“This is the place I need to stay”: church communities in the lives of Ethiopian immigrant women in Washington, DC

ABSTRACT

This article shares the findings from a qualitative study researching the lived experiences of Ethiopian immigrant women in the Washington, DC area. It examines the women’s immigration experiences after their arrival in the United States as they navigate finding a sense of community in their new home. The findings underscore the importance of church communities in the lives of Ethiopian immigrant women. Implications for social work practitioners and educators, as well as future research, are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Immigrant
• Ethiopian
• church
• social capital
• women

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Participants in the study are not identified by name. In this article, they are identified by participant number, which is either written out or bracketed following the reference to the participant. For example, Participant 1 is bracketed [P1].