Ethnic Self-Identification of First-Generation Immigrants

In: International migration review: IMR, Band 41, Heft 3, S. 769-781

Abstract

This paper uses the concept of ethnic self-identification of immigrants in a two-dimensional framework. It acknowledges that attachments to both the country of origin and the host country are not necessarily mutually exclusive. There are three possible paths of adjustment from separation at entry, namely the transitions to assimilation, integration, and marginalization. We analyze the determinants of ethnic self-identification in this process using samples of first-generation male and female immigrants, and controlling for pre- and post-immigration characteristics. While we find strong gender differences, a wide range of pre-immigration characteristics like education in the country of origin are not important.