Perceptions of Discrimination in Health Services Experienced by Immigrant Minorities in Ontario
Recently there has been a growing awareness of the role played by discrimination in the provision of health care services to immigrant newcomers and refugees. Very little research, however, has explored how discrimination influences newcomers’ relationships with health care providers and the health care system in Ontario. This three-part study explores the impacts of discrimination on refugees and immigrants through (1) a literature review of existing reports of discrimination in the health care environment; (2) interviews with health care providers who work with New Canadians in Hamilton, Ontario; and (3) interviews with immigrant newcomers and refugees to gauge perceptions of discrimination from a service user perspective in five small- and medium-sized Ontario cities. This report details the complex impacts of racism and discrimination in shaping immigrant experiences with health care providers and the health care system in Ontario. […]
