Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Volume 32, Issue 3, 2010, Pages 362-384

Acculturative stress among documented and undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States (Article)

Arbona C.* , Olvera N. , Rodriguez N. , Hagan J. , Linares A. , Wiesner M.
  • a University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
  • b University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
  • c University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX, United States
  • d University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
  • e Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
  • f University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine differences between documented and undocumented Latino immigrants in the prevalence of three immigration-related challenges (separation from family, traditionality, and language difficulties), which were made more severe after the passage of restrictive immigration legislation in 1996. Specifically, the study sought to determine the combined and unique associations of legal status, the three immigration-related challenges listed above, and fear of deportation to acculturative stress related to family and other social contexts. Participants in the study consisted of 416 documented and undocumented Mexican and Central American immigrants living in two major cities in Texas. The Hispanic Stress Inventory-Immigrant form was used to assess acculturative stress in the sample. Results indicated that although undocumented immigrants reported higher levels of the immigration challenges of separation from family, traditionality, and language difficulties than documented immigrants, both groups reported similar levels of fear of deportation. Results also indicated that the immigration challenges and undocumented status were uniquely associated with extrafamilial acculturative stress but not with intrafamilial acculturative stress. Only fear of deportation emerged as a unique predictor of both extrafamililal and intrafamilial acculturative stress. © The Author(s) 2010.

Author Keywords

Latino immigrants Acculturative stress Legal status

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77954707655&doi=10.1177%2f0739986310373210&partnerID=40&md5=e9269a7c5ea2ffd5d688f8ed16799dcc
DOI: 10.1177/0739986310373210
ISSN: 07399863
Cited by: 138
Original Language: English