Abstract
Day labor is comprised of predominately male and recent Latino immigrants, mainly from Mexico and Central America who work
in an unregulated and informal market. Three-quarters of the day labor force is undocumented and live under the federal poverty
threshold as work is seasonal and highly contingent on the weather and the local economy. However, in spite of their exposure
to significant health risks, little is known about the impact of Latino day laborers’ (LDLs) work and life conditions on their
mental health. This mixed methods study extends the literature by using the minority stress theoretical model to examine the
relationship between discrimination and social isolation as well as participant identified protective factors such as religiosity
and sending remittances with psychological distress. A quantitative survey with 150 LDLs was conducted and was followed by
a qualitative member checking focus group to extend upon the quantitative results as well as the minority stress model with
the lived experiences of these immigrant workers. Results reveal implications for prevention efforts with this hard-to-reach
and marginalized population.
in an unregulated and informal market. Three-quarters of the day labor force is undocumented and live under the federal poverty
threshold as work is seasonal and highly contingent on the weather and the local economy. However, in spite of their exposure
to significant health risks, little is known about the impact of Latino day laborers’ (LDLs) work and life conditions on their
mental health. This mixed methods study extends the literature by using the minority stress theoretical model to examine the
relationship between discrimination and social isolation as well as participant identified protective factors such as religiosity
and sending remittances with psychological distress. A quantitative survey with 150 LDLs was conducted and was followed by
a qualitative member checking focus group to extend upon the quantitative results as well as the minority stress model with
the lived experiences of these immigrant workers. Results reveal implications for prevention efforts with this hard-to-reach
and marginalized population.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-11
- DOI 10.1007/s10464-012-9548-0
- Authors
- Nalini Junko Negi, School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Journal American Journal of Community Psychology
- Online ISSN 1573-2770
- Print ISSN 0091-0562