The forgotten minority: qualitative exploration of stressors experienced by African International students in the USA during COVID-19

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the psychosocial stressors experienced by African international students in the USA, an understudied and underrepresented minority group, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Informed by human rights and capability approaches, the study raises awareness about the intersecting stressors caused by the pandemic and the lack of systemic support for minority students and draws implications for social work. A mix of purposive and snowball sampling was utilized to recruit and interview 15 (F=5 and M=10) African international students via Zoom. Data were analyzed thematically using Nvivo12 software. The findings suggest that participants experienced increased communication with family members, shrinking social networks, challenges in adjusting to the new virtual life, losing family members, and grieving alone without adequate social and institutional support. Participants also felt financially neglected due to their inability to work and exclusion from state and federal pandemic financial relief programs. Insights from findings suggested a need for social work programs in universities to build and support the socioeconomic network and capacity of international students that can buffer them against economic and social hardships. Social work programs and academics should advocate for complementary government policy changes to lift off-campus work restrictions for international students.