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Discrimination and health among Asian American immigrants: Disentangling racial from language discrimination

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  • Yoo, Hyung Chol
  • Gee, Gilbert C.
  • Takeuchi, David

Abstract

We examined whether self-reported discrimination based on race and language was associated with the number of chronic health conditions among Asian American immigrants. We also examined whether these relationships were moderated by years in the United States. Data are from adults participating in an Asian American supplement to the 2001 Health Care Quality Survey. Language and racial discrimination in seeking health care were independently associated with increased number of chronic health conditions after controlling for age, sex, education, family income, health insurance, primary language, nativity, and ethnicity. Language discrimination was significantly associated with health conditions even with the presence of racial discrimination in the statistical model. Racial discrimination did not show a significant association in the full analytic model. The relationship between language discrimination and chronic conditions was stronger for Asian immigrants living in the USA 10 years or more compared to more recently arrived immigrants. Language discrimination may be an understudied type of discrimination associated with chronic illness among Asian Americans.

Suggested Citation

  • Yoo, Hyung Chol & Gee, Gilbert C. & Takeuchi, David, 2009. "Discrimination and health among Asian American immigrants: Disentangling racial from language discrimination," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(4), pages 726-732, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:68:y:2009:i:4:p:726-732
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    Cited by:

    1. Miao Li, 2016. "Pre-migration Trauma and Post-migration Stressors for Asian and Latino American Immigrants: Transnational Stress Proliferation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 47-59, October.
    2. Sunmin Lee & Allison H O’Neill & Emily S Ihara & David H Chae, 2013. "Change in Self-Reported Health Status among Immigrants in the United States: Associations with Measures of Acculturation," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(10), pages 1-1, October.
    3. Shen (Lamson) Lin & Markus Schafer, 2023. "Inequities in Mental Health Care Facing Racialized Immigrant Older Adults With Mental Disorders Despite Universal Coverage: A Population-Based Study in Canada," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 78(9), pages 1555-1571.
    4. Johar, Meliyanni & Jones, Glenn & Keane, Micheal P. & Savage, Elizabeth & Stavrunova, Olena, 2013. "Discrimination in a universal health system: Explaining socioeconomic waiting time gaps," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 181-194.
    5. Johar, Meliyanni & Jones, Glenn & Keane, Micheal P. & Savage, Elizabeth & Stavrunova, Olena, 2013. "Discrimination in a universal health system: Explaining socioeconomic waiting time gaps," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 181-194.

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