Public Assistance Receipt across Immigrant Generations

Abstract

Calls for less government spending and the perception that immigrants disproportionately use public assistance have contributed to the largest overhaul of the U.S. welfare system in 60 years. The new rules affect all needy persons, including immigrants. Drawing on data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, and using a multivariate approach, this study compared use of public assistance programs among immigrants of various ethnic groups, their offspring into the third generation, and native-born White Americans. Our findings show that some immigrant groups, in particular Mexicans and Asians, use public assistance more than native-born Whites with native-born parents. However, by the third generation (with the exception of Mexicans), a striking pattern emerged that showed a steep decline in the probability of using public assistance programs, with West and East Europeans' use, moreover, dropping below that of native-born Whites with native-born parents. Additionally, we found that recent cohorts of immigrants arriving in 1970 or later are more likely to use public assistance than were earlier cohorts of immigrants. The findings are interpreted from the perspective of assimilation.