Invisible Migrants: Legal Precarity, Community Care, and Health among Guinean Fulani Asylum Seekers in Harlem

Abstract

This thesis examines the experiences of Guinean Fulani asylum seekers in Harlem, New York City, with a focus on Afrikana, a community-based migrant advocacy organization. Drawing on ethnographic methods, including participant observation and interviews, it explores how Afrikana responds to the structural vulnerabilities of the U.S. asylum system by providing not only legal and material support, but also culturally relevant care and a sense of community. The study is framed through a social determinants of health (SDH) framework, analyzing how access to resources such as housing, healthcare, legal support, and community networks influences the health and wellbeing of asylum seekers. By situating these experiences within the broader socio-political and historical context of U.S. migration policy, the research emphasizes the intersections of legal status, race, and health, highlighting the ways in which these factors shape migrants' survival and resilience. The findings underscore the importance of relational care, solidarity, and community-building in mitigating the effects of structural inequities. This research contributes to scholarship on migration, public health, and legal precarity, advocating for immigration policies that prioritize human dignity and provide comprehensive support to asylum seekers, beyond the limits of legal status alone.