant rights movement in New York was a great move towards resolving challenges such limited access to quality health care that women immigrants face. For instance, the program created a political voice in the United States which has always advocated for immigrants’ dignity, respect, economic rights, and access to better health care among others benefits Thomson et al., (2018). In particular, many immigrants in America used the program and learned to advocate for their rights and to improve their living standards. During this time, influential labor leaders (labor activists) like Dolores Huerta stood at the front line. She helped to fight for women immigrants’ rights such as access to health care benefits indiscriminately.

In brief, people in different nations are supposed to transact cultural exchanges. In return, it would create an attractive national culture which values people regardless of their status. Therefore, immigrants especially women immigrants would receive equal treatment and thus protect them from experiencing health care challenges. Like the natives, they would embody a culture that values the dignity of every human. This way, it allows anyone the opportunity to establish social and economic foundation of his or her life in a new country.

References

Amiri, R., King, K. M., Heydari, A., Dehghan-Nayeri, N., & Vedadhir, A. A. (2018). Health-Seeking Behavior of Afghan Women Immigrants: An Ethnographic Study. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 1043659618792613.

Hacker, K., Anies, M., Folb, B. L., & Zallman, L. (2017). Barriers to health care for undocumented immigrants: a literature review. Risk management and healthcare policy, 8, 175.

Sassen, S. (2016). The Global City: Strategic Site, New Frontier. In Managing Urban Futures (pp. 89-104). Routledge.

Thomson, M. S., Chaze, F., George, U., & Guruge, S. (2015). Improving immigrant populations’ access to mental health services in Canada: a review of barriers and recommendations. Journal of immigrant and minority health, 17(6), 1895-1905.