Emerging U.S. Immigrant Geographies: Racial Wages and Migration Selectivity.

Abstract

The maturing of the post-1965 children of immigrants and the recent emergence of immigrant settlement outside of traditional locations have implications for understanding immigrant economic incorporation. This analysis examines how changing immigrant geographies will affect the economic prospects of immigrants and a maturing second generation, and addresses sociological and economic perspectives on internal migration and immigrant progress. Using the 2000 5 percent Public Use Microdata Files (PUMS), I employ endogenous switching regression models in analyzing the selectivity of internal migration and state residence patterns to the wages of immigrant, 1.5 generation, and U.S.-born workers. Nonwhite immigrant and 1.5-generation workers evade racial wage penalties through migration, but not through residing in emerging immigrant states. Understanding the selectivity of internal migration to wages across racialized labor markets is important in assessing new immigrant geographies and prospects for the second generation.