Residency Status and Discrimination among Immigrants in Minnesota

Discrimination and other social injustices experienced by immigrants in the United States are well documented in the literature. Few studies, however, have investigated the relationship between residency status and discrimination. This exploratory, qualitative study investigated the relationship between residency status and discrimination among immigrants in Minnesota. The author conducted semi-structured interviews with seven immigrants and five professionals (lawyers and social workers) who provide direct services to immigrants. The study operated under the assumption that immigrants with more precarious residency status (undocumented immigrants, for example), would experience greater discrimination than immigrants with more stable residency status (refugees or lawful permanent residents, for example). The qualitative data suggest that undocumented immigrants do not necessarily experience greater discrimination than immigrants with more stable residency status. Other variables such as race, national origin, or simply being an immigrant regardless of residency status seem to contribute to discrimination experiences as well. Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between these variables