title: Are Latino immigrants a burden to safety net services in nontraditional immigrant states? Lessons from Oregon.
abstract: The significant growth of the Latino population in the midst of an economic recession has invigorated anti-Latino, anti-immigrant sentiments in many US states. One common misconception is that Latino immigrants are a burden to safety net services. This may be particularly true in nontraditional immigrant states that have not historically served Latino immigrants. Oregon data suggest that despite a higher prevalence of poverty, use of safety net services among Latino immigrants in Oregon is lower than that among non-Latino Whites. Immigration status, costs, lack of insurance coverage, and discrimination are among the reasons for this group's limited use of services. Nevertheless, policies designed to strengthen community and institutional support for Latino immigrant families should be considered in the context of current health care and immigration reform efforts.
authors.affiliation: Daniel F. López-Cevallos is with the Center for Latino/a Studies and Engagement, Oregon State University, Corvallis.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: López-Cevallos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009922:Oregon; D064876:Safety-net Providers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult