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Title: Old Immigrants, New Niches: Russian Jewish Agricultural Colonies and Native Workers in Southern New Jersey, 1880-1910
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2017
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Abstract: The effect of immigration shocks on native workers in a labor niche remains an open question. We test how workers in the farm and nonfarm sectors were affected by the establishment of Russian Jewish agricultural colonies in southern New Jersey in the late nineteenth century. By following the same individuals across the 1880 and 1910 US censuses, we avoid making assumptions about the substitutability of immigrants and native workers. Russian Jews established themselves as farmers or factory workers with the help of international aid societies. Many native workers increased their occupational standing by transitioning to occupations complementary to agricultural and semi-skilled factory work, the immigrants main niches. We see no impact on farmers, likely due to the structure of agricultural markets. We also find a decreased probability of out-migration for natives living near a successful agricultural colony, with occupational upgrading concentrated among stayers.
Url: http://www.sarahquincy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/OKQ_RSFNiches.pdf
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Authors: O'Keefe, Siobhan; Quincy, Sarah
Publisher: University of California, Davis
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Migration and Immigration, Race and Ethnicity
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