IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/poprpr/v41y2022i3d10.1007_s11113-021-09689-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Immigrant Legal Status Disparities in Health Among First- and One-point-five-Generation Latinx Immigrants in California

Author

Listed:
  • Erin R. Hamilton

    (University of California)

  • Caitlin Patler

    (University of California)

  • Robin Savinar

    (University of California)

Abstract

Restrictive US immigration laws and law enforcement undermine immigrant health by generating fear and stress, disrupting families and communities, and eroding social and economic wellbeing. The inequality and stress created by immigration law and law enforcement may also generate disparities in health among immigrants with different legal statuses. However, existing research does not find consistent evidence of immigrant legal status disparities in health, possibly because it does not disaggregate immigrants by generation, defined by age at migration. Immigration and life course theory suggest that the health consequences of non-citizen status may be greater among 1.5-generation immigrants, who grew up in the same society that denies them formal membership, than among the 1st generation, who immigrated as adolescents or adults. In this study, we examine whether there are legal status disparities in health within and between the 1st generation and the 1.5 generation of 23,288 Latinx immigrant adults interviewed in the 2005–2017 waves of the California Health Interview Survey. We find evidence of legal status disparities in heart disease within the 1st generation and for high blood pressure and diabetes within the 1.5 generation. Non-citizens have higher rates of poor self-rated health and distress within both generations. Socioeconomic disadvantage and limited access to care largely account for the worse health of legally disadvantaged 1st- and 1.5-generation Latinx adults in California.

Suggested Citation

  • Erin R. Hamilton & Caitlin Patler & Robin Savinar, 2022. "Immigrant Legal Status Disparities in Health Among First- and One-point-five-Generation Latinx Immigrants in California," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 1241-1260, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:41:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11113-021-09689-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-021-09689-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11113-021-09689-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11113-021-09689-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina & Antman, Francisca, 2016. "Can authorization reduce poverty among undocumented immigrants? Evidence from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 1-4.
    2. Erin R. Hamilton & Jo Mhairi Hale & Robin Savinar, 2019. "Immigrant Legal Status and Health: Legal Status Disparities in Chronic Conditions and Musculoskeletal Pain Among Mexican-Born Farm Workers in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(1), pages 1-24, February.
    3. Asad, Asad L., 2018. "On the Radar: System Embeddedness and Latin American Immigrants' Perceived Risk of Deportation," SocArXiv dcgfw, Center for Open Science.
    4. Wen, Ming & Maloney, Thomas N., 2014. "Neighborhood socioeconomic status and BMI differences by immigrant and legal status: Evidence from Utah," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 12(C), pages 120-131.
    5. Oropesa, R.S. & Landale, Nancy S. & Hillemeier, Marianne M., 2015. "Family legal status and health: Measurement dilemmas in studies of Mexican-origin children," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 57-67.
    6. Julie Phillips & Douglas Massey, 1999. "The new labor market: Immigrants and wages after IRCA," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 36(2), pages 233-246, May.
    7. Asad, Asad L. & Clair, Matthew, 2018. "Racialized legal status as a social determinant of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 19-28.
    8. Patler, Caitlin & Laster Pirtle, Whitney, 2018. "From undocumented to lawfully present: Do changes to legal status impact psychological wellbeing among latino immigrant young adults?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 39-48.
    9. Kelaher, Margaret & Jessop, Dorothy Jones, 2002. "Differences in low-birthweight among documented and undocumented foreign-born and US-born Latinas," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 55(12), pages 2171-2175, December.
    10. Ro, Annie & Bruckner, Tim A. & Duquette-Rury, Lauren, 2020. "Immigrant apprehensions and birth outcomes: Evidence from California birth records 2008–2015," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    11. Borjas, George J., 2011. "Poverty and Program Participation among Immigrant Children," Scholarly Articles 8052147, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    12. Asad L. Asad, 2020. "Latinos’ deportation fears by citizenship and legal status, 2007 to 2018," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(16), pages 8836-8844, April.
    13. Joseph, Tiffany, 2020. "The Documentation Status Continuum: Citizenship and Increasing Stratification in American Life," SocArXiv 2x6hq, Center for Open Science.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kazumi Tsuchiya & Olivia Toles & Christopher Levesque & Kimberly Horner & Eric Ryu & Linus Chan & Jack DeWaard, 2021. "Perceived structural vulnerabilities among detained noncitizen immigrants in Minnesota," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(6), pages 1-22, June.
    2. Jimenez, Anthony M., 2021. "The legal violence of care: Navigating the US health care system while undocumented and illegible," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    3. Giuntella, Osea & Lonsky, Jakub & Mazzonna, Fabrizio & Stella, Luca, 2021. "Immigration policy and immigrants’ sleep. Evidence from DACA," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 1-12.
    4. Gihleb, Rania & Giuntella, Osea & Lonsky, Jakub, 2023. "Dreaming of leaving the nest? Immigration status and the living arrangements of DACAmented," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    5. Nelly Elmallakh & Jackline Wahba, 2022. "Return migrants and the wage premium: does the legal status of migrants matter?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(4), pages 1631-1685, October.
    6. Morey, Brittany N. & García, San Juanita & Nieri, Tanya & Bruckner, Tim A. & Link, Bruce G., 2021. "Symbolic disempowerment and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential election: Mental health responses among Latinx and white populations," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    7. Marquez, Beatriz Aldana & Marquez-Velarde, Guadalupe & Eason, John M. & Aldana, Linda, 2021. "Pushing them to the edge: Suicide in immigrant detention centers as a product of organizational failure," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    8. Akalın, Nilüfer, 2024. "Immigrant-blind care: How immigrants experience the “inclusive” health system as they access care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).
    9. Erin R. Hamilton & Pedro P. Orraca-Romano & Eunice Vargas Valle, 2023. "Legal Status, Deportation, and the Health of Returned Migrants from the USA to Mexico," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(2), pages 1-12, April.
    10. Tiffany Joseph & Tanya Golash-Boza, 2021. "Double Consciousness in the 21st Century: Du Boisian Theory and the Problem of Racialized Legal Status," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-25, September.
    11. Rania Gihleb & Osea Giuntella & Jakub Lonsky, 2022. "Dreaming of Leaving the Nest? Immigration Status and the Living Arrangements of DACAmented," Working Papers 202202, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    12. Scott R Sanders & Michael R Cope & Paige N Park & Wesley Jeffery & Jorden E Jackson, 2020. "Infants without health insurance: Racial/ethnic and rural/urban disparities in infant households’ insurance coverage," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, January.
    13. Catalina Amuedo‐Dorantes & Francisca M. Antman, 2022. "De facto immigration enforcement, ICE raid awareness, and worker engagement," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(1), pages 373-391, January.
    14. Wang, Jia & Winters, John V. & Yuan, Weici, 2022. "Can legal status help unauthorized immigrants achieve the American dream? Evidence from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    15. Magris, Francesco & Russo, Giuseppe, 2016. "Fiscal Revenues and Commitment in Immigration Amnesties," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 75-90.
    16. Grace Melo & Gregory Colson & Octavio A. Ramirez, 2014. "Hispanic American Opinions toward Immigration and Immigration Policy Reform Proposals," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 36(4), pages 604-622.
    17. López-Hinojosa, Itzel & Zhang, James & López-Hinojosa, Katherine & Baig, Arshiya A. & Tung, Elizabeth L. & Martinez-Cardoso, Aresha, 2024. "“We have to lie low … that sort of poisons me more and more”: A qualitative study of violent political rhetoric and health implications for Spanish and Chinese speaking immigrants," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    18. Adda, Jérôme & Pinotti, Paolo & Tura, Giulia, 2020. "There's More to Marriage than Love: The Effect of Legal Status and Cultural Distance on Intermarriages and Separations," CEPR Discussion Papers 14432, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Lenna Nepomnyaschy & Louis Donnelly, 2014. "Child Support in Immigrant Families," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(6), pages 817-840, December.
    20. Sherrie A. Kossoudji & Deborah A. Cobb-Clark, 2002. "Coming out of the Shadows: Learning about Legal Status and Wages from the Legalized Population," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 20(3), pages 598-628, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:41:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11113-021-09689-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.