“It is not just about my work, my identities count”: the Influence of Intersectional Identities on the Employment Experiences of Black African Immigrant Women in Ontario, Canada

Joyceline Amoako (), Ellen MacEachen, Warren Dodd and Kimberly Lopez
Additional contact information
Joyceline Amoako: University of Waterloo
Ellen MacEachen: University of Waterloo
Warren Dodd: University of Waterloo
Kimberly Lopez: University of Waterloo

Journal of International Migration and Integration, 2024, vol. 25, issue 1, No 18, 442 pages

Abstract: Abstract Existing research on immigrants in Canada has identified singular aspects of identity (such as race) that causes inequities in their employment experiences. However, research on the impact of multiple intersecting identities on immigrants’ women’s work experiences is lacking. Without considering the intersecting identities of immigrants, policies and practices geared toward immigrants’ well-being may not achieve their objectives. This qualitative study explored the impact of the intersectional identities on the employment experiences of Black African immigrant women in Canada. Participants included fifteen Black African immigrant women engaged in precarious jobs in Ontario. In-depth interviews were used to collect rich layers of information about participants’ employment experiences in Canada. The theory of intersectionality was used to analyze the influence of participants’ intersectional identities on their employment experiences. Our study results found that participants struggled in their search for professional jobs in the Canadian labor market due to the lack of recognition of foreign credentials. As a result, they worked in jobs perceived to be of “low status” and experienced poor labor market outcomes. Their experiences in the labor market were mainly reflected in their minoritization, especially as these social identities (gender, race, immigration status, and education) intersected. Equity-orientated research, policy initiatives, and practices are recommended to take an intersectional approach to understanding how social identities interact to amplify inequities for Black African immigrant women’s employment.

Keywords: Black African women; Intersectionality; Canada; Precarious work; Systemic inequities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12134-023-01087-9 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:joimai:v:25:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s12134-023-01087-9

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.springer ... tudies/journal/12134

DOI: 10.1007/s12134-023-01087-9

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of International Migration and Integration is currently edited by Lori Wilkinson

More articles in Journal of International Migration and Integration from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().