The levels of stress and concern of Americans, especially among “Spanish-speaking Hispanics,” have risen since Donald Trump came to the presidency, according to a Gallup study published today.
The Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being survey found that the level of concern in the group of Spanish-speaking respondents increased by 5.8% over the 2016 results, while the stress level increased by 6.6% same year.
Uncertainty about programs such as the Deferred Action for Arrivals in Children (DACA), the legal status of sanctuary cities, new priorities and modified policies of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), among others, could be the triggers of This increased concern among this group of Hispanics, according to the consultant.
“It is not strange that result, here in California we have seen that immigrants are worried about almost everything, and that grows among the undocumented who feel attacked and not knowing what to do with their families,” said the director of Efe Association of Salvadorans of Los Angeles (ASOSAL), Teresa Tejada.
The data were collected between June 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017, and the consultant did not include political issues, he said.
The researchers asked each of the participants if they “experienced a lot of concern yesterday” and 29% of the group of English-speaking Hispanics answered in the affirmative, which is one percentage point above last year’s study.
When asked the same group if they experienced stress “throughout the day,” 38% said yes, which is the same percentage as last year.
The study suggests that the result is in line with other research that found that the latter election “disproportionately” affected the health of people who thought their community was “subject to increasing discrimination.”
“The concern has even reached the organizations that we are trying to give hope to these communities, but it is very difficult because the attacks with continuous and we have not had a respite,” Tejada said.
California, Texas and Florida are the three states with the highest number of Latinos who speak Spanish, of which only 10 million Spanish speakers are counted in the Golden State.
92.7% of the Spanish respondents for this study were born outside the United States and most earn less than $ 37,000 annually.
Concern among white respondents rose by 2.5%, while in African Americans by 2.4%, according to the study.
