Speaking for Ourselves: An Exemplar Study Engaging Immigrant and Refugee Communities in Applied Research

• In Event: 398 - Visual Media Poster Session

Abstract

Speaking for Ourselves is a community-based research-to-action project with and for immigrant and refugee communities in the Twin Cities that was spearheaded by Wilder Research and funded by our parent organization, the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. Wilder Foundation initiated this study with a kick-off event in December 2012 at which nearly 100 people who have an interest in immigrant communities attended and gave input on the topics to be studied as well as the methods of collecting data and reporting back to the communities. At this event, we recruited an Advisory Board of 20 individuals who are mostly from the cultural communities included in the study as well as holding professional positions in a variety of sectors in the Twin Cities.
This poster will illustrate the pros and cons of this innovative and culturally responsive method we used to interview over 450 Hmong, Karen, Latino, Liberian, and Somali immigrants and refugees. The sampling method was modeled after Respondent Driven Sampling, which was developed by public health researchers to find and survey “hard to reach” groups -- it relies on respondents’ own social networks to identify other potential respondents, and uses near-cash incentives to encourage participation and referrals. We also invited large community institutions to buy a question, which helped to ensure the results will be used by critical stakeholders to make real changes that will improve access, strengthen programs, target outreach, debunk stereotypes, influence public policy, and otherwise improve the lives of immigrants and refugees in the Twin Cities.

Authors

• Nicole MartinRogers, Wilder Research

• Paul W. Mattessich, Wilder Research