XVII Congress of the Brazilian Studies Association

Three Potential Predictors of Perceived Discrimination amongst Brazilian Immigrants in the United States: Education, Income, and English Proficiency

• In Event: Land of opportunities? The lives and fates of Brazilian migrants to the US

Abstract

Abstract
Objective: Experiences of discrimination are a major stressor affecting the lives of immigrants. The present study reports on the prevalence and correlates of perceived discrimination among Brazilian immigrants living in the United States. The purpose of the present study is to measure the extent to which perceived discrimination among Brazilian immigrants in the US varies by an immigrant’s income, education level, or English proficiency. Methods: We conducted an online survey of 397 individuals who were recruited from social-media groups of Brazilian immigrants in the United States. Participants were asked to report how often they experience discrimination as an immigrant. Results: Participants with lower income perceive more discrimination than those with higher income. The present study does not find any strong evidence that the amount of discrimination perceived by those with a Bachelor degree education or higher differs from the amounts of discrimination perceived by those without. Similarly, we did not find any significant difference in the amount of perceived discrimination between participants who report being fluent in English and those who are not fluent. Conclusion: Brazilian immigrants with low incomes may be at high risk of experiencing discrimination. Future research should seek to more clearly identify the correlates of actual discrimination and the correlates of perceived discrimination and to identify the specific mechanisms by which those correlations occur.

Author

• flavia mosci, troy university