The Relation Between Mental Health and the Stigma of Illegality Among U.S. Latinas/os

• In Event: 61.040 - Violating Childhood: Latina/o Students Navigating the U.S. Policy Terrain

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and test the psychometric properties of a new psychological instrument that measures the stigma of illegality and mental health among a convenience sample of U.S. Latina/os (N = 360). Results demonstrate that there was a clear four-factor structure to the data, each factor described as: Fear of Detention, Stigma of Devaluation, Stigma of Marginalization, and Everyday Stigma of Illegality. Anxiety was positively correlated with each of the stigma of illegality scales, providing evidence of the concurrent validity of each of the four scales created. The evidence showing how the stigma of illegality impacts mental health, a proxy for educational outcomes, brings attention to the far-ranging implications of the stigma to the wellbeing of U.S. Latina/os.

Authors

• Jesus Cisneros, University of Central Arkansas

• Carlos E Santos

• German Cadenas, Arizona State University - Tempe

• Cecilia Menjivar