Immigrant groups in the United States have long experienced challenges to community inclusion and participation such as experiences of discrimination and victimization.
Today, however, we are experiencing unprecedented levels of such experiences. For Somali young adults who are black, Muslim immigrants, these experiences may be linked to their race, religion or migration status.
This has been compounded by historical and recent events linked to aspects of Somali identity and culture creating a socio-historical moment in which young Somalis face an unprecedented threat of discrimination and mistreatment.
While there is growing evidence on the adverse effect of discrimination on health, less is known about the experiences of immigrant groups and the ways in which discrimination and experiences of racism across multiple sectors of public life relate to mental health and well-being; what factors mediate these relationships; and how immigrants understand and make meaning of these experiences as well as their relationships to their mental health and well-being.