American Economic Review: Insights
ISSN 2640-205X (Print) | ISSN 2640-2068 (Online)
Do Immigrants Assimilate More Slowly Today Than in the Past?
American Economic Review: Insights
vol. 2,
no. 1, March 2020
(pp. 125–41)
Abstract
Using millions of historical census records and modern birth certificates, we document that immigrants assimilated into US society at similar rates in the past and present. We measure cultural assimilation as immigrants giving their children less foreign names after spending more time in the United States, and show that immigrants erase about one-half of the naming gap with natives after 20 years both historically and today. Immigrants from poorer countries choose more foreign names upon first arrival in both periods but are among the fastest to shift toward native-sounding names. We find substantial cultural assimilation for immigrants of all education levels.Citation
Abramitzky, Ran, Leah Boustan, and Katherine Eriksson. 2020. "Do Immigrants Assimilate More Slowly Today Than in the Past?" American Economic Review: Insights, 2 (1): 125–41. DOI: 10.1257/aeri.20190079Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
- N31 Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
- N32 Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: U.S.; Canada: 1913-
- Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification