Question and Answer

The Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project facilitates a virtual Community of Practice (CoP) comprised of health, settlement and social services providers across Canada who support the mental health of immigrants and refugees. The CoP online discussion board allows providers to pose questions to the Project’s panel of subject matter experts (SMEs). We will be bringing you some of the questions posed by providers and answers provided by the SMEs.

Question

“…I realized, through this course, that there are many gazillion services and programs to help immigrants and refugees to feel a part of Canada, yet issues of racism, xenophobia, prejudice, discrimination, and inequality continue to be perpetuated against immigrants and refugees and other BIPOC populations in Canada.

Now, my question is, given that people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds make up the minority and are considered 'visible minority' which predispose them to unwarranted challenges like lack of access to health care/mental health services due to language barriers; lack of access to adequate resources like shelter and food, education, etc.), what is Canada's next steps to fix the effects of racism on the lives of immigrants and refugees?”

Response

Axelle Janczur, Executive Director of Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services, writes:

A discussion of social determinants of health and barriers to accessing them is a great way to understand some of these issues. Shelter, food, education, immigration status, language, health

insurance, sexism, housing, employment and decent income are all determinants of health and many people face barriers and are impacted by these – like newcomers. But not just newcomers, everybody in society is affected in one way or another.

Organizations that work with immigrants and refugees in particular need to understand those determinants of health which are most impactful for newcomers and then ensure that their services adjust for these – for example settlement agencies provide interpretation and advocate for translation of resources; we support system navigation and provide coaching while also advocating for streamlined and more accessible services. We sit at committees and service coordination tables such as Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) to create resources, inform key stakeholders and advocate for better access to these social determinants of health.

At the same time, as non-profit organizations working with immigrants and refugees we can be part of the larger societal change. For example there are many initiatives now related to collection of equity data, which we should support, to better understand access to and impact of barriers to services; we should all adopt anti-racism frameworks in our own organizations as well as support initiatives by other organizations – LIPs, hospitals, public health, mental health organizations, municipalities, provincial associations – as they also develop their own frameworks. We can also ensure that we engage with newcomer communities on these issues, inform and support their own understanding and agency in civic action.

We have to take part in the public discourse and change the narrative. So yes, terms like “visible minority” are outdated, not evidence based and are being replaced with concepts like deconstructing white supremacy in our systems, decolonizing our institutions and unpacking privilege. It is up to all of us to own our own role – as individuals and organizations – in this change process. As organizations working with immigrants and newcomers who are particularly impacted by racism, systemic discrimination and face all kinds of barriers, we have to be part of this change process, make sure we make it a priority in our organizations, sit at all the appropriate tables and center these issues. We are well positioned to do this and have legitimacy and agency in this discourse.