Examining and contextualizing the relationship between Asian ethnic enclaves and suicide

BACKGROUND: High neighborhood ethnic density has been found to be a protective factor against many adverse health outcomes. OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE: Scholars have developed a typology of Asian American ethnic enclaves that takes into account both ethnic density and period of immigration. This paper examines the relationship between suicidal ideation and ethnic enclaves. METHODS: This study uses data from the National Latino and Asian American Study. Using a typology of ethnic enclaves, respondents were categorized into four enclave types. Multiple group path analysis is used to predict suicidal ideation from socio-demographic correlates comparing across cohorts. RESULTS: The immigration and ethnic density cohorts were as follows: low density; high density, immigrants who came prior to 1965; high density, immigrants who came after 1965, high density, US-born. Results for the multiple group path analysis showed a good fit for the multiple group model (X2=45.24,df=20,p<.005). For the low density group, the pathway between suicidal ideation and marital status were significant (b=0.292,β=0.184,p<.05). For the high density, immigrants before 1965 group (traditional enclave), the pathway between suicidal ideation and sex (b=0.879,β=0.344,p<.05) and the pathway between suicidal ideation and income (b=0.000,β=-0.345,p<.05) were both significant. For the high density, US-born group, the pathways between suicidal ideation and age (b=-0.016, β=-0.224,p<.05) and marital status were significant (b=0.395,β=0.236,p<.05). DISCUSSION: This study provides evidence that socio-demographic predictors of suicidal ideation may differ according to ethnic enclave and that ethnic density must be examined within the historical context of immigration and nativity among Asian Americans.