Im/migrant Well-Being Part II: Race, Ethnicity, and Legal Challenges to Incorporation and Well-Being

Abstract

In this introduction to the second issue of a two-part series on Im/migrant Well-being, we discuss examples of how race, ethnicity, and a patchwork of current and proposed state and federal laws contribute to the exclusion of and discrimination of immigrants, hindering their incorporation and having harmful effects on their well-being. Articles discussed in this introduction zoom in into these issues by analyzing in detail how the well-being of immigrants in the United States is threatened by current U.S. immigration laws and policies: from the racial construction of the invasive “100-mile border enforcement zone” to the precarious legal statuses of unaccompanied migrant children, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, and farmworkers. Together, these empirical studies produce robust evidence demonstrating how the racialization and liminal legality of im/migrant communities in the United States adversely affect their belonging, incorporation, and overall well-being. In line with the findings from these articles, and in the absence of federal action on immigration reform in the horizon, the opening commentary following this introduction highlights how immigrant communities and scholars have the power to perform critical acts of brokerage to prevent harm and promote collective well-being by sharing resources and produce collaborative research that contributes toward evidence-informed policymaking.