Exploring the Immigrant Experience through Self-Silencing Theory and the Full-Frame Approach: The Case of Caribbean Immigrant Women in Canada and the United States

This chapter discusses the role of self-silencing theory in conceptualizing the experiences of women who have immigrated to Canada and the U.S. from the Caribbean. The author presents an integration of self-silencing theory and the full frame approach (a theoretical orientation that frames women's experiences through the consideration of factors such as personal history, social history, and ethnicity). Using this integrated theoretical framework, the chapter describes the experiences of Caribbean immigrant women by drawing upon data collected through a series of focus groups. These data demonstrate that self-silencing theory and the full frame approach can together inform our understanding of the social isolation and disconnection that are common for new immigrants, as well as the diminished self-worth that can be precipitated by encounters with racism.