The Complexity of Immigrant Generations: Implications for Assessing the Socioeconomic Integration of Hispanics and Asians

Brian Duncan and Stephen Trejo

No 21982, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Because of data limitations, virtually all studies of the later-generation descendants of immigrants rely on subjective measures of ethnic self-identification rather than arguably more objective measures based on the countries of birth of the respondent and his ancestors. In this context, biases can arise from “ethnic attrition” (e.g., U.S.-born individuals who do not self-identify as Hispanic despite having ancestors who were immigrants from a Spanish-speaking country). Analyzing 2003-2013 data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), this study shows that such ethnic attrition is sizeable and selective for the second- and third-generation populations of key Hispanic and Asian national origin groups. In addition, the results indicate that ethnic attrition generates measurement biases that vary across groups in direction as well as magnitude, and that correcting for these biases is likely to raise the socioeconomic standing of the U.S.-born descendants of most Hispanic immigrants relative to their Asian counterparts.

JEL-codes: J15 J61 J62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab, nep-mig and nep-sea
Note: LS
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (29)

Published as Brian Duncan & Stephen J. Trejo, 2017. "The Complexity of Immigrant Generations: Implications for Assessing the Socioeconomic Integration of Hispanics and Asians," ILR Review, vol 70(5), pages 1146-1175.

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Complexity of Immigrant Generations: Implications for Assessing the Socioeconomic Integration of Hispanics and Asians (2017)
Working Paper: The Complexity of Immigrant Generations: Implications for Assessing the Socioeconomic Integration of Hispanics and Asians (2012)
Working Paper: The Complexity of Immigrant Generations: Implications for Assessing the Socioeconomic Integration of Hispanics and Asians (2012)
Working Paper: The Complexity of Immigrant Generations: Implications for Assessing the Socioeconomic Integration of Hispanics and Asians (2012)
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