Being Black, Foreign and Woman: African Immigrant Identities in the United States

• In Event: 119 - Regular Session. Immigration and Gender

Abstract

This paper contextualizes racial, gender, ethnic and national identities in shaping African women's work lives in the United States. While the literature on Black immigrant groups has posited that ethnic identities are often deployed to shield Black immigrants from racism, my findings indicate that for a group of African women, their racial, ethnic and national identities are viewed as potential sources of discrimination. As Black immigrant women from class-privileged backgrounds in their home countries, they also articulate experiences with racism, gender discrimination and downward social and occupational mobility. Accounting for how race, class, gender, citizenship and national origin status intersect in the lives of Black immigrant groups might nuance our understanding of racial identities; highlight diversity in experiences among national and regional groups, and between men and women. Focusing on particular health care settings further suggests the importance of professional contexts in shaping the identity formations of recent Black immigrants.

Author

• Fumilayo Showers, Central Connecticut State University