Work and Stay: Explaining Perceived Discrimination Among Romanian Labor Migrants
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Work and Stay: Explaining Perceived Discrimination Among Romanian Labor Migrants Sergiu Gherghina 1
# The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Research dealing with perceptions of discrimination among migrants investigated its consequences on their daily lives. However, little systematic attention had been paid to the determinants of perceived discrimination among migrants. This article aims to explain the causes for which migrants see themselves discriminated against in their country of residence. The statistical analysis uses individual-level data from an original survey conducted in 2018 among Romanian migrants. The results indicate that poor relations with natives, a job below capabilities, and the temporary status of migration contribute to higher perceptions of discrimination. Keywords Perceived discrimination . Relations . Job . Length of stay
Introduction Discrimination is the unequal treatment of persons or groups in society. It ranges from verbal abuse or feeling less valued as a human being to unfair practices, bias, and harassment (Szczepura et al. 2004; Agudelo-Suárez et al. 2009). Ethnic discrimination conveys individuals the message that they are devalued or excluded from the larger society due to their ethnic group membership (Wong et al. 2003). This is an important caveat for migrants who are newcomers in a country and see themselves the targets of such practices and can influence their lives (Krieger et al. 2006; Hatch et al. 2016). In general, there are two types of discrimination: real or perceived. The former is difficult to capture and it is usually reflected through reports of discriminatory behavior or through statistics that examines differences across various ethnic groups in society. Recent evidence shows that real ethnic discrimination in hiring decisions remains quite widespread across the OECD countries since 1990 (Zschirnt and Ruedin 2016). The
* Sergiu Gherghina [email protected]
1
Department of Politics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
Gherghina S.
perception of discrimination is far more investigated and researchers use subjective accounts of those who consider themselves to be victims of discrimination. Most research about the perceptions of discrimination among migrants investigate its consequences on their daily lives. One of the common consequences is psychological and impacts on migrants’ integration and mental health (Finch et al. 2000; Sangalang et al. 2019). A study conducted in Norway finds that for Sami people living in minority areas, self-reported discrimination is associated with a broad range of negative health indicators (Hansen 2015). Other important consequences of perceived discrimination are high levels of depression and stress among migrants (Brody et al. 2006; Aichberger et al. 2015; Keys et al. 2015). With some notable exceptions (Phinney et al. 1998; Shorey et al. 2002; MottiStefanidi and Asendorpf 2012), little systematic attention had been paid to the determinants of perceived discrimination among migrants. To fill this gap in the literature, this ar
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