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Immigrant socioeconomic mobility in the United States: Mechanisms of inequality and the role of ethnic capital
Author(s) -
Khachikian Oshin,
Bandelj Nina
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/soc4.12723
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , immigration , ethnic group , social mobility , inequality , educational attainment , sociology , social capital , demographic economics , cultural capital , human capital , capital (architecture) , economic growth , political science , geography , social science , economics , demography , population , mathematical analysis , mathematics , archaeology , anthropology , law
We review recent social science research on the socioeconomic mobility of immigrants to the United States by focusing on the educational, occupational, and income attainments among immigrant adults, the first‐generation, and the educational attainment of their children, the New Second‐Generation. Existing research has identified significant inequalities in educational attainment between second‐generation Asian and Latinx immigrant groups. Researchers have also highlighted the importance of ethnic capital for mobility, but we find that they have largely proceeded with the assumption that co‐ethnic ties are easily available as a benefit for immigrants upon resettlement. We propose that future research on immigrant socioeconomic mobility should incorporate conceptual insights from economic and cultural sociology as well as use comparative ethnographic research designs to directly observe how ethnic capital operates to challenge or reinforce patterns of socioeconomic inequality.