The Gradient of Immigrant Age-at-Arrival Effects on Socioeconomic Outcomes in the U.S.

Abstract

A young age at arrival is believed to be an important predictor of adult immigrant achievement, but there is no consensus on what age(s) at arrival is pivotal/crucial/critical. The 2000 census reports exact years of arrival and age providing us the opportunity to test different formulations for age-atarrival effects for several different socioeconomic outcomes. We focus on the experiences of Mexican immigrants to the U.S. in this study.Our results indicate that the effect of early arrival is much greater for English proficiency than other outcomes and bears significantly on most, not all, attainments. There is little evidence at any age of a sharp discontinuity demarcating a 1.5 generation from older immigrants and, in fact, a series of classifications or a continuous measurement of age at arrival may be preferred in some cases. Guidelines are offered for the most appropriate formulation of age at arrival under different contexts.Age at arrival has been recognized as an important factor determining the outcomes of immigrant adaptation, in addition to generation and duration of U.S. residence; it identifies the stage of the life cycle at which an immigrant is beginning life in a new country (Piore, 1979). The age or stage at arrival can effectively determine the extent of acculturation, language acquisition, and schooling, so much so that Rumbaut (1991) was compelled to dub immigrants who arrived as young children the "1.5 generation." Their experiences and outcomes differ so dramatically from adult immigrants that "first generation" is not an entirely appropriate label for them.Many immigration researchers have adopted a simple dichotomous definition of the 1.5 generation as immigrants who arrived prior to the age of twelve.

The Adaptation of Migrant Children

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Age at immigration and crime in Stockholm using sibling comparisons

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Immigration and Sexual Partner Risk Among Latino Adolescents in San Francisco

“…We created a four-level generation measure: recent immigrant (moved to the U.S. after age 10); 1.5 generation (immigrant and moved to the U.S. at age 10 or younger); 2 nd generation (born in the U.S. but at least one immigrant parent); and 3 rd generation (adolescent and parents born in the U.S. with at least one immigrant grandparent). The cut-point of age 10 was chosen to differentiate youth who immigrated to the U.S. prior to versus during adolescence, a relevant distinction when examining sexual risk (40). …”