This thesis is a transdisciplinary study aimed at exploring the role of race, racism and stress as determinants of health for indigenous populations and other oppressedethnoracial groups. Commencing with an analysis of continuing racialisation in health research, it is shown that there is no consistent evidence that oppressed ethnoracial groups, who suffer disproportionately from type 2 diabetes, are especially genetically susceptible to this disease. Continued attribution of ethnoracial differences in health to genetics highlights the need to be attentive to both environmental and genetic risk factors operating within and between ethnoracial groups. This exploration of racialisation is followed by a theoretical examination of racism as a health risk factor. This includes a comprehensive definition of racism, a diagrammaticrepresentation of the aetiological relationship between racism and health and an examination of the dimensions across which perceived racism can be operationalised.An empirical review of 138 quantitative population-based studies of self-reported racism as a determinant of health reveals that self-reported racism is related to ill-health(particularly mental health) for oppressed ethnoracial groups after adjustment for a range of confounders. This review also highlights a number of limitations in thisnascent field of research. This thesis then attempts to clarify the plethora of conceptual approaches used in thestudy of stress and health as a first step towards comprehending how stress interacts with both racism and health. A review of the empirical association between stress and chronic disease for fourth world indigenous populations and African Americans was also conducted. This review, which located 65 studies, found that a range of chronic diseases (especially chronic mental conditions) were associated with psychosocial stress. Utilising the conceptual work on operationalising racism discussed above, an instrument was developed to measure racism and its correlates as experienced by Indigenous Australians. This instrument demonstrated good face, content, psychometric andconvergent validity in a pilot study involving 312 Indigenous Australians. The majority of participants in this study (70%) reported some experience of inter-personal racism, with this exposure most commonly reported in employment and public settings, from service providers and from other Indigenous people. Strong and consistent associations were found between racism and chronic stress as well as between racism and depression (CES-D), poor/fair self-assessed health status/poor general mental health (SF-12) and a marker of CVD risk (homocysteine), respectively. There was also evidence that the association between inter-personal racism and poor mental health outcomes was ediated by somatic and inner-directed disempowered reactions to racism as well as by chronic stress and a range of psychosocial characteristics. To conclude this thesis, an examination of approaches to addressing racism forIndigenous Australians is undertaken. The theoretical issues pertinent to the study of anti-racism are discussed along with empirical findings from social psychology oneffective approaches to anti-racism. Recommendations for implementing these approaches through institutional and legal policies are also presented. Strategies for engendering political will to combat racism in the current neo-liberal capitalist climate are also briefly considered.

The majority of the Lao American population arrived in the United States after the end of the “American War in Southeast Asia” in 1975 as political refugees. Nevertheless, as Asian Americans, Lao Americans are also stereotyped to be the “model minority” and therefore do not face the same educational and socioeconomical challenges like other communities of color. However, Lao Americans are not the model minority and face numerous obstacles as the community is overlooked and history is forgotten by mainstream America. The lack of scholarly literature on Lao Americans highlights not only the general misunderstanding of the community, but also the community’s struggles in social upward mobility in addition to low higher educational attainment levels. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to learn from the experiences of Lao American college graduates in order to support younger Lao Americans pursue their higher educational goals. This basic qualitative study provided participants the opportunity to interpret their experiences as Lao American college graduates and make sense out of their lives. Through one-on-one semi-structured interviews, participants reflected upon their educational journeys as Lao American students. Based upon the data analysis of the interview notes and transcripts, five major themes were identified. The first two themes highlight the Lao American students’ stories in K-12 and higher education respectively. Lao American Counternarratives provides an alternate understanding of the Asian and Lao American experience. Lao American Pathways to Degree Completion details the roadmap utilized by participants to complete their degrees. Finally, in Words of Wisdom, participants offer guidance to younger Lao Americans interested in pursuing higher education. Stemming from the findings and literature, there are four implications for action. First, Lao American Awareness, to differentiate between the experiences of Asian and Lao Americans. Secondly, the proliferation of Lao American Support Networks, to Lao American support students and family successfully pursue higher education. Thirdly, Economic Development, to provide Lao American students more equitable educational opportunities. Finally, Beyond the Model Minority Myth, to uplift all marginalized minority communities while highlighting the need to disaggregate data. By focusing on Lao Americans who have been able to successfully earn higher educational degrees, the researcher learned from their experiences to better support future Lao Americans pursue their academic and educational goals to uplift the entire Lao American community.

This Master’s level research project investigates how gender shapes the resettlement challenges that liberian refugees have faced in Nova Scotia. The study investigates the impact of the reframing of gender relations during resettlement processes in both material and symbolic domains of life in Halifax. While male Liberian refugees are found to have a comparative advantage over their female counterparts, due in large part to the priority given to educating young men in rural Liberia, they also have higher expectations of education and employment once settled. Women seem to benefit symbolically if not materially from the reframing of gender relations in Canada, as compared to Liberia.