An Activity Space Approach to Understanding Immigrant Assimilation and the Impact of Place-Based Exposure on Health
Individuals frequently spend time outside of their home neighborhoods. The location, composition, and characteristics of the places they visit during the course of routine activities inform our understanding inequality, segregation, and of how social environments shape health. Using data from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study (LAFANS), I provide evidence that undocumented immigrants, perhaps because of the fear, stigmatization, disadvantages associated with their immigration status travel fewer miles to fewer total locations and spend time in neighborhoods that have a lower share of white residents and are characterized by more concentrated disadvantage. I also demonstrate the utility of activity spaces as a measure of immigrant assimilation. Finally, I provide evidence that exposure to violent crime near one’s activity space destinations is related to elevated levels of C-reactive Protein (CRP), a key indicator of systemic inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk.