Do feelings of belonging moderate the health threats of perceived discrimination? Evidence from first-generation immigrants living in Germany

Abstract

The paper analyses the effects of perceived discrimination on the self-rated health of immigrants living in Germany. Previous research indicates that immigrants? health is negatively affected by the psychosocial strain caused by perceived discrimination. I analyse whether feelings of belonging to both the origin and the host country play a moderating role in this association: While feelings of belonging to the origin country might buffer the health threat of perceived discrimination, a strong sense of belonging to the host country might exacerbate it because it increases immigrants? sensitivity and vulnerability to discrimination by the majority society. Using data from the German Socio-economic Panel Study (N = 10,412), I confirm previous research on the harmful effect of perceived discrimination on health. While feelings of belonging to the origin country are not a protective factor, the health threat of perceived discrimination indeed exacerbates with an increasing sense of belonging to the host country.