Achieving the American Dream: Facilitators and Barriers to Health and Mental Health for Latino Immigrants

Abstract

Latinos are the largest minority group in the U.S. For Latino immigrants, a shift in migration from larger to smaller cities has recently occurred; the Latino immigrant population in Charlotte, North Carolina, has increased by 634% since 1990. The extent to which immigrants can achieve health and well-being is often related to employment, healthcare access, and social support. This study explored the human, social, and financial capital circumstances of Latino immigrants new to Charlotte and examined the effects of different aspects of capital on health outcomes. Findings indicate that capital is significantly associated with functional status and depression. Implications for social work are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Latinos
• capital
• health
• depression

Notes

The authors would like to thank the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, College of Health and Human Services for their financial support for this research project.

*p ≤ .05.

*p ≤ .05.