Voices of Ethiopian immigrant women

Abstract

This qualitative research article explored the lived experience of Ethiopian immigrant women in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Data were collected through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 14 participants. The themes that emerged included the important role family members who already lived in the United States played in connecting participants with housing, jobs, and educational opportunities.

Culture Care Beliefs and Practices of Ethiopian Immigrants

“…Communication can be considered fundamental for a patient’s satisfaction and quality care. Several past studies identified that immigrants experienced poor quality care due to communication barriers and lack of skills of health care professionals to respond to different cultural needs (Adegboyega & Hatcher, 2017; Gerrish, Chau, Sobowale, & Birks, 2004; Jirwe, Gerrish, & Emami, 2010; Oliphant, 2017; Pang et al, 2003; Wiking, Johansson, & Sundquist, 2004). In the current mini study, participants felt that education, which they valued for themselves and their children, will have a positive effect on employment and consequently improve the health and well-being of families.…”

“…Based on the data analysis, the researcher then abstracted five major themes and 14 care patterns. To conduct culturally competent research, free of stereotypes and discrimination, the researcher found that practicing reflexivity and cultural humility was beneficial throughout the research and data analysis processes (Aronowitz, Deener, Keene, Schnittker, & Tach, 2015; Oliphant, 2017; Yeager & Bauer-Wu, 2013).…”

“…Immigration is a stressful experience and the process does not end with arrival in the United States. Finding housing, employment, a place of worship, schools for children, health care, and becoming a member of a community take time and can be frightening and overwhelming (Oliphant, 2017). Firstgeneration Ethiopian immigrants often "lack access to health care, face linguistic barriers, and generally have limited knowledge in the critical areas of health and wellness" (Ghobadzadeh et al, 2015(Ghobadzadeh et al, , p. 1072.…”

“…Today, Ethiopians represent the second largest African immigrant population in the United States (Anderson, 2017; Migration Policy Institute, 2014). Current research about Ethiopian immigrants in the United States is limited; there are no transcultural nursing studies (Chaumba, 2011; Ghobadzadeh, Demerath & Tura, 2015; Oliphant, 2017). Douglas et al (2014) acknowledge that “there is a need to advocate for vulnerable populations to lessen the impact of social inequalities on their health” (p. 109).…”

Using reflexivity journaling to lessen the emic–etic divide in a qualitative study of Ethiopian immigrant women

“…In this article, we examine how the researcher's own personal positions influence her qualitative study of 14 Ethiopian immigrant women in the United States (Oliphant, 2019). The researcher was a white, native-born U.S. citizen and doctoral student, from an upper middle-class background.…”