Effects of Perceived Discrimination on the Quality of Life Among New Mainland Chinese Immigrants to Hong Kong: A Longitudinal Study

This study examines the effects of perceived discrimination on quality of life (QOL). We used a random sample of 380 Chinese immigrants from a 1-year longitudinal secondary dataset and conducted bivariate and multivariate multiple regressions to examine the associations of QOL with perceived discrimination, sense of control, optimism, perceived social support, pre-migration planning, collective efficacy and perceived neighborhood disorder. Our results showed that perceived discrimination was significantly associated with QOL, even after a year spent in Hong Kong. Collective efficacy, perceived social support and preparation for immigration are also important factors contributing the QOL among new immigrants in Hong Kong. The findings suggest that interventions to reduce discrimination should be designed and implemented in order to improve the QOL among new immigrants in Hong Kong.