Race, gender, and marriage: destination selection during the great migration

Abstract

Using historical census microdata, we present a unique analysis of racial and gender disparities in destination selection and an exploration of hypotheses regarding tied migration in the historical context of the Great Migration. Black migrants were more likely to move to metropolitan areas and central cities throughout the period, while white migrants were more likely to locate in nonmetropolitan and farm destinations. Gender differences were largely dependent on marital status. Consistent with the "tied-migration" thesis, married women had destination outcomes that were similar to those of men, whereas single women had a greater propensity to reside in metropolitan locations where economic opportunities for women were more plentiful.

A Panel Based Analysis of the Effects of Race/Ethnicity and Other Individual Level Characteristics at Leaving on Returning

“…Historical patterns of migration that have established communities or enclaves along race and ethnic lines probably continue to channel Hispanic and black migration between fewer population nodes (White et al 2005). These historical patterns of migration were also influenced by the distribution of initial settlements.…”

“…Research on the earlier movement of blacks from the South, referred to as the ''Great Migration'', and on the recent increase in their return to the South is impressive (Berry 2000;Cromartie and Stack 1989;Falk et al 2004;White et al 2005;Tolnay 2003;Wilson 2001). The importance of migration for racial and ethnic groups is signified by Tolnay's (2003) observation that the Great Migration, the movement of millions of southern-born African American to the non-South, is one of the major demographic events of the last century and represented a desire for a better life and a willingness to pursue opportunities in distant places.…”

Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) to Conduct Life Course Health Development Analysis

“…PSID was one of the earliest data sources for studying contextual effects on socioeconomic status (Corcoran et al 1990;Dachter 1982) and remains one of the most important and widely used sources across multiple disciplines for examining neighborhood effects on a variety of outcomes including child, adolescent, and young adult health development (Dearing et al 2009 , family migration and labor force outcomes (Blackburn 2010;Shauman 2010), and fertility behavior (South and Crowder 2010;South 1999South , 2001aSouth and Crowder 2010;Wodtke 2013). Because of its oversample of African-American families, the data have been used to examine levels and trends in racial equality in neighborhood economic status and migration (Sharkey 2008;Dawkins 2005bDawkins , 2006Freeman 2005aFreeman , b, 2008South and Crowder 2005;Timberlake 2007;White et al 2005;Vartanian et al 2007;Crowder and South 2005;Bruch 2014;Pais et al 2012Pais et al , 2014Sharkey 2012;South et al 2011;Wagmiller 2013). …”

LLCS Vol 3, Issue 2, Full Issue

“…A number of studies have used the data to examine neighborhood effects on child, adolescent, and young adult development ( (Sharkey 2008), the inter-generational transmission of neighborhood context (Dawkins 2005a;Sharkey 2008;Solon et al 2000), and fertility behavior South and Crowder 2010;South 1999South , 2001aSouth , 2001b. Because of its oversample of African American families, the data have been used to examine levels and trends in racial equality in neighborhood economic status and migration (Sharkey 2008;Dawkins 2005bDawkins , 2006Freeman 2005aFreeman , 2005bFreeman , 2008South and Crowder, 2005;Timberlake 2007;White et al 2005;Vartanian et al 2007;Crowder and South 2005).…”