Disability and Death in Divergent Deportation Contexts: Revisiting the Hispanic Mortality Paradox

Juan Pedroza , University of California, Santa Cruz
Pil H. Chung, University of California, Berkeley

The Hispanic Epidemiological Paradox refers to an advantage in life expectancy among Hispanic immigrants (relative to U.S.-born groups) despite lower socioeconomic attainment. Although the paradox has been well-documented, the institutional context of today differs from earlier eras when evidence of the paradox first emerged. Today, Hispanic immigrants—including two-thirds of unauthorized immigrants—are now a long-term, settled population. Among Hispanic noncitizens, the possibility of deportation has grown rapidly as they become concentrated in dangerous jobs with limited health access. We explore the paradox among Hispanic immigrants to determine whether and where the previously observed advantages may be losing ground. We examine rates of disability among Hispanic immigrants and describe disability rates across divergent contexts. By examining disability in divergent contexts, we call attention to the indirect determinants of health in an era of mass deportations.

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 Presented in Session 162. Immigration Policy and Immigrant Well-being