Dr. Nigel Mantou Lou
Position
Dr. Nigel Mantou Lou is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Victoria. He joined the department in 2021 after completing his PhD at the University of Alberta in 2019. Dr. Lou is a new and highly engaged Research Fellow with the Centre for Youth & Society, having joined CFYS in 2021.
Dr. Lou's research focuses on intercultural communication and relations, immigration, identity, and language learning. His PhD research focused on how growth mindsets contribute to an inclusive culture for newcomer language learners in Canada and the role of adaptability and growth mindsets.
The beliefs people have about newcomers and learning an additional language influence their willingness to interact with immigrants. We found that those who have a growth mindset and believe newcomers can learn the language given the right supports have more positive beliefs about immigrants and immigration policies.
— Dr. Nigel Mantou Lou
More recently, Dr. Lou's projects include studying immigrants and ethnic minorities’ experiences of racism during the COVID-19 pandemic and how their experiences may continue to impact their well-being and socio-cultural adaptation. This work explores the impacts of the pandemic on the experiences of Chinese Canadians. In addition to the virus, Chinese Canadians faced an onslaught of racism, which has had implications for identity, negative emotion, and anti-racism incident reporting.
As part of the CYFS Speaker Series, Dr. Lou recently presented on Chinese Canadians’ experiences of the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racism. The COVID-19 pandemic poses various threats for all Canadians, but Asian Canadians have also faced increased racism. As a result of this discrimination, not only is Chinese Canadians’ psychological wellbeing undermined, but also their sense of belonging to the Canadian society. Generational status is also associated with the relative impact of pandemic-related challenges, such that foreignborn Chinese Canadians experienced more health, financial, and cultural threats, whereas Canadian-born Chinese perceived more personal and group discrimination. As the prejudice and discrimination against Chinese Canadians are likely to continue, there are ongoing challenges for research and the community to work together in combating racism, encouraging anti-racism reporting, and supporting Chinese and other Asian Canadians’ resilience and recovery from the pandemic.
As the prejudice and discrimination against Chinese Canadians are likely to continue, there are ongoing challenges for research and the community to work together to combat racism, encourage anti-racism reporting, and support Asian Canadians’ resilience and recovery from the pandemic.
— Dr. Nigel Mantou Lou
Additionally, Dr. Lou is engaged in knowledge mobilization outside of CFYS and his research was featured in an expert Q&A with the University of Victoria. The article focuses on Dr. Lou's recent research on anti-Asian racism during pandemic. In the interview, Dr. Lou discusses his recent publication entitled "Chinese Canadians’ experiences of the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racism: Implications for identity, negative emotion, and anti-racism incident reporting."
Recent publications
Lou, N. M., Noels, K.A., Kurl, S., Zhang, Y.S.D., & Young-Leslie, H. (2021). Chinese Canadians’ experiences of the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racism: Implications for identity, negative emotion, and anti-racism incident reporting. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000305
Lou, N.M., Montreuil, T., Feldman, L.S., Fried, G.M., Lavoie-Tremblay, M., Bhanji, F., Kennedy, H., Kaneva, P., & Harley, J.M. (2021). Nurses' and Physicians' Distress, Burnout, and Coping Strategies During COVID-19. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, Publish Ahead of Print, https://doi.org/10.1097/CEH.0000000000000365.
Lou, N.M., Chaffee, K.E., & Noels, K.A. (2021). Growth, fixed, and mixed mindsets: Mindset system profiles in foreign language learners and their role in engagement and acheivement. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263121000401
Haldane, C., Lou, N.M., & Harley, J.M. (2021). Social-historical accounts of hope and resilience: Experiences of prominent sexual orientation minority elders. Journal of Homosexuality, 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2021.1990689