The homeless as urban immigrants

Abstract

Examining the homeless in U. S. cities as “urban immigrants” reveals several commonalities between this population and “aspirational immigrants”—the foreign-born who seek economic opportunity, and/or freedom from oppression and violence in their home country. These groups are similar in that both have migrated away from their homes and neighborhoods in search of shelter, resources, and presumably some sort of permanent solution to their situation. Both might therefore logically benefit from the Immigrant Health Paradox, which says that the newly-arrived enjoy better health than their native-born or settled counterparts. However, it is difficult to assess and track their health, especially that of the chronically homeless and the undocumented. Reported health advantages also appear to be unevenly distributed by race/ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and other factors. In fact, the fundamental reason for any statistical “Paradox” benefit seems to be the initial health and well-being of traditional, foreign-born aspirational immigrants. They are usually young, healthy, and resilient. They have often endured and survived great hardship and challenges in traveling to, and settling in, a foreign country and culture. Analyzing and comparing the homeless and traditional immigrants within the framework of the Immigrant Health Paradox can help us better understand the needs of both, and prioritize the services and assistance we can and should provide to them.

Keywords

• urban immigrants
• immigrant health
• health paradox