Immigrant and U.S.-Born Migrant Farmworkers: Dual Paths to Discrimination-Related Health Outcomes

Sara Reyes, Laura M. Acosta, Vanessa Domínguez, Athena K. Ramos, Arthur R. Andrews

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Research with immigrant Latino populations often point to findings that immigrants tend to evidence better health outcomes than nonimmigrants. When exploring differences based on nativity, comparisons often end with just comparing these two groups. Exploring these variables alone may oversimplify the shared and unique paths of risk and resilience between these groups. Experimental research shows that discrimination is often directed toward immigrants, but U.S.-born Latinos report more frequent exposure. We sought to address this by examining two distinct pathways by which discrimination leads to negative health. A sample of 240 Latino migrant farmworkers completed questionnaires regarding immigrationrelated fears, discrimination, physical and mental health, demographics, and other outcomes. While U.S.-born participants reported similar or worse outcomes across health measures, the pathways to these outcomes appeared to differ between the two groups, with immigrationrelated fears accounting for substantial portions of these health outcomes, especially in the dual paths with discrimination (p values <.05). Simply comparing Latino groups across U.S. nativity may paper over important differences in how they arrive at those health outcomes, including that immigration-related concerns may exacerbate exposure to and severity of discrimination, which in turn leads to negative health outcomes. On the other hand, discrimination itself may account for numerous negative health outcomes more directly for U.S.-born Latinos.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)452-462
Number of pages11
JournalAmerican Journal of Orthopsychiatry
Volume92
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2022

Keywords

  • Discrimination
  • Immigration fear
  • Latino health
  • Latino migrant farmworkers

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Psychology (miscellaneous)
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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