The left and right sides, respectively, of Table 6 show how Latinos and Asians in each of the four acculturation classes compare on self-rated mental health and other variables. Recent ar- rivals make up the largest group of immigrants for both Latinos (50 percent) and Asians (34 per- cent). For both groups, recent arrivals and those in separated class are the most disadvantaged groups in terms of both self-rated mental health and socioeconomic status.
Those in separated class make up the second largest group among Latinos (32 percent), but are the smallest group among Asians (11 percent). Similar to recent arrivals, immigrants in this class are disadvantaged in terms of mental health and socioeconomic status, except for the fact that Asians in separated class report significantly higher income than recent arrivals. Notably, sepa- rated Latino immigrants report less perceived discrimination than those in other acculturation clas- ses. This may indicate either a protective effect for the separated class from perceived discrimina- tion or a selection effect where Latinos who are at increased risk for experiencing discrimination avoid interactions/engagements with the host society.
Assimilated immigrants comprise the smallest group among Latinos (7 percent) and the second smallest class for Asians (24 percent). Across both groups, people in this class report the second highest mental health ratings and higher income and educational levels relative to recent arrivals and those in separated class. However, immigrants in this class also report the highest perceived discrimination. Notably, among Asians, assimilated class report higher perceived dis- crimination compared to all other acculturation groups. Among Latinos, both assimilated and bi- cultural class report significantly higher discrimination than recent arrivals and those in separated class, suggesting a link between acculturation to the mainstream society and increased experiences of perceived discrimination.
Table 6: Sample Characteristics, by Race and Acculturation Status
LATINOS(N=1,630) ASIANS(N=1,641)
All Separated Recent Assimilate Bicultural All Separated Recent Assimilate Bicultural
Sample Size 50% 32% 50% 7% 11% 50% 11% 34% 24% 21%
(1630) (524) (812) (115) (179) (1641) (179) (564) (388) (510)
Self-Rated Mental Health 3.72ns 3.56a,b,ns 3.68a.b, lh 3.96s,r,ns 4.21s,r,ns 3.78ns 3.46 a,b,ns 3.32 a,b,lh 4.06s,r,ns 4.18s,r,ns
(1.1) (1.1) (1.1) (0.9) (0.9) (1.0) (1.1) (1.1) (0.8) (0.8) Sociodemographics Female 56% 40% 50%b 7% 11%r 53% 11% 38%b 23% 29%r (907) (290) (457) (62) (98) (869) (91) (327) (199) (252) Currently Married 67%*** 29%r 54%s 7% 10%r 76% 12% 35%a 21%r 32%a (1,086) (314) (589) (75) (108) (1,240) (144) (440) (264) (392)
Age 43 55r,a,b 37s 37s 40s 42 53r,a,b 44s,a,b 38s,r,b 40s,r,a
(16) (14) (13) (13) (14) (14) (13) (14) (13) (14)
Perceieved Discrimination 14.0*** 12.6r,a,b 14.1s,a,b 17.1s,r 15.9s,r 15.0 12.7a,b 12.6a,b 17.6s,r,b 16.5s,r,a
(6.5) (5.6) (6.6) (7.8) (6.4) (6.3) (5.2) (5.8) (6.0) (5.9)
Socioeconomic Status
Years of Education 10.8*** 10a,b 10.4a,b 13.3s,r 13s,r 13.5 12.3a,b 11.9a,b 14.6s.r 14.8s.r
(3.9) (4) (3.7) (2.8) (2.9) (3.5) (3.7) (3.8) (2.4) (2.8)
Household Income 40648*** 38515a,b
33399a,b 69674s,r 61120s,r 71917 70270r,b 48835s,a,b 82675r 89837s,r
Employed 59%*** 47%r,a,b 63%s 75%s 68%s 66% 61% 63% 68% 68%
(967) (246) (513) (86) (122) (1,079) (109) (357) (265) (348)
Note s: % (N) and means (standard deviations) are shown.
s Significantly different from Separated at p<.05
r Significantly different from Recent Arrivals at p<.05
a Significantly different from Assimilated at p<.05
b Significantly different from Bicultural at p<.05
***p <.001, ** p<0.01, * p<0.05 (two-tailed test, relative to Asian immigrants)
One sample mean difference tests were conducted for mental health outcome for Latinos and Asians for each accultuation classes as well as for the full sample.
ns No statistical mental health differences between Asians and Latinos
ah Asians have statistically significant higher mental health than their Latino counterparts
lh Latinos have statistically significant higher mental health than their Asian counterparts
The bicultural class is the second smallest group for both Latinos (11 percent) and the second largest group for Asians (31 percent). Immigrants in the bicultural class report significantly higher mental health, education and income compared to those in separated class and recent arri- vals classes.
Together these findings indicate that Latinos are primarily represented in the separated and recent arrival classes, while Asians primarily fall into the recent arrivals and bicultural classes.
Overall, three important patterns emerge at the bivariate level. First, there is no mental health difference between Latinos and Asians (3.72 and 3.78, respectively, t=-.05, p=.12), which would appear to contradict hypothesis 2. Second, consistent with hypothesis 1, Latinos are more likely than Asians to be in the less acculturated classes (i.e. 82 percent of Latinos belong to either separated class or recent arrivals class, a rate nearly two times higher than that of Asians in these classes (see Table 6)). Third, for both Latinos and Asians, less acculturated immigrants report worse mental health relative to those more acculturated to the US culture (i.e. assimilated and bicultural classes). This finding supports prior research demonstrating mental health advantage among more acculturated immigrants (e.g. Franzini and Fernandez-Esquer 2004; Hwang and Ting 2008) and is contrary to the “healthy immigrant effect” hypothesis that suggests a mental health advantage among less acculturated immigrants (Alegria et al. 2008; Ortega et al. 2006; Mulvaney- Day et al. 2007; Escobar et al. 2000; Kaplan and Marks 1990). Also noteworthy is that while being in the recent arrivals class is disadvantaged for mental health for both groups, the results suggests that it is significantly more disadvantaged for mental health among Asians.
Table 6 also displays overall race differences in perceived discrimination and socioeco- nomic status. Latinos report significantly higher levels of perceived discrimination relative to Asian immigrants. There are also large differences by SES: on average, Latino immigrants have
much lower household income compared to Asians ($40,648 vs. 71,917 respectively (see Table 6)), with over half (50 percent) reporting incomes $27,000 or below, whereas among Asians, the median income level is $60,000 (not shown). Similarly, on average, Latinos have lower levels of completed years of education relative to Asians, (10.8, 13.5, respectively). Further analysis (not shown here) reveals that over 67 percent of Latinos have high-school degrees only and only 14 percent have college degrees, compared to 42 percent of Asians with college degrees. In addition, among both groups, there is a significant proportion of immigrants who are either unemployed or not in the labor force (41 percent among Latinos, 34 percent among Asians).
Looking at country of origin differences in mental health shown in Table-7, results show that Filipinos, immigrants in “other Asian” categories, and immigrants in “other Latino” categories report significantly higher mental health relative to other ethnic groups (4.03, 4.14 and 3.92, re- spectively).In partial support of hypothesis 6, not only Mexicans and Puerto Ricans but also Cuban immigrants as well as Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants are more likely than Filipinos to belong to the less acculturated classes (or less likely to be in bicultural class). For instance, 87 percent of Mexicans and 65 percent of Puerto Ricans, 77 percent of Vietnamese, 60 percent of Chinese im- migrants belong to recent arrivals class or separated class compared to only 17 percent of Filipinos (see Table 7)). These findings are largely consistent with the bivariate results in Table 6, and sug- gest that being in less acculturated classes is disadvantaged mental health.
Table 7: Sample Characteristics, by Country of Origin
M exico Cuba Puerto Rico Other Latino Vietnamese Philippines China Other Asian
Sample Size 15% 15% 7% 13% 15% 11% 14% 10% (488) (501) (217) (424) (502) (349) (474) (315) 3.57*** 3.75** 3.59*** 3.92 3.63 *** 4.03 3.50*** 4.14 (1.1) (1.1) (0.9) (0.9) (1.1) (1.1) (0.8) (0.8) Acculturation Classes Separated 24% 45% 42% 21% 17% 5% 15% 0 (3.45)b (3.67)b (3.31)b (3.65)b (3.7)b (3.55)b (3.14)a,b Recent 63% 41% 24% 58% 60% 12% 45% 2%
(3.52)b (3.65)b (3.58) -3.93 (3.43)a,b (3.34)a,b (3.15)a,b (3.28)b
Assimilated 4% 5% 11% 10% 9% 33% 19% 42% (3.86) (4.15) (3.75) (4.02) (3.95)r (4.08)r (4.11)s,r (4.04) Bicultural 8% 9% 22% 11% 13% 50% 20% 55% (4.1)s,r (4.35)s,r (4.08)s (4.3)s (4.19)s,r (4.2)s,r (3.98)s,r (4.26)r Perceived Discrimination 15*** 12*** 15.6 13.9*** 12.5*** 17 15.4* 16.2 (5.6) (6.6) (7.8) (6.4) (5.2) (5.8) (6.0) (5.9) Socioeconomic Status Household Income 32228*** 46075*** 44395*** 42006*** 52984*** 85,428 76,007 80,954 Years of Education 9.4*** 11.8*** 11.2*** 11.4*** 12.1*** 13.7 13.8 14.9*** (4) (3.7) (2.8) (2.9) (3.7) (3.8) (2.4) (2.8) Employed 60% 57% 51%** 65% 63% 68% 69% 63% (292) (288) (111) (276) (316) (236) (328) (199)
General Self-Rated Mental Health
Notes: % (N) and means (standard deviations) are shown. (Except for acculturation classes, where % (mean self-rated mental health). s Significantly different from Separated at p<.05
r Significantly different from Recent Arrivals at p<.05 a Significantly different from Assimilated at p<.05
b Significantly different from Bicultural at p<.05 ***p <.001, ** p<0.01, * p<0.05 (two-tailed test, relative to immigrants from Phillippines