Variation In Immigration Research Articles

Group threat and voter turnout: Evidence from a refugee placement program

AbstractWe study the impact of refugee inflows on voter turnout in Sweden in a period when shifting immigration patterns made the previously homogeneous country increasingly heterogeneous. Analyzing individual‐level panel data and exploiting a national refugee placement program to obtain plausibly exogenous variation in immigration, we find that refugee inflows significantly raise the probability of voter turnout. Balancing tests on initial turnout as well as placebo tests regressing changes in turnout on future refugee inflows support the causal interpretation of our findings. The results are consistent with group‐threat theory, which predicts that increased out‐group presence spurs political mobilization among in‐group members.

Immigrant labor and the institutionalization of the U.S.‐born elderly

AbstractThe U.S. population is aging. We examine whether immigration causally affects the likelihood that the U.S.‐born elderly live in institutional settings. Using a shift‐share instrument to identify exogenous variation in immigration, we find that a 10 percentage point increase in the less‐educated foreign‐born labor force share in a local area reduces institutionalization among the elderly by 1.5 and 3.8 percentage points for those aged 65+ and 80+, a 26%–29% effect relative to the mean. The estimates imply that a typical U.S.‐born individual over age 65 in the year 2000 was 0.5 percentage points (10%) less likely to be living in an institution than would have been the case if immigration had remained at 1980 levels. We show that immigration affects the availability and cost of home services, including those provided by home health aides, gardeners and housekeepers, and other less‐educated workers, reducing the cost of aging in the community.

Why Hindu Population is Decreasing: Is this a Serious Issue?

“Hindu philosophy is at the core of all religions”. Hindus are a significant international faith that originated here on the Indian subcontinent and consists of many different philosophical, religious, including ceremonial traditions. About 80% of people in India followed Hinduism as a religion before the beginning of the twenty-first century however this percentage is declining as the number of Muslims in this region is rising. Hindu and Muslim reproductive differences in India were studied using census data and the results of 11 surveys. There was a reason for the variations in fertility. And again when the country was divided, the proportion of Muslims in the population rose while the proportion of Hindus fell. After the partition, between 1951 and 1971, the percentage of Muslims rose from 9.9 to 11.2 while the percentage of Hindus fell from 84.9 to 82.7% . These proportionate changes can't be ascribed to variations in immigration or death hence these should be caused by variations in fertility, according to an analysis of mortality and migration statistics. The significant indication that Muslim reproduction is greater than Hindu fertility may be found in census and survey data. According to statistics from the 1971 census, Muslim women had a total marital fertility rate that was 20% higher in rural regions and 11% higher in urban areas than it would be for Hindu women. The Muslim rate was greater even when schooling was kept under control. The results of 11 demographic studies consistently showed that Muslim women had greater fertility rates than Hindu women. Numerous researches showed that when socio-economic and educational criteria were taken into account, these discrepancies shrank but remained substantial. To explain the disparities, researchers often provide one of three ideas. Hindutva is in genuine danger, and we need to do a self-evaluation and begin building unity and resolve to regain our former greatness. Otherwise, by 2050, Muslims will overtake Hindus as the majority religion in the Asia-Pacific area. Hindus are currently the predominant community in both India and Nepal, making them the largest religious group in the area. They are also widely present in Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Malaysia. While the proportion of Muslims in the area is anticipated to rise from 24 in 2010 to almost 30 in 2050, the percentage of Hindus will expand more slowly, from 25 to almost 28. This essay will provide all the details as to why Hindus are dwindling, why this is a severe problem, and all the evidence that demonstrates how the Hindu religion is at elevated danger.

Integrated population models poorly estimate the demographic contribution of immigration

Abstract Estimating the contribution of demographic parameters to changes in population growth is essential for understanding why populations fluctuate. Integrated population models (IPMs) offer a possibility to estimate the contributions of additional demographic parameters, for which no data have been explicitly collected—typically immigration. Such parameters are often subsequently highlighted as important drivers of population growth. Yet, accuracy in estimating their temporal variation, and consequently their contribution to changes in population growth rate, has not been investigated. To quantify the magnitude and cause of potential biases when estimating the contribution of immigration using IPMs, we simulated data (using northern wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe population estimates) from controlled scenarios to examine potential biases and how they depend on IPM parameterization, formulation of priors, the level of temporal variation in immigration and sample size. We also used empirical data on populations with known rates of immigration: Soay sheep Ovis aries and Mauritius kestrel Falco punctatus with zero immigration and grey wolf Canis lupus in Scandinavia with near‐zero immigration. IPMs strongly overestimated the contribution of immigration to changes in population growth in scenarios when immigration was simulated with zero temporal variation (proportion of variance attributed to immigration = 63% for the more constrained formulation and real sample size) and in the wild populations, where the true number of immigrants was zero or near‐zero (kestrel 19.1%–98.2%, sheep 4.2%–36.1% and wolf 84.0%–99.2%). Although the estimation of the contribution of immigration in the simulation study became more accurate with increasing temporal variation and sample size, it was often not possible to distinguish between an accurate estimation from data with high temporal variation versus an overestimation from data with low temporal variation. Unrealistically, large sample sizes may be required to estimate the contribution of immigration well. To minimize the risk of overestimating the contribution of immigration (or any additional parameter) in IPMs, we recommend to: (a) look for evidence of variation in immigration before investigating its contribution to population growth, (b) simulate and model data for comparison to the real data and (c) use explicit data on immigration when possible.

Toward a Du Boisian Framework of Immigrant Incorporation: Racialized Contexts, Relational Identities, and Muslim American Collective Action

AbstractAnswering longstanding questions about the relationship between immigrant identity, collective action, and societal incorporation requires a dynamic theory that integrates these micro, meso, and macro levels of analysis. I propose a Du Boisian framework of immigrant incorporation that centers immigrants’ subjectivities, accounting for variation in immigrants’ perceptions of their relational social positions and subsequent strategies for shifting these positions. In this conceptualization of collective identity and collective action, macro-contexts enable and constrain collective identities through the process of ethnoracial formation, but immigrants negotiate competing perceptions of these identities and the political context, shaping divergent strategies to negotiate group position. I illustrate this framework by drawing on focus groups with Muslim American immigrants, identifying three central couplings of perceived identity and collective action strategy: 1) a perception of an integrating, “model citizen” collective identity that is aspirationally white, shaping assimilationist strategies for incorporation; 2) a perception of temporarily stigmatized identity with corresponding “identity-improvement” strategies for incorporation; and 3) a perception of racialized identity that rejects aspirational whiteness coupled with coalition-building with Black and Brown communities to target racialized systems altogether. Following Du Bois’ legacy, this framework expands our understanding of the dialectic between macro-contexts and micro-dynamics in immigrant incorporation and builds upon growing research that questions whether the quest for societal inclusion is necessarily a process of integration into the dominant category.

The urban\u2013rural divide in radical right populist support: the role of resident\u2019s characteristics, urbanization trends and public service supply

In a number of recent elections in Western Europe, support for far-right populist parties has been significantly higher in non-urban areas than in urban areas. This paper answers the following questions; (1) Can the urban–rural divide in voting behavior be explained by the fact that urban and non-urban populations differ in terms of education, income and other individual characteristics of voters, or by variations in immigration? (2) Can variations in public service supply explain parts of the urban–rural divide in far-right populist support? and (3) How does population growth and public services relate to voting behavior when examining urban and rural municipalities separately? The analyses combine survey data on individual characteristics and register data aggregated on municipalities. The results in this paper suggest that voter characteristics and immigration explain a substantial part of the urban–rural divide. However, the propensity to vote for a far-right populist party is still higher in regions with lower population growth even when controlling for individual characteristics and immigration. When considering public service supply, the urban–rural divide is further weakened. The propensity to vote for a far-right party decreases with higher public service supply and higher share of immigrants. The findings in this paper thereby support the hypothesis that individuals in shrinking areas with lower access to public services are likely to respond to the deterioration of their location by casting a vote on the far-right (i.e., protest voting).

‘Crowded out’? Immigration Surge and Residents’ Employment Outcomes in Norway

This study uses Norwegian public register data in a spatial correlation approach, and analyzes associations between regional variations in immigration and employment outcomes 2004–2015 in a cohort of adult residents (N = 1.3 million). A higher share of immigrants in the regional population and an immigrant population dominated by low-educated were associated with slightly negative work income trends and less employment opportunities for residents, in particular for low- educated natives and earlier immigrants. A steep increase in the immigrant share of the regional population was, on the other hand, associated with better employment outcomes for all analyzed resident categories. Overall, regional immigration differences were only modestly related to the out- comes. Findings indicate that the institutional context has limited the role of market mechanisms in the labor market, and a booming regional economy will tend to neutralize potentially negative effects of immigration on residents’ employment.

Ethnic Variation in Immigrants' Diets and Food Acculturation – United States 1999–2012

AbstractImmigration has changed the United States from having a predominantly white to a more ethnically diverse population. People who move to the U.S. may initially have diets unlike native-born Americans but gradually adopt eating patterns more like them. Using NHANES data and a censored gamma regression model, this study estimated the daily consumption of major food products among groups of immigrants and the corresponding groups born in the U.S. Results show that immigrants had lower consumption of meat and higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, and immigrants’ consumption converged towards a less healthy American diet after five years in the U.S.

Dissecting biodiversity in a global hotspot: Uneven dynamics of immigration and diversification within the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa

AbstractAimFragmented distributions should show immigration and diversification dynamics consistent with the predictions of island biogeography theory. We test whether this applies to the fragmented Cape fynbos vegetation.LocationSouthern Africa, Cape Floristic Region (CFR).TaxonAngiosperms, Restionaceae (restios).MethodsWe used a large occurrence dataset and environmental layers to characterize an existing regionalization and the intervals between the regions ecologically and spatially. We extended the available phylogeny for restios and inferred their historical biogeography using models implemented in BioGeoBEARS. We then measured the relative contribution of immigration and in situ speciation to the species richness of each region within the CFR. We used standard statistical methods to test the predictions of the island biogeography theory.ResultsThe area and environmental heterogeneity of the seven regions of the CFR are positively correlated with in situ speciation rate. Furthermore, more isolated areas, and areas colonized more recently, have proportionally higher immigration rates, and more central and older areas proportionally higher in situ speciation rates.Main conclusionsThe variation in immigration and diversification dynamics among the regions within the CFR is extensive and consistent with the archipelago model of island biography theory. This dynamic may contribute significantly to the diversity of the Cape flora. Such a model could be generally useful for understanding the generation and maintenance of diversity in biodiversity hotspots, and may even scale up to explain continental biodiversity.

Immigrants and the Making of America

AbstractWe study the effects of European immigration to the U.S. during the Age of Mass Migration (1850–1920) on economic prosperity. Exploiting cross-county variation in immigration that arises from the interaction of fluctuations in aggregate immigrant flows and of the gradual expansion of the railway network, we find that counties with more historical immigration have higher income, less poverty, less unemployment, higher rates of urbanization, and greater educational attainment today. The long-run effects seem to capture the persistence of short-run benefits, including greater industrialization, increased agricultural productivity, and more innovation.

Immigrants and Poverty. The Role of Labour Market and Welfare State AccessEugster, BeatriceLondon/New York, ECPR Press/Rowman&Littlefield (2018), 259 p., ISBN 978‐1785522932

Book Review: Are immigrants poorer than natives? Which categories of immigrants are poorer? Do immigrants’ poverty patterns follow the traditional welfare state regime typology? Can institutions–particularly social rights in terms of access to welfare provision and the labour market–explain the variation in immigrants’ poverty levels? These are the fundamental questions that Beatrice Eugster analyses in her new book.

Access to general social protection for immigrants in advanced democracies

Immigration has become a central socio-political issue in most advanced democracies. While research mainly focuses on immigrant-specific policies in the area of immigration, integration and citizenship, we still know very little about the incorporation of immigrants into mainstream social policies. By analysing cross-national differences in the inclusion of immigrants into general social protection across 27 rich democracies on the basis of comparative indicators from the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) dataset, we seek to address this gap in a quantitative study. A cross-national comparison of these indicators shows a particularly large variation in the inclusiveness of the access to social protection for immigrants across countries. By drawing on the welfare state and integration regime literature, we assess the power of two contrasting perspectives, namely, the post-national welfare state and the welfare chauvinism models, in explaining this large cross-national variation in immigrants’ access to social security and social housing. Our overall findings suggest that both the welfare chauvinist and the post-national welfare state models comprise two theoretical perspectives that turn out to be fruitful to interpret cross-national variation in immigrants’ access to social protection. According to the welfare chauvinism model, we find robust evidence that left-wing cabinets are particularly reluctant to open general social protection schemes to immigrants. By contrast and in line with expectations derived from the post-national welfare state model, countries with an overall generous welfare state and countries facing large immigration flows tend to provide immigrants with more generous access to social protection.

Access to general social protection for immigrants in advanced democracies

Immigration has become a central socio-political issue in most advanced democracies. While research mainly focuses on immigrant-specific policies in the area of immigration, integration and citizen...

Immigrants’ Experiences of Everyday Discrimination in Canada: Unpacking the Contributions of Assimilation, Race, and Early Socialization

We examined perceptions of everyday discrimination among immigrants in Canada and in comparison to native-born Canadians using data from the 2013 Canadian Community Health Survey. We find that recent immigrants report less discrimination than native-born Canadians, ceteris paribus. Recent immigrants also report less discrimination than their fellow immigrants who had been residing in Canada for much longer durations. There were trivial differences in perceptions of everyday discrimination between native-born Canadians and midway and established immigrants, all else being equal. Additional analysis suggests that differences in age at arrival and associated early socialization experiences might explain variations in immigrants’ perceived discrimination.

Immigration, socio-economic conditions and crime: a cross-sectional versus cross-sectional time-series perspective

This study purpose is to verify if there is an association between foreign immigration and crime. In doing this, the study investigates also some satellite aspects revolving around this possible association: the range of offences affected by immigration, the relationship between immigrant and native crime, and whether the immigration impact on crime is direct or indirect. The present study has addressed these issues by both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal analysis, the latter including an instrument. The study is based on data of the Italian provinces. Italy represents a critical case for studying the migration–crime relationship, because in this country the rise in foreign immigration has been sudden and its pace feverish. The cross-sectional analysis findings show that crime intensities are affected by time-invariant factors and marginally by immigration. On the contrary, the longitudinal analysis shows that variations in immigration had a positive impact on both the most serious and the most common offences, on property crimes as well as on crimes of violence. There is no evidence of indirect effects of immigration on crime or of a link with native crime. In contrast to previous literature regarding the U.S., Canada, and Australia, these results suggest that a spiralling immigration can affect crime. In terms of methods, these findings show that the standard synchronic analysis models can be biased by non-observed factors and that therefore cross-sectional time-series models can offer significant advantages.

Conspecific and not performance-based attraction on immigrants drives colony growth in a waterbird.

Local recruitment and immigration play an important part in the dynamics and growth of animal populations. However, their estimation and incorporation into open population models is, in most cases, problematic. We studied factors affecting the growth of a recently established colony of Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) and assessed the contribution of local recruits, i.e. birds born in the colony, and immigrants, i.e. birds of unknown origin, to colony growth. We applied an integrated population model that accounts for uncertainty in breeding state assignment and merges population surveys, local fecundity and individual longitudinal data of breeding and non-breeding birds, to estimate demographic rates and the relative role of recruitment and immigration in driving the local dynamics. We also used this analytical framework to assess the degree of support for the 'performance-based' and 'conspecific attraction' hypotheses as possible mechanisms of colony growth. Among the demographic rates, only immigration was positively and significantly correlated with population growth rate. In addition, the number of immigrants settling in the colony was positively correlated with colony size in the previous and current year, but was not correlated with fecundity of the previous year. Our results suggest that the variation in immigration affected colony dynamics and that conspecific attraction likely triggered the relevant role of immigration in the growth of a recently formed waterbird colony, supporting the need of including immigration in population analysis.

What Makes a Satisfied Immigrant? Host-Country Characteristics and Immigrants’ Life Satisfaction in Eighteen European Countries

Based on the data from six waves of the European Social Survey collected from 18 European countries between 2002 and 2012, we aimed at explaining the variation in immigrants’ life satisfaction across countries, by focusing on host countries’ characteristics. By adopting the multi-level analysis, we examined the national-level traits from three aspects: namely, the climate of immigrant reception, the extent of public goods provision and the level of economic inequality. Our findings suggest that immigrants are likely to be more satisfied in countries that offer more welcoming social settings. However, this association is significant only when the social setting is measured by attitudes of the native-born towards immigrants, rather than by legal immigration regulations and policies. When taking into account the extent to which host country is able to provide public goods, country’s wealth levels seems not to matter for immigrants’ life satisfaction, whereas countries’ levels of human development is associated with an increase in immigrants’ life satisfaction albeit only at the 10% significance level. The role of economic inequality varies with immigrants’ own socio-economic statuses. On average, immigrants are less satisfied with their lives in host countries with higher levels of economic inequality. However, highly educated immigrants tend not to perceive economic inequality of the country as an obstacle of their satisfaction.

The Impact of Immigration on the Labor Market Outcomes of Native Workers: Evidence Using Longitudinal Data from the LEHD

Empirical estimates of the effect of immigration on native workers that rely on spatial comparisons have generally found small effects, but have been subject to the criticism that out-migration by native workers dampens the observed effect by spreading it over a larger area. In contrast, studies that rely on variation in immigration across industries, occupations, or education-based skill-levels often report large negative effects, but rely primarily on repeated cross-sectional data sets which also cannot account for the adjustment of native workers over time. In this paper, we use a newly available data set, the Longitudinal Employer Household Data (LEHD), which provides quarterly earnings records, geographic location, and firm and industry identifiers for 97% of all privately employed workers in 29 states. We use this data to analyze the impact of immigration on earnings changes and the mobility response of native workers. Overall, we find that although immigration has a negative effect on the earnings and employment of native workers, and positive effects on their firm, industry, and cross-state mobility, the overall size of the effects is small.

Immigrant selectivity, immigrant performance and the macro‐economic context

AbstractThis study argues for a more nuanced approach to our understanding of the impact of economic conditions on immigration. Without differentiating the reasons why immigrants move, salient variations in temporal arrival patterns, spatial variations in immigrants' settlement patterns upon arrival, and variations in labour market outcomes will remain hidden. With information on the reasons why immigrants came to the US, this study offers a novel look at the associations between immigration and macro‐economic conditions. Using data from the March Supplements of the Current Population Surveys from 2000 to 2014, we find: (i) job‐related immigration is only pro‐cyclical if it is not employer‐based, but involves low‐skill immigrants in search of employment; (ii) among job‐related immigrants, the attraction of gateway states declines as macro‐economic conditions worsen; (iii) with respect to labour market outcomes, immigrant characteristics that provide the highest level of immunity to the ups and downs of the economy include a high educational attainment level, residence outside the gateway states, plus the privilege of having a job‐in‐hand rather than looking for a job upon arrival.

Explaining Immigrant Health Service Utilization

Although there is no paucity of theoretical frameworks for explaining people’s health service utilization (HSU), theoretical frameworks designed to account for variations in immigrants’ HSU remain underdeveloped. Building on influential theories or models for explaining HSU and especially Andersen’s widely used health behavior model, this article proposes a theoretical framework for explaining disparities in immigrant HSU. The proposed framework explains disparities in immigrant HSU by the health care need, resources, and predisposing factors of immigrants, and macrostructural/contextual conditions at both the general and immigrant-specific levels, as well as the mediating relationships among some of these factors. It is believed that this new framework can offer a fuller understanding of the determination process of immigrant HSU.