Re-conceptualizing the economic incorporation of immigrants: A comparison of the Mexican and Vietnamese
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Re - c o n c e p t u a l i z i n g t h e e c o n o m i c in c o rp orat ion of immigra nts: A co m par ison of t he M ex ica n a nd Viet n am es e
Shannon Gleeson University of California, Santa Cruz. E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://lals.ucsc.edu
Abstract Using data from the 2000 5 per cent Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, this article advocates three shifts in our theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding immigrant economic incorporation. First, through a comparison of Mexican and Vietnamese immigrants, these findings highlight the importance of an immigrant population’s relationship to the state for economic outcomes, and cautions against analyses that aggregate the foreign-born population. Second, through a joint analysis of unemployment and poverty outcomes, these findings call for researchers to be specific about the varied aspects of ‘‘economic incorporation’’ and distinguish between factors that drive labor market access, and those that foster material wellbeing. Lastly, by examining three state economic, demographic and policy variables, this article promotes an approach that takes human capital into account, while also heeding the immigrant context of reception. Latino Studies (2010) 8, 69–92. doi:10.1057/lst.2009.43 Keywords: immigrant economic incorporation; state policy; documentation status
The Persistent S ignificance o f Assimilation Scholars are consistently concerned about what promotes immigrant assimilation, in particular, immigrant economic incorporation. Many assimilation r 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1476-3435 Latino Studies Vol. 8, 1, 69–92 www.palgrave-journals.com/lst/
Gleeson
1 ‘‘Assimilation’’ typically refers to an analysis of the convergence between immigrants and an often ambiguous mainstream, and can entail various axes such as political, cultural and economic assimilation. The focus of assimilation studies is typically on the eventual convergence – or divergence – between native-born and foreign-born outcomes, controlling for relevant factors. In recent decades, however, there has been a shift in focus and terminology away from ‘‘assimilation,’’ towards ‘‘integration’’ and ‘‘incorporation’’ and a focus on
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trajectories have been proposed and debated ranging from Gordon’s (1964) ‘‘straight line assimilation’’ model, to Portes and Zhou’s (1993) revisionist ‘‘segmented assimilation’’ model. Alba and Nee (2003), who reaffirm the importance of assimilation for contemporary immigration streams, define assimilation as the ‘‘social distance separating immigrants and their children from the mainstream of American society.’’ In the current multicultural climate, there have been calls to discard the debate on assimilation, yet the discussion continues. This persistent focus is motivated by a variety of concerns, including the effect immigrants have on native workers, the fiscal strain immigrants may pose to local economies, and the well-being of immigrants and their families. This article assesses a key aspect of the immigrant assimilation process, eco
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