Economic, Social, and Health Effects of Discrimination on Latino Immigrant Families
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Highlights
Discrimination against Latino immigrant families produces cascading economic, health, and social harms. Still, strong ethnic identity can buffer these effects.
- Latino immigrants face discrimination at both individual (microaggressions, racial profiling) and structural levels (workplace exploitation, housing discrimination, denial of services).
- Two-parent immigrant families with children under age 18 are nearly three times more likely to live in poverty than U.S.-born counterparts (17 percent versus 6 percent), with discriminatory practices a contributing factor.
- Discrimination shapes parenting: Latino parents struggle to motivate children while managing their own psychological distress. Fostering strong ethnic identity buffers negative effects on children.
- The report calls for family-level interventions to help parents identify and discuss discrimination, and institutional training to help front-line workers recognize and eliminate discriminatory practices.
Anti-immigrant sentiment has been fueled in recent years by the consideration in some states of measures designed to crack down on illegal immigration. As a result, the experiences of immigrants (or those perceived to look foreign born) with discrimination have increased.
Latino immigrant families’ day-to-day interactions often involve hostile interactions with community members and social institutions. The cumulative effects of such interactions place Latino families and their children at increased risk for a range of negative outcomes such as emotional stress, limited financial opportunities, and increased social isolation. Such forms of discrimination at the individual level may heighten recipients’ risk for health and mental-health problems.
The purpose of this report is to examine Latino immigrant families’ experiences with discrimination, and the economic, social, and health-related consequences. Such consequences are likely to affect the nation as a whole, considering the size of the Latino population. Latino families and children comprise nearly 17 percent of the U.S. population. This report sheds light on the many challenges immigrant families face as a result of discrimination, including those related to family structure, parenting, and health risks.
Evidence suggests that a strong and positive ethnic identity buffers the effects of discrimination. The author, while calling for more research on the long-term consequences of chronic exposure to discrimination and families’ coping strategies, suggests that parental efforts to inculcate pride in Latino culture and language should be encouraged.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
A. How is Discrimination Manifested?
B. The Consequences of Discrimination
C. Recommendations
II. How Is Discrimination Manifested?
III. Economic, Social, and Health Consequences of Discrimination
A. Workplace and Housing Exploitation
B. Segregation, Isolation, Inadequate Support
C. Poor Outcomes, Poor Medical Attention, and Barriers to Care
IV. The Cumulative Impact of Discrimination on Family Functioning and Parenting
V. Conclusion
About the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy
The Center is a national hub connecting policymakers, educators, community leaders, and service providers with evidence-informed policy research, technical assistance, and data to advance effective immigrant integration at U.S., state, and local levels.
