The Wealth of Mexican Americans

48 Pages Posted: 19 May 2004

See all articles by Deborah A. Cobb-Clark

Deborah A. Cobb-Clark

School of Economics, University of Sydney; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Vincent A. Hildebrand

York University - Department of Economics; CEPS/INSTEAD

Date Written: May 19, 2004

Abstract

This paper analyzes the sources of disparities in the relative wealth position of Mexican Americans. Results reveal that wealth gaps are in large part not the result of differences in conditional expected wealth functions. Similarly, income differentials are important, but do not play the primary role in explaining the gap in median net worth. As much or more of Mexican Americans' wealth disadvantage is attributable to the fact that these families have more young children and heads who are younger. Furthermore, Mexican Americans' low educational attainment has a direct effect in producing a wealth gap relative to other ethnic groups (even after differences in income are taken into account) though education does not significantly affect the nativity wealth gap. Finally, geographic concentration is generally unimportant, but does contribute to narrowing the wealth gap between wealthy Mexican Americans and their white and black counterparts.

Keywords: Wealth, Mexican Americans

JEL Classification: J61, G11, J10

Suggested Citation

Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. and Hildebrand, Vincent Alexandre, The Wealth of Mexican Americans (May 19, 2004). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=547563 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.547563

Deborah A. Cobb-Clark (Contact Author)

School of Economics, University of Sydney ( email )

606 Social Sciences Bldg. (A02)
The University of Sydney
Sydney, NSW 2006
Australia
61435061387 (Phone)

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Vincent Alexandre Hildebrand

York University - Department of Economics ( email )

363 York Hall
Glendon College
Toronto, Ontario, M4N 3M6
Canada
416-736-2100 x 88591 (Phone)
416-487-6852 (Fax)

CEPS/INSTEAD ( email )

B.P.48
Differdange, L-4620
Luxembourg

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
132
Abstract Views
1,774
Rank
390,253
PlumX Metrics