AbstractIn this article we examine differences between Mexican Americans and non‐Hispanic Whites, and between U.S.‐ and Mexico‐born Mexican Americans, in exposure to two sources of stress: life events and ongoing strains. Data were obtained from a survey of 1,244 Mexican‐American and 1,149 non‐ Hispanic White randomly selected community residents. There were few ethnic differences in life events, although non‐Hispanic Whites were more likely to report desirable or ambiguous events. Mexican‐American immigrants were less likely than their U.S.‐born counterparts to report most events. In contrast, Mexican Americans, especially immigrants, reported greater ongoing strain than non‐Hispanic Whites. Different kinds of life events were associated with ea