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Are Hispanic Immigrants in English‐Only States at a Homeownership Disadvantage? Evidence from the 1980 and 1990 U.S. Censuses
Author(s) -
Dávila Alberto,
Méndez Rika,
Mora Marie T.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
growth and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.657
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1468-2257
pISSN - 0017-4815
DOI - 10.1111/1468-2257.00198
Subject(s) - legislation , census , immigration , xenophobia , foreign born , ethnic group , disadvantage , social stratification , demographic economics , geography , political science , demography , sociology , economics , population , law
Utilizing data from the 1980 and 1990 U.S. census, this study investigates whether the passage of official‐English legislation at the state level during the 1980s affected the housing acquisition of foreign‐born Hispanics. The results suggest that both limited‐English‐proficient (LEP) and English‐fluent Hispanic immigrants who resided in states that passed English‐only legislation were less likely to acquire a home during the 1980s compared to their counterparts in other areas. Consistent with economic theory, however, the group that seemed to be most affected included older LEP residents. One explanation for these findings is that the official‐English legislation mirrored growing xenophobia against foreign‐born Hispanics, resulting in additional social stratification on the basis of ethnicity in housing markets.