The shifting context of immigration for recent Latino/a immigrants over the past decade: Findings from an established immigrant receiving community in the U.S.

Shifts in immigration patterns over the past decade have indicated steep increases in South American and Central American immigrants arriving in the U.S., largely within the context of forced migration. They arrive amid a tension-filled sociopolitical climate with increasing anti-immigration rhetoric, and policies designed to limit immigration, all of which serve to exacerbate immigration stress. However, knowledge on the changing patterns of immigration stressors faced by recent Latino/a immigrants (RLIs), and how these may differ across national Latino/a sub-groups, remains limited. This study explores differences in immigration stressors between two cohorts of RLIs who arrived in the U.S. ten years apart (2009 vs. 2019). Overall, distinct differences across country/region of origin are examined. Higher levels of immigration stress in the 2019 cohort compared to 2009 were hypothesized. Baseline data comparisons were conducted from two longitudinal cohort studies of RLIs in South Florida. Inclusion criteria consisted of being a Latino/a immigrant, 18–34 years old, residing in South Florida, who immigrated to the U.S. from a Latin American country within the past year. Results revealed overall decreases in immigration stress in 2019 compared to 2009. Differences across demographics and context of immigration were also found. Results suggest that well-established immigrant-receiving communities with dense ethnic enclaves may provide increased availability to culturally- and linguistically congruent environments and support systems that shield RLIs from immigration-related stress. These findings provide important insight into the distinct experiences of RLIs and fresh perspectives into future research, programs, and policies that target the changing needs of this population.