Paradox within the Healthcare System: An Intersectional Analysis of Health Seeking Experiences of Migrants in the U.S.

Abstract

This study examined the complexities surrounding migrants' health-seeking behaviors in the United States. Using intersectionality as a guiding analytic, we conducted in-depth interviews with 15 visa-holding migrants from West African, East, and Southeast Asian countries to understand their experiences navigating healthcare in another country. Participants mentioned the convergence of three power systems: nativity/language of origin status, education status, and migration (legal) status. Based on participants' experiences navigating these converging systems, we identified two paradoxes migrants' experience when seeking health information: (1) the empowerment and disempowerment in the pursuit of health information and (2) the scarcity and sufficiency in the accessibility of health information. Our findings offer a more nuanced understanding of migrant health processes. In particular, we propose that more theorizing and practical interventions should consider intersectional tensions and paradoxes that emerge from individuals whose identities grant them both access and limitations when it comes to seeking healthcare information.