Exploration of an Immigrant Paradox in Muslims Living in the United States (MLUS)

The immigrant paradox refers to findings that first-generation and less acculturated immigrants generally have better adaptation and health compared with second/third-generation and more acculturated immigrants. Some work supports an immigrant paradox among European Muslims. Further, Pew's telephone interviews of Muslims living in the United States (MLUS)-about half of whom are foreign-born-consistently reveal that United States-born and English-speaking MLUS perceive and experience more discrimination than foreign-born Muslims. We explored the immigrant paradox in a representative sample of 350 MLUS (33% immigrants) as a function of (a) immigrant status, (b) acculturation levels, and (c) age of arrival in the United States (among immigrants). We conducted analyses of covariance and hierarchical regressions after administering standardized measures of discrimination, perceived Islamophobia in America, religiousness, acculturation, depression, anxiety, and stress (and controlling for covariates). United States-born participants reported greater experiences of discrimination and perceptions of Islamophobia. Both United States-born and more acculturated participants reported greater psychological distress, maladaptive religious coping, and religious struggles. Our findings support the presence of an immigrant paradox among MLUS, highlighting a need to extend accessible services to United States-born and more acculturated Muslims. Potential explanations for the paradox are discussed and have implications for future research in this area.