Skip to main content
Top
Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 3/2018

01-06-2018 | Original Paper

Changing SNAP-Participation Trends Among Farmworker Households in the U.S., 2003–2012

Authors: Alvaro Medel-Herrero, J. Paul Leigh

Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health | Issue 3/2018

Login to get access

Abstract

We investigated Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation among citizen, documented and undocumented immigrant hired crop farmworkers for ten recent years. We analyzed population representative data from the National Agricultural Workers Survey for 2003–2012 (N = 18,243 households). Time-chart, simple mean differences, and logistic regressions described farmworker household participation in SNAP. The 2008 financial crisis almost doubled SNAP-participation by agriculture households (6.5% in 2003–2007 vs. 11.3% in 2008–2012). The increasing SNAP-participation was found for citizen, documented and undocumented immigrant households. We found low participation among documented (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.56–0.8) and undocumented immigrants (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.54–0.74) compared to citizens. Low odds ratios (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.55–0.89) were found for Hispanic-citizens as compared with non-Hispanic white-citizens. Our results may help inform the debate surrounding the effects of the financial crisis on SNAP-participation and on differences in participation among citizens, immigrants, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, the latter suggesting ethnic farmworker disparities in SNAP-participation.
Literature
3.
go back to reference Wilde P. Food policy in the US. Routledge: New York; 2013. ISBN 978-1849714297. Wilde P. Food policy in the US. Routledge: New York; 2013. ISBN 978-1849714297.
8.
go back to reference Nam Y, Jung HJ. Welfare reform and older immigrants: food stamp program participation and food insecurity. Gerontologist 2008;48(1):42–50.CrossRefPubMed Nam Y, Jung HJ. Welfare reform and older immigrants: food stamp program participation and food insecurity. Gerontologist 2008;48(1):42–50.CrossRefPubMed
16.
go back to reference Pena AA. Undocumented immigrants and the welfare state: the case of regional migration and U.S. agricultural labor. J Reg Sci. 2014;54:96–113.CrossRef Pena AA. Undocumented immigrants and the welfare state: the case of regional migration and U.S. agricultural labor. J Reg Sci. 2014;54:96–113.CrossRef
17.
go back to reference Taylor JE, Charlton D, Yunez-Naude A. The end of farm labor abundance. Appl Econ Perspect Policy. 2012;34(4):587–598.CrossRef Taylor JE, Charlton D, Yunez-Naude A. The end of farm labor abundance. Appl Econ Perspect Policy. 2012;34(4):587–598.CrossRef
20.
go back to reference Rector R, Richwine J. The fiscal cost of unlawful immigrants and amnesty to the U.S. taxpayer. Heritage Foundation Special Report #133 on Immigration, May 6, 2013, Washington DC. http://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/2013/pdf/sr133.pdf (2013). Accessed May 2016. Rector R, Richwine J. The fiscal cost of unlawful immigrants and amnesty to the U.S. taxpayer. Heritage Foundation Special Report #133 on Immigration, May 6, 2013, Washington DC. http://​thf_​media.​s3.​amazonaws.​com/​2013/​pdf/​sr133.​pdf (2013). Accessed May 2016.
23.
go back to reference Leigh JP, Medel-Herrero A. Participation in the women, infants and children (WIC) program by documented and undocumented farm worker households. J Agromed. 2015;20(4):409–18.CrossRef Leigh JP, Medel-Herrero A. Participation in the women, infants and children (WIC) program by documented and undocumented farm worker households. J Agromed. 2015;20(4):409–18.CrossRef
25.
go back to reference Chung YK, Leigh JP. Medicaid use by documented and undocumented farmworkers. J Occup Environ Med. 2015;57(3):329–333.CrossRefPubMed Chung YK, Leigh JP. Medicaid use by documented and undocumented farmworkers. J Occup Environ Med. 2015;57(3):329–333.CrossRefPubMed
27.
go back to reference Ward LS. Farmworkers at risk: the costs of family separation. J Immigr Minor Health. 2010;12:672–677.CrossRefPubMed Ward LS. Farmworkers at risk: the costs of family separation. J Immigr Minor Health. 2010;12:672–677.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Changing SNAP-Participation Trends Among Farmworker Households in the U.S., 2003–2012
Authors
Alvaro Medel-Herrero
J. Paul Leigh
Publication date
01-06-2018
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Issue 3/2018
Print ISSN: 1557-1912
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1920
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-017-0600-x

Other articles of this Issue 3/2018

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 3/2018 Go to the issue