UCLA

In an era marked by increasing globalization, diverse migration patterns, and shifting policy environments, understanding the multifaceted dimensions of social capital and its relationship with immigrants’ negative perceptions of the policy context, ethnicity, and legal status is of paramount importance. This study examined the multifaceted dimensions of social capital, including perceived mutual trust, perceived social trust, perceived neighborhood safety, community organization involvement, and political engagement. Research suggests different aspects of social capital are related to immigrants’ integration in multiple ways. Active community involvement fosters a sense of belonging and solidarity among diverse community members, contributing to social cohesion. The policy context is also closely linked to immigrant integration processes. Exclusionary policies can hinder immigrant integration and erode social cohesion by creating divisions and resentment within communities. This dissertation study utilizes cross-sectional data from the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Research on Immigrant Health and State Policy (RIGHTS) survey, using a sample of Asian and Latinx immigrants aged 18 and older. Results from the ordinal regression analysis revealed immigrants’ negative perceptions of the policy context was associated with higher levels of political engagement. Immigrants’ negative perceptions of the policy context was also associated with feeling less safe in their neighborhood. Latinx immigrants were less likely to agree about neighborly willingness to help, compared to their Asian counterparts. However, Latinx immigrants were more likely to feel safe in their neighborhood compared to Asian immigrants. This study contributes to the literature on immigrant integration via an examination of dimensions of social capital offering nuanced insights into the experiences and perceptions of Asian and Latinx immigrant communities in California. By elucidating the factors that underpin social capital and its association with the policy context, findings hold implications for policymakers, community organizers, and social workers.