Authors: De Jong G.F.; Steinmetz M.

Source: Population Research and Policy Review, Volume 23, Number 2, April 2004 , pp. 91-116(26)

Publisher: Springer

Abstract:

This paper seeks to extend assimilation scholarship by focusing on the impact of immigrant receptivity attitudes. We test the hypotheses that receptivity attitudes toward immigrants held by citizens of metropolitan and regional labor markets will have a direct impact, and/or interact with the educational human capital of immigrants, in explaining the occupational attainment of male and female immigrant workers. Multi-level modeling is used to test the impact of aggregated immigrant receptivity attitude measures, derived from the General Social Survey, which are spatially merged with immigrant worker human capital, individual-level assimilation, and area labor market indicators to predict managerial/professional and service/labor occupation attainment of immigrant workers from a merged 1995–97 Current Population Survey data file. The results provide support for the receptivity attitudes thesis with statistically significant effects on service and labor attainment, but show minimal effects on managerial and professional occupational attainment. The key receptivity dimensions affecting occupational attainment are native-born citizens' attitudes concerning the impact of immigrants on American society, and attitudes on English-only language policies. The results show no systematic support for the reverse causation hypothesis that the occupational patterns of immigrants determine the immigrant receptivity attitudes of citizens.

Keywords: gender; immigrant occupations; receptivity attitudes

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:POPU.0000019929.59033.70

Affiliations: 1: Population Research Institute and Department of Sociology, Pennsylvania State University, 601 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16802, U.S.A.

Publication date: 2004-04-01

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Business ,  Economics
• By this author: De Jong G.F. ;  Steinmetz M.

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers