The role of social capital in immigrants' pandemic preparedness and response
Date
2020
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Previous research has described ways in which immigrants living in the United States (US) may be disproportionately impacted during public health disasters caused by various agents. The primary reasons identified for these disproportionate impacts have included inadequate risk communication relative to the disaster, and immigrants’ innate distrust of government and governmental agencies. ☐ Specifically related to pandemics and other infectious disease threats, pre- existing health and socio-economic disparities have been identified as factors that make it difficult for immigrant groups to access resources needed for their full participation in pandemic preparedness and response. ☐ However, despite the increasing attention given to these problems, currently published research may not represent the full picture of the immigrant experience in disasters. For example, current literature places relatively little emphasis on identifying and describing potential protective factors and resources that may be useful in safeguarding the health of members of immigrant communities during pandemics. In addition to this, little is known about the willingness of immigrants to take preventive measures or to participate in preparedness and response activities before, during, and after pandemics or more limited outbreaks of infectious diseases. ☐ This study sought to address this gap by examining what social capital resources are present in immigrant organizations and groups, and how these resources have been deployed in response to contemporary epidemics and pandemics. The study also investigated how individual immigrants in the US experienced the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. This was accomplished between February and May 2020 through a multi-method sequential study design. This comprised key informant interviews of immigrant-serving faith-based organizations in the US, and online focus groups involving immigrants living in the US. ☐ Our findings indicate the existence of rich and multi-dimensional social capital resources within immigrant-serving organizations. These resources have been deployed repeatedly to respond to infectious disease crises, most notably during the 2014-16 Ebola epidemic and the current COVID-19 pandemic. ☐ Regarding experiences in the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that immigrants shared in several of the collective impacts of the pandemic that affected Americans of varying backgrounds. However, there were aspects of the pandemic experience that appeared to have been accentuated amongst those who experienced the pandemic as immigrants living in the US. ☐ On the one hand, some of these factors were protective. Previous adverse life experiences had created in these respondents a unique worldview and a resilient mindset that were useful in facing the COVID-19 hardships. A deep appreciation of the opportunities afforded them in the US and a keen awareness of the difficulties their associates in their home countries were facing during COVID-19 also made the challenges brought on by the pandemic easier for these immigrants to endure. ☐ Pre-existing cultural values and norms created in many immigrants a sense of obligation and community-centeredness that moved them to engage in robust response activities. These were targeted at addressing the pandemic situation and providing relief both in the US and in their countries of origin. ☐ However, there were also drawbacks inherent in the strong social connections in immigrant communities. Immigrants found themselves bearing significant emotional and financial burdens for dependent parents, as well as for extended family and friends in their home countries. ☐ Furthermore, the close-knit communal living situations that are common among immigrants even here in the US made social distancing in the home very difficult to accomplish when a household member was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was required to self-isolate. Immigration status concerns were another set of issues that immigrants had to deal with during the COVID-19 pandemic. ☐ The findings contribute to what is known about social capital as a key resource in disaster preparedness and response and describe how this resource has been used in recent epidemics. The study also contributes to knowledge about the experiences of immigrants living in the US during the current COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts (both helpful and detrimental) of social capital on those experiences.
Description
Keywords
COVID, Disaster response, Immigrant, Pandemic, Resilience, Social capital