Researcher ORCID Identifier

0000-0002-9028-1832

Graduation Year

2022

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

W.M. Keck Science Department

Reader 1

Pete Chandrangsu

Reader 2

Elise Ferree

Rights Information

2022 Sabrina J Lieu

Abstract

Immigrants often experience negative health outcomes after they have re-settled in the United States because of the inaccessibility of healthcare (anti-immigrant sentiment, language barriers, costs and more). The social structures that prevent immigrants from accessing healthcare may compound health consequences of various migration-related stressors that are experienced during immigration. Changes in the abundance of beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have been identified as one way emotional and psychological stress affect the gut microbiome. These changes in gut microbiome composition may lead to a state of dysbiosis or leaky gut, further affecting one’s health. The goal of this study is to determine how the immigrant experience, dictated by U.S. colonial policies and systems, affects the health of immigrants in order to better understand its consequences and inform structural change to best support the health of immigrants in the United States. I hope to highlight the additional consequences of the psychological stress immigrants experience in detention centers on gut microbial populations. This study will analyze fecal samples and immigration stories, collected over the course of 5 years, of 21 low-income immigrants between the ages of 25-64 years old with no prior health conditions. Findings will be used to advocate for the health of immigrants, the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and greater care for our communities.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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