Legal status history, gender, and the health of Latino immigrants in the US

Legal status is a social determinant of health and also a dynamic characteristic that can change over time. Using longitudinal data from the New Immigrant Survey, this study examines whether prior legal status is related to Latino immigrants’ self‐rated health (SRH) at the time of gaining US lawful...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International migration 2022-10, Vol.60 (5), p.3-22
Main Authors: León‐Pérez, Gabriela, Patterson, Evelyn J., Coelho, Larissa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dynamic characteristics
Gender
Health
Health status
Hispanic Americans
Immigrants
Latin American cultural groups
Legal status
Migration
Self evaluation
Women
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Summary:Legal status is a social determinant of health and also a dynamic characteristic that can change over time. Using longitudinal data from the New Immigrant Survey, this study examines whether prior legal status is related to Latino immigrants’ self‐rated health (SRH) at the time of gaining US lawful permanent residence and if the relationship remains years later. Findings show that legal status history interacts with gender to shape the health of new legal immigrants and that the relationship changes over time. Male new arrivals exhibited better initial SRH than those with prior US experience, but the disparity disappeared by the follow‐up interview (3–6 years later). Women who were previously documented reported better follow‐up SRH than their counterparts, suggesting a process of cumulative advantage. In sum, different starting points on new legal immigrants’ migration histories can impact their health outcomes in the short‐ and long‐term.
ISSN:0020-7985
1468-2435
DOI:10.1111/imig.12925