Unequal treatment: An exploration of immigrant-related factors and likelihood of discrimination in the United States

Despite the rapid and considerable growth of the Latino population in the United States, the continual xenophobic rhetoric surrounding Latino immigration along with the nativist public policies set in place have led to higher rates of discrimination. Latino immigrant discrimination has shown to have consequences on mental health, social isolation, physical health, and trust of law enforcement. Using data from the Pew Research Center, I explored the specific factors associated with Latino immigrants that increase the likelihood of experiencing discrimination in the United States. In line with much of the prior literature, age, ethnic identity, English proficiency, Mexican origin, fear of deportation, and financial situation all acted as significant predictors of reported discrimination among a sample of Latino immigrant adults. These findings indicate that there are specific subgroups of Latino immigrants more vulnerable to experiencing discrimination, and future policy should take this into account in order to protect them from further discrimination and from its consequences