State-Level Political Context and Immigrant Homeownership in the USA

This study examines the relationship between the context of reception toward immigrants, as defined by the state-level political climate related to immigrants, and homeownership for foreign-born Latinos and Asians in the USA. We hypothesize that the passage of legislation that restricts individual rights or access to opportunities for immigrants sends an unwelcoming signal to immigrants, decreasing their level of comfort in the state and discouraging homeownership. Using data from the 2007 American Community Survey and data on immigrant legislation at the state-level from the National Conference of State Legislatures, we estimate probit models that predict the likelihood of homeownership for Latino and Asian immigrants living in unwelcoming or welcoming/neutral states. Research results suggest that residing in a state with an unwelcoming political climate toward immigrants is associated with lower likelihood of homeownership for Latino immigrants, but has no relationship with homeownership for Asian immigrants.