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Title: Living and Working in Ethnic Enclaves: Language Proficiency of Immigrants in U.S. Metropolitan Areas
Citation Type: Working Paper
Publication Year: 2012
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Abstract: Learning English is a potentially profitable investment for immigrants in the U.S.: while thereare initial costs, the subsequent benefits include the ability to communicate with the majority of the population, potentially leading to better paying jobs and economic success inthe new country. These payoffs are lessened if immigrants choose to live and work in ethnic enclaves where the necessity to communicate in English is weak. Ethnic enclaves arewidespread and persistent in the U.S. This study uses data from the 2010 American Community Survey to examine the impact of residential and occupational segregation onimmigrants ability to speak English. We allow for heterogeneity in the relationship betweensegregation and English language proficiency across ethnic groups and focus specifically onMexican and Chinese immigrants. Our results show that immigrants in the U.S. who live andwork among high concentrations of their countrymen are less likely to be proficient inEnglish than those who are less residentially and occupationally segregated. The magnitudeof the effect of segregation on language proficiency varies across immigrants birthplacesand other salient characteristics defining the immigration context.
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Authors: Florax, Raymond J.G.M.; de Graaff, Thomas; Waldorf, Brigitte; Beckhusen, Julia; Poot, Jacques
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Publication Number: 03-12
Institution: University College London
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Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Migration and Immigration, Race and Ethnicity
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