About the Study
Why study the health impact of immigrant policies?
Since the late 1990s there has been an increase in public policies at the state-level that impact immigrant populations, particularly for the nation’s two largest immigrant populations, Latinos and Asians. Among such policies are changes to eligibility requirements for programs like Medicaid and food stamps, university tuition/scholarships for undocumented students, and the use of the E-Verify work authorization program. These types of policies increasingly define and extend, or limit, rights, protections, and eligibility for social and economic resources for immigrants. There is also growing evidence of their influence on disparities in Latino and Asian immigrant health care access.
The purpose of the RIGHTS (Research on ImmiGrant HealTh and State policy) Study is to understand the experiences of Californians who were born in Asia or Latin America as they seek health care, go to work and school, and engage in their communities. We are studying how the state’s policies and programs shape these experiences and how such experiences influence people’s ability to seek the health care they need.
What does the RIGHTS study involve?
The study involves a follow-up survey to the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the largest state-level population health survey in the country that is conducted in seven languages. The follow-up survey will include 1000 Latin American and 1000 Asian immigrants statewide and in-depth qualitative interviews with 40 immigrants in two regions. Click here if you received an invitation letter to participate.
Our study will build on knowledge regarding the impact of contextual and structural factors on both groups and how policy, legal status, and race/ethnicity may have impacts across the two groups on their access to health care.
RIGHTS Study Leaders and Partners
The RIGHTS Study is lead by a research team at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) who focus on the experiences that Asian and Latin American Californians have as they seek health care, go to work and school, and engage in their communities. Steven P. Wallace, PhD, is the Principal Investigator of the project. Dr. Wallace is the associate director at the UCLA CHPR and a professor in the Department in Community Health Sciences in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. With 35 years of experience in working on immigration issues involving both Latino and Asian communities, Dr. Wallace also has a long track record of research on primary care and access to health issues.
The project is also advised by a Community Advisory Board (CAB) of representatives from nonprofit organizations that serve immigrant communities, as well as a group of academic experts. Working with our CAB and other partners, we look forward to share our results widely to inform policy makers and professionals who are working to improve access to health care.