SOC363: 5. Race, Immigration Flashcards
Reviewing What We “Know”
Surprising)Findings)EEE$the$rates$of$
disadvantaged$groups,$groups$with$lower$
status,$groups$discriminated$against,$are$
lower.$How$can$this$be?
Historical Comparisons Tell the Story
First$EE$this$is$sociology:$race$is$treated$as$a$
socially$constructed$category,$not$a$biological$
reality.$$
• “Things perceived as real are real in their
consequences” (W.I.Thomas, circa 1932)
Historical Comparisons Tell the Story
Listen$to$Williams$on$the$history:$
• Malzberg (1944): the representativeness of historical
samples determined findings about Black / White
differences in the United States.
• Only in state mental hospitals — blacks have higher
rates; but in noninstitutionalized populations, blacks
have lower rates.
• Means (again) that treatment studies are inherently
flawed.
Historical Comparisons Tell the Story
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Historical Comparisons Tell the Story
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Post WWII Community Surveys:
Distress and Depression
Picture$changes$somewhat$using$distress$and$
depression$scales:$
• Typically, Blacks now higher than whites, with some
exceptions…
Post WWII Community Surveys:
Distress and Depression
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Post WWII Community Surveys:
Distress and Depression
What$does$this$mean?$
• “Demand characteristics” lower in community
surveys, related to higher rates
Post WWII Community Surveys:
Distress and Depression
• Sample sizes important — when too small, findings
suspect. Most early surveys did not sample
minorities sufficiently
• Or: Minority groups have higher rates of moderate
mental health problems, lower rates of serious and
stable problems
Post WWII Community Surveys:
Distress and Depression
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Post-1980 Community Surveys:
Prevalence of Disorders
ECA:$
• Most disorders had equal or lower rates among
Blacks and Hispanics, except for phobias.
! NCS:$
• Lower rates among both Blacks and Hispanics
relative to whites.
• A finding with many interpretations –
“ Artifactual: “Response Effect” – hiding true problems
“ Substantive: a Remarkable “inverse” finding. Lower
SES, more stressful lives, but fewer problems. A signal
of something else?
Post-1980 Community Surveys:
Prevalence of Disorders
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Post-1980 Community Surveys:
Prevalence of Disorders
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Complexity Again
! Blacks$–$ • Could be subdivided into Multigenerational, Caribbean, recent African, and European origins ! Hispanic$–$ • Puerto Rican (closer relationship with U.S.) • Mexican-American (migrants recently) • Cuban • South American
Complexity Again
! (E.)$Asian$–$
• Japanese
• Chinese, and regional
• Korean
Complexity Again
• Vietnamese
• Filipino
! Any$cultural,$historical,$political,$religious$or$migration$
status$differences$could$crossEcut$and$average$out$
differences$in$more$general$groupings$
Complexity Again
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Complexity Again
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And of course
White$is$not$just$“White”.$ ! Includes$what$is$usually$included$under$ “Ethnicity”.$ ! Combined$approach:$“ethnoEracial”$ differences.
And of course
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Aggregating Results
Williams:$the$Collaborative$Psychiatric$
Epidemiology$Surveys$(CPES).$
• combines the NCS with other surveys designed to
target specific groups (Blacks in the NSAL, Latinos
and Asian Americans in the NLAAS).
Aggregating Results
• Each group sampled in the thousands, sub-groups
of Hispanics and Asians at least 500 each.
• Thus results more stable and general than other
surveys.
• Results consistent with many recent surveys
Aggregating Results
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Aggregating Results
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Results from the CPES
! Typical$findings
Results from the CPES
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SES Cross-Cuts Differences… or
Does It?
Often,$controlling$for$SES$reduces$differences$
across$raceEethnicity,$but$two$issues$here:$
• Kessler and Neighbors: at the lowest SES levels
specifically, blacks had higher levels of distress than
whites.
• SES part of the explanation, not a “confounder”.
Meaning
SES Cross-Cuts Differences… or
Does It?
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SES Cross-Cuts Differences… or
Does It?
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Major Issues in Interpreting Findings
! Demand$characteristics$EEE$involves$the$
situation$of$the$interview,$relationship$to$
interviewer$and$the$meaning$of$the$questions.$
• But — NCS rates lower than ECA, lower demand
characteristics…
! And$“culture”:$$
• A broad term to explain unusual findings… but requiring
further research.
• Could be the source of major differences in coping skills and
resilience across groups.
Major Issues in Interpreting Findings
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Major Issues in Interpreting Findings
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Major Issues in Interpreting Findings
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Discrimination
Largest$area$of$emerging$research.$
! Williams$gives$a$clear$picture$of$what$is$
involved:$
• Started with American blacks, but has expanded
internationally.
• Longitudinal studies link discrimination to mental
health changes over time.
• Not a response bias issue due to who says they are
discriminated against – results controlling for “social
desirability” effects in responses are the same.
• Internalized racism related to higher distress and
substance use.
Discrimination
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Discrimination
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Discrimination
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Discrimination
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The Biggest Question
How$can$disadvantaged$groups$($lower$SES,$
discrimination,$fewer$opportunities,$more$
stressors)$end$up$with$fewer$problems?$
! Is$it$the$counteracting$effect$of$better$coping$
resources?$
The Biggest Question
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The Biggest Question
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Evidence about the Role of Coping
Resources
Extended$family/kin$social$support$
! Religious$involvement$
! Adjusting$for$stress$sometimes$shows$Blacks$
have$lower$distress$than$Whites$–$i.e.,$Whites$
more$vulnerable$to$stress.$
• Ceiling effect of early stress – less threat, more
learning in coping with stress.
• More emotional / cognitive flexibility in dealing with
stress.
! Other$evidence$not$cited$here
Evidence about the Role of Coping
Resources
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Evidence about the Role of Coping
Resources
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Evidence about the Role of Coping
Resources
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Ethnic Identity may be Protective
Effects of Ethnic Identity on Coping with Perceived Discrimination
Effect on Depression among Filipino Americans
Ethnic Identity may be Protective
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Ethnic Identity may be Protective
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And Essential Coping Resources
May be More Prevalent
Ryff et al. (2003)
And Essential Coping Resources
May be More PrevalentEthnic Identity may be Protective
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And Essential Coping Resources
May be More Prevalent
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Is Canada Different?…..
Yes and No
Selected$Racial/Ethnic$ Differences$in$Depression Wu$et$al.$(2003),$from$the$ NPHS,$over$81,000$ Canadians:$ • Results'for'Racial' Differences'show'lower'or' equal'Depression,'except' Mixed'Race'and'Aboriginal • Results'for'Ethnic'' Differences'show'higher' relative'to'Native?born' Anglo'Background
Is Canada Different?…..
Yes and No
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Is Canada Different?…..
Yes and No
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Group Differences in Toronto
Data:$
• Work and Family Issues Study — 888 Intact couples
• Mental Health and Stress Study — 1393 randomly
selected adults
Group Differences in Toronto
! 4$Groups$distinguished:$ • Whites • East Asians • Blacks • South Asians
Group Differences in Toronto
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Group Differences in Toronto
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Group Differences in Toronto
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Group Differences in the Toronto
Study of Intact Families
Differences with nativeborn Whites: usually fewer problems
Group Differences in the Toronto
Study of Intact Families
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Group Differences in the Toronto
Study of Intact Families
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Group Differences in the Toronto
Study of Intact Families
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Group Differences in the Mental
Health and Stress Study
Differences with native-born Whites: similar pattern, with a few exceptions.
Group Differences in the Mental
Health and Stress Study
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Story the Same / Different
! Different:$distress$equal$or$lower$ ! Same:$Rates$of$CIDI$Diagnoses$clearly$ lower…$ ! Conflated$with$Immigration$issues?$ ! The$question$is:$ • Is it the advantages of minority status culture or the disadvantages of majority White culture?
Story the Same / Different
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Story the Same / Different
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Immigration — Another Layer
Williams$reviews$basic$American$findings,$
reflecting$a$“healthy$immigrant”$effect$but$
followed$by$a$decline$to$the$majority$norm:$
Immigration — Another Layer
! Findings$include:$
• Starting advantage in many groups
• Length of residence results in decline
Immigration — Another Layer
• The stressors of migration at issue – isolation from
background, new language, no social capital beyond the
boundaries of ethnic community.
• Comparisons of native-born vs. foreign-born Caribbean
blacks, Latinos, and Asians all show much lower rates of
disorder among the foreign-born.
• Generation predicts worse mental health : Assimilation
not helpful.
Immigration — Another Layer
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Immigration in Canada:
Montazer and Wheaton
Differences$with$the$U.S.:$ • The diversity of countries of origin (Here, 81). • The recency of migration among current immigrants. • Prevalence in the population
Immigration in Canada:
Montazer and Wheaton
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Immigration in Canada:
Montazer and Wheaton
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Countries of Origin in a Sample 0f
886 Families in Toronto
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Countries of Origin in a Sample 0f
886 Families in Toronto
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Countries of Origin in a Sample 0f
886 Families in Toronto
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Traditional Approaches to Migration:
Marginal Man vs. Healthy Immigrant
Different$starting$points;$same$end$point
Traditional Approaches to Migration:
Marginal Man vs. Healthy Immigrant
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Traditional Approaches to Migration:
Marginal Man vs. Healthy Immigrant
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Conditional Adaptation Model
Two$elements$–$
• Differences in mental health trajectories restricted to
one group – migrants from low GNP countries of origin
• End point may not be convergence in this group.
! GNP$:$Gross$National$Product$an$economic$
development$indicator,$but$also$related$to$social$
conditions,$such$as:$
“ Education
“ Work opportunities
“ Life expectancy
“ Status of women
“ Quality of Life
! Migrants$from$low$GNP$backgrounds$face$a$
larger$“task$of$adjustment”,$thus$more$changes.$
Conditional Adaptation Model
! The$evolution$of$shared$values,$close$families,$
educational$aspirations,$to…$
! Experience$in$the$public$social$world,$school$
and$peers$and$work,$leading$to..$
! More$family$conflict,$decline$in$educational$
performance,$greater$peer$influence,$more$
social$involvement$outside$the$home.$
! Specific$to$low$GNP$families$because$of$the$
social$and$cultural$distance$to$bridge.
Conditional Adaptation Model
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Conditional Adaptation Model
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Conditional Adaptation Model
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Generation
“First”:$actually$the$–$
• 1.5: foreign-born, arrive after school starts
• 1.75: foreign-born, arrive before school starts.
! Second:$
• Second: native-born with foreign-born parents.
• 2.5: native-born, with one foreign-born parent.
Generation
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Generation
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Trajectories: Externalizing Problems
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Trajectories: Externalizing Problems
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Trajectories: Internalizing Problems
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Trajectories: Internalizing Problems
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Trajectories: Internalizing Problems
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Explaining Patterns…..
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Explaining Patterns…..
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So….
Only$differences$with$the$nativeEborn$exist$in$
the$low$GNP$background$group$
! Trajectory$does$not$converge$to$majority$
norm.$
! Main$explanations$–$
• Changes in family life over generation and time in
Canada.
• Changes in school behavior and expectations
So….
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