Social Exclusion among African Immigrants in the United States

Abstract

Research suggests exclusionary mechanisms fostering negative socioeconomic outcomes for African immigrants. This study explored predictors of social exclusion among immigrants from African countries living in the United States. The authors examined four dimensions of social exclusion that entail social–cultural and structural–economic exclusion. Authors used structural equation modeling to analyze cross-sectional survey data from first- and second-generation African immigrants across the United States (N = 409). Findings highlighted the negative effects of discrimination on all four dimensions of social exclusion. In addition, higher levels of education were associated with higher levels of social–cultural exclusion, whereas higher levels of income were protective from social and structural–economic exclusion. Authors also found health status, religion, race, and immigrant generation to have significant effects on social exclusion. Study findings have important implications for social workers seeking to identify and prevent exclusionary mechanisms and practices affecting African immigrants in the United States.