Ethnosizing Immigrants

34 Pages Posted: 19 Jul 2006

See all articles by Klaus F. Zimmermann

Klaus F. Zimmermann

Global Labor Organization (GLO); UNU-MERIT; Maastricht University, Department of Economics; Free University Berlin; University of Bonn; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); Journal of Population Economics

Liliya Gataullina

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Amelie F. Constant

Princeton University; UNU-MERIT; CESifo; University of Pennsylvania

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: April 2006

Abstract

The paper provides a new measure of the ethnic identity of immigrants and explores its evolution in the host country. The ethnosizer, a measure of the intensity of a person's ethnic identity, is constructed from information on the following elements: language, culture, societal interaction, history of migration, and ethnic self-identification. A two-dimensional concept of the ethnosizer classifies immigrants into four states: integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization. We find that ethnic identity persists stronger for females, Muslims, those with schooling in the home country, and older age at the time of entry. Young migrants are assimilated or integrated the most. While Muslims do not integrate, Catholics and other Christians assimilate the best. Immigrants with college or higher education in the home country integrate very well, but do not assimilate. Having some schooling is worse than no education for integration or assimilation. The ethnicity of individuals, measured by country of origin, remains relevant.

Keywords: Ethnicity, ethnic identity, acculturation, migrant assimilation, migrant integration

JEL Classification: F22, J15, J16, Z10

Suggested Citation

Zimmermann, Klaus F. and Gataullina, Liliya and Constant, Amelie F., Ethnosizing Immigrants (April 2006). CEPR Discussion Paper No. 5636, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=918264

Klaus F. Zimmermann (Contact Author)

Global Labor Organization (GLO) ( email )

Bonn
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Liliya Gataullina

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) ( email )

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Amelie F. Constant

Princeton University ( email )

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UNU-MERIT ( email )

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