Researchers find that distress is worsening among U.S. Latinos

From 2011 to 2018, a changing social and political landscape with dramatic events such as changes to DACA rules, new presidential leadership, and immigration legislation left one major threat of deportation looming. I am.

Previous studies have looked at how this threat is affecting the mental health of some undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States, but a new study shows that undocumented Latino immigrants are more likely to be at risk. It turns out it’s not just immigrants.

Amy Johnson, assistant professor of sociology at Lehigh University, and a team of research collaborators analyzed data from 2011 to 2018 and found that psychological distress among Latinos, including both U.S. citizens and non-citizens, increased over time. It was found that the number increased over time.

The study, titled “Threat of Deportation Predicts Psychological Distress Among Latino Citizens and Noncitizens from 2011 to 2018,” was published by Johnson, Christopher Levesque, of Kenyon College’s Law and Society and Sociology Department. Co-authored by Associate Professor Neil A. Lewis Jr. The paper is by Asad L. Asad, associate professor of communication and social behavior at Cornell University and assistant professor of sociology at Stanford University. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For example, looking at Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), researchers found that when President Obama announced a moratorium on deportation for some undocumented immigrants, the suffering of naturalized citizens was alleviated. discovered.

This same pattern occurred after the announcement of Deferred Action for American Parents (DAPA). In contrast, the dramatic social event of Trump’s inauguration increased anxiety and depressive symptoms and worsened well-being among non-Latino nationals.

While changes in the federal government and its policies have a direct impact, it’s not just presidential elections that matter, the study found.

Beyond the federal level, the researchers found that the day-to-day environment around immigration and immigration enforcement also influenced psychological distress. For example, ICE detainees may make requests to local police or communicate with them online.

“How people talk about immigration, and the importance immigration and deportation have to their daily lives, has changed significantly compared to more dramatic changes and events, such as the election of President Trump and DACA. Similarly, it’s potentially just as important for pain,” Johnson explains.

It is important to note that although U.S.-born Latinos are less susceptible to deportation, these events still impact their psychological well-being. Researchers used Google Trends to show that U.S.-born Latinos experienced greater distress during a period when Google searches for topics related to deportation and immigration spiked.

Researchers found that Latinos of all nationalities responded negatively to this sentiment toward the threat of deportation. But the exact path through which that happens depends on citizenship status.

“The fact that the racial and ethnic divisions are so pronounced that even our own people are feeling the threat of deportation and the pain associated with the threat of deportation is really striking,” Johnson said.

The impact of the threat of deportation is likely to increase in the highly polarized election year of 2024, but the researchers stress that it is not just federal policy that should be considered for solutions. There is. Creating a sense of cultural belonging is also essential.

“We are showing concrete evidence that the deportation-based approach that the United States has taken toward immigration is psychologically damaging even to American citizens,” Johnson said. “Going forward, we can advocate for policy change on deportation, but we can equally advocate for cultural practices of inclusion and belonging.”