Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 May 1;36(4):421-433.
doi: 10.1002/jcop.20221.

Prevalence and Correlates of Everyday Discrimination among U.S. Latinos

Debra Joy Pérez  1 , Lisa Fortuna, Margarita Alegria
Affiliations

Prevalence and Correlates of Everyday Discrimination among U.S. Latinos

Debra Joy Pérez et al. J Community Psychol. .

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study reports on the prevalence and correlates of perceived discrimination among a national sample of Latinos in the U.S. Understanding the prevalence and correlates of discrimination can help us better address disparities in the healthcare system. We define perceived discrimination as self-reported everyday experiences of unfair treatment. METHODS: Logistic regression analyses were used to assess rates of perceived discrimination among Latinos and identify correlates of discrimination. Data came from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). RESULTS: The prevalence of perceived discrimination among Latinos was 30%. Cubans and Latinos with high ethnic identity were less likely to perceive discrimination compared to other Latino subgroups or Latinos with low ethnic identity. U.S.-born Latinos and Latinos arriving to the U.S. at younger ages were more likely to perceive discrimination compared to immigrants arriving at older ages. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived discrimination among Latinos is less prevalent than what has been reported for other minorities. Variations in perceived discrimination are related to sociodemographic and cultural differences across ethnic subgroups.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Rate of perceived everyday discrimination by age group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Trivedi A, Ayanian J. Perceived Discrimination and Use of Preventive Health Services. J Gen Intern Med. 2006;21:553–558. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hewins-Maroney B, Schumaker A, Williams E. Health seeking behaviors of African Americans: implications for health administration. J Health Hum Serv Adm. 2005;28(1):68–95. - PubMed
    1. Thorburn S, Bogart L. African American women and family planning services: perceptions of discrimination. Women Heatlh. 2005;42(1):23–39. - PubMed
    1. LaVeist T, Rolley N, Diala C. Prevalence and patterns of discrimination among U.S. health care consumers. Int J Health Serv. 2003;33(2):331–344. - PubMed
    1. Sigelman L, Welch S. American’s Views of Racial Inequality: The Dream Deferred. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 1991.

LinkOut - more resources