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Legal Status, Worries About Deportation, and Depression Among Asian Immigrants

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Abstract

Although legal status and worries of deportation have been identified as key factors in immigrant health inequities for Latinx immigrants, how they impact health of Asian immigrants is largely unknown. Using 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey, we used sets of logistic regressions to examine the relationships among legal statuses, worries about deportation, and depression for Asian immigrants (n = 1371). Asian immigrants who are in the process of applying for citizenship, those with visas, and those who are ineligible to apply for citizenship were significantly more likely to be depressed compared with naturalized citizens. The significant associations between legal status and depression were mediated by worries about deportation. Legal status and worries of deportation are important determinants of health for Asian immigrants. The results point to a critical need for systematic investment in data collection for data disaggregation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University, Wilson Hall, P.O. Box 876403, Tempe, AZ, 85287-6403, USA

    Aggie J. Yellow Horse

  2. School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Edward D. Vargas

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  1. Aggie J. Yellow Horse
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  2. Edward D. Vargas
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Correspondence to Aggie J. Yellow Horse.

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Yellow Horse, A.J., Vargas, E.D. Legal Status, Worries About Deportation, and Depression Among Asian Immigrants. J Immigrant Minority Health 24, 827–833 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-021-01252-1

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