Experiences of Ethnic Discrimination Among US Hispanics: Intersections of Language, Heritage, and Discrimination Setting

Abstract

Background: Informed by Latino Critical Race Theory, the present study examined how intersections between English use/proficiency, Spanish use/proficiency, and heritage group shape the varying experiences of ethnic discrimination reported by US Hispanic adults.

Methods: The study utilized data from 7,037 Hispanic adults from the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III. Multivariable binomial logistic regression modeled language use/proficiency, heritage, and demographic characteristics as predictors of past-year self-reported perceived ethnic discrimination, overall and in six different settings.

Results: Both English and Spanish use/proficiency were positively associated with increased adjusted odds of reporting ethnic discrimination overall, in public, or with respect to employment/education/ housing/courts/police; however, with respect to being called a racist name or receiving verbal/physical threats/assaults, a positive association was observed for English, yet not Spanish. Results also indicated a significant interaction between English use/proficiency and Spanish use/proficiency when predicting past-year ethnic discrimination overall or for any of the six types/settings examined, although the relationship between language use/proficiency and ethnic discrimination varied by Hispanic heritage group.

Conclusion: Study findings emphasize that experiencing some form of ethnic discrimination is relatively common among US Hispanic adults, yet the prevalence and types or settings of ethnic discrimination vary widely on the basis of demographics, immigrant generation, heritage, and the interplay between English and Spanish use/proficiency.

Keywords: Hispanic adults; ethnic/racial discrimination; language use/proficiency.

Figure 1. Distribution of participants’ combinations of English use/proficiency scores and Spanish use/proficiency scores.

Note. Unweighted results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III), 2012–2013. The color reflects the proportion of the sample with any given English/Spanish score.

Figure 2. Predicted probabilities of six different types/settings of self-reported perceived past-year ethnic discrimination, based on English and Spanish use/proficiency, for US Hispanic Adults, 2012–2013.

Notes: Weighted results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III, 2012–2013. The range of scores for language use/proficiency is 1–4, with higher scores indicating greater use/proficiency of English or Spanish. Results for each of six regression models including the continuous-by-continuous interaction of English use/proficiency × Spanish use/proficiency, English use/proficiency, Spanish use/proficiency, sex, age, educational attainment, family income, and Hispanic heritage.

Figure 3. Predicted probability of self-reported perceived past-year ethnic discrimination based on English use/proficiency (left-hand side panel) or Spanish use/proficiency (right-hand side panel) by Hispanic heritage, for US Hispanic adults.

Notes. Weighted results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III, 2012–2013. Results from the regression of past-year ethnic discrimination on the interaction of Hispanic heritage and language use/proficiency, adjusting for gender, age, educational attainment, family income and Spanish use proficiency (in the model examining English use/proficiency) or English use/proficiency (in the model examining Spanish use/proficiency). Abbreviations: Mex, Mexican; Dom Rep, Dominican Republic; Cen-Ame, Central-American; Pto Rico, Puerto Rican; Sou-Ame, South American.

Figure 4. Predicted probability of past-year ethnic discrimination by Hispanic heritage group, based on English and Spanish use/proficiency, for US Hispanic adults, 2012–2013.

Notes. Weighted results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III, 2012–2013. The range of scores for language use/proficiency is 1–4, with higher scores indicating greater use/proficiency of English or Spanish. Results for each of six regression models including the continuous-by-continuous interaction of English use/proficiency × Spanish use/proficiency, English use/proficiency, Spanish use/proficiency, sex, age, educational attainment, and family income.