Gender differences in the occupational status of undocumented immigrants in the United States: experience before and after legalization

"This article examines the incorporation of a national sample of undocumented immigrants both before and after they applied to legalize their status under the provisions of the [U.S.] Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). Data from the 1989 and 1992 Legalized Population Surveys (LPS-1 and LPS-2) are used. These surveys provide labor force and occupational data for three critical reference periods: as newly arrived undocumented immigrants, as experienced undocumented immigrants, and as documented immigrants.... The overall upward mobility of both men and women between first job and the occupation held at time of application for legalization continued after legalization. On average, men also continued to report higher status jobs than women, although women did somewhat better after their status was legalized." This is a revised version of a paper originally presented at the 1997 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America.     

Geographic distribution of undocumented immigrants: estimates of undocumented aliens counted in the 1980 census by state

"This article presents estimates of the number of undocumented aliens counted in the 1980 [U.S.] census for each state and the District of Columbia. The estimates, which indicate that 2.06 million undocumented aliens were counted in the 1980 census, are not based on individual records, but are aggregate estimates derived by a residual technique. The census count of aliens (modified somewhat to account for deficiencies in the data) is compared with estimates of the legally resident alien population based on data collected by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in January 1980." Estimates are provided "for each of the states for selected countries of birth and for age, sex, and period of entry categories.... The origins of the undocumented alien population [are described], as well as some of their demographic characteristics. Some of the implications of the numbers and distribution of undocumented aliens are also discussed." This paper was originally presented at the 1984 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America (see Population Index, Vol. 50, No. 3, Fall 1984, p. 435).     

The justifications for terminating parental rights and adoption in the United States

This article examines the normative basis for prioritizing adoption in the “Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997” (ASFA) as expressed by legislators and public witnesses in congressional hearings. By examining six congressional hearings in the period that led to the ASFA, the article provides new insights to understand how adoption is justified in the U.S. not only as an acceptable form of public intervention but also as an actively promoted and preferred approach when reunification is not possible. The article uses a discourse theoretical framework based on Habermas that distinguishes pragmatic, ethical–political, moral, and legal arguments. It reveals that U.S. federal adoption policy is based on three pillars. Pragmatic risk-oriented thinking forms the central knowledge base to inform policy. Parent responsibility ethics stresses individual responsibility for rehabilitation, with secondary support from the welfare system. Child refamilialization ethics emphasizes decisive and authoritative action to protect the child's needs for safety and permanence.     

Change in the undocumented alien population in the United States, 1979-1983

"This article presents estimates of the number of undocumented aliens included in the April 1983 Current Population Survey (CPS) derived by subtracting an estimate of the legally resident foreign born population from the survey estimate of all foreign born residents.... Also presented are similar estimates for the November 1979 CPS.... Estimates are presented by period of entry for Mexico and other groups of countries. Comparison of the April 1983 estimate with the census-based estimate and the November 1979 survey-based estimate provide an indication of growth in the undocumented alien population for 1980-83."     

The economic status of union workers in the United States

Although American labor unions evolved out of poverty, today’s typical union worker is relatively affluent. Current Population Survey data show that average annual household earnings in 2002 for full-time union workers were nearly $79,000, nearly double the median of all households (including ones with non-workers), and more than for nonunion worker households. While relatively few union workers are truly “poor,” a larger proportion (over one-third for members of teachers’ unions) comes from households with over $100,000 in annual income. A puzzle: why do union members tend to support liberal policies and politicians far more than their relative affluence would predict? Perhaps it partly reflects rent-seeking behavior.     

A preliminary profile of unapprehended undocumented aliens in northern New Jersey: a research note

This article sheds light on a number of questions regarding the sociodemographic structure, economic behavior, and the process of economic insertion of unapprehended undocumented aliens in the Northern New Jersey area. The data, taken from questionnaires of the clientele of the Migration Offices of the Catholic Community Services of the Archdiocese of Newark, allows an in-depth look at the goals and motivations of the family unit and the individual while permitting a glimpse of the structural causes and consequences of international migration. Respondents hold basically secondary labor market service and light industry jobs in which they work diligently without being a burden to the community. Their diligence and effort are rewarded by a respectable showing in household income figures. They also have high participation rates both in paying income taxes and filing income tax returns. Although much of the new undocumented immigration is of relatively recent origin, the respondents plan on a long-term stay. The educational and demographic profiles indicate respondents bring with them substantial amounts of human capital which is a necessary 1st step in assessing whether their overall net contribution to the US is positive or negative.     

The transmission of socioeconomic status and prestige in Great Britain and the United States

We analyze male occupational attainment using separate models in which occupational level is measured by indigenous socioeconomic index (SEI) scales, indigenous prestige scales, and a common prestige scale. Other than some consistent societal differences, the SEI scales produce highly similar results in both societies. In sharp contrast, both indigenous and common prestige scales indicate a stronger relative effect of origin (compared with education) on occupation in Great Britain. The dimensions of prestige and socioeconomic status thus seem to tap different aspects of the social mobility process, and the societies differ in the transmission of prestige but not socioeconomic status.     

Aging and undocumented: The sociology of aging meets immigration status

Being undocumented is strongly correlated with low wages, employment in high risk occupations, and poor healthcare access. We know surprisingly little about the social lives of older undocumented adults despite the vast literature about youth and young undocumented migrants. Literature about the immigrant health paradox casts doubts on the argument that unequal social conditions translate to poorer self-reported health and mortality, but few of these studies consider immigration status as the dynamic variable that it is. Reviewing research about older migrants and minorities, I point to the emergence of undocumented older persons as a demographic group that merits attention from researchers and policymakers. This nexus offers important lessons for understanding stratification and inequality. This review offers new research directions that take into account multilevel consequences of growing old undocumented. Rather than arguing that older-aged undocumented migrants are aging into exclusion, I argue that we need careful empirical research to examine how the continuity of exclusion via policies can magnify inequalities on the basis of immigration status and racialization in older age.     

A cohort analysis of employment status and homicide victimization in the United States

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of employment status on homicide victimization among cohort members. Data were derived from the US National Longitudinal Mortality Study. Cox proportional hazards regression models were fitted to the data. Analysis showed that employment status was significantly associated with homicide. The unemployed were over 50% more likely to become homicide victims than the employed. Persons not in the labor force were 1.3 times more likely to be victimized than employed cohort members. Results also showed that race was significantly associated with homicide. Non-Hispanic Blacks were over 4.5 times as likely to die as whites. Hispanics were nearly 1.9 times as likely to be victims as Non-Hispanic whites. When the sample was stratified by race/ethnicity, unemployment was highly significant for both non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic African American men. Employment status is a significant risk factor for homicide victimization.     

Occupational status and mobility among undocumented immigrants by gender

Immigration has long been a national and state concern. The 1989 Legalized Population Survey (LPS-1) collected data on illegal immigrants to the US who subsequently became legalized aliens under the provisions of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. These data are used in a study assessing whether undocumented male and female immigrants improve their earnings and occupational status over time and the extent of variation in occupational status and mobility by gender and region. The data indicate that both undocumented men and women, on average, improved their earnings and occupational status between their first jobs in the US and their jobs just before applying for legalization under the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. However, the earnings, occupational status, and occupational mobility of men were greater than for women.     

The status of the Spanish language in the United States at the beginning of the 21st century

"This study presents population projections for different linguistic components of the Spanish language group, that is, for English dominant bilinguals, Spanish dominant bilinguals and Spanish monolinguals [in the United States]. The population model combines parameters obtained from the U.S. Bureau of the Census for nonlinguistic characteristics with linguistic parameters estimated from the 1976 Survey of Income and Education. The number of persons speaking Spanish on a regular basis will climb to an estimated 16.6 million persons at the turn of the century. Further analysis reveals, however, that an additional 4.5 million persons will have left the group by ceasing to speak Spanish. In fact, in the absence of continued immigration, this language minority cannot maintain its current size and will undergo progressively more rapid decline over the course of time."     

Unhealthy behavior clustering and mental health status in United States college students

Abstract

Objective: Examine the association of health risk behavior clusters with mental health status among US college students. Participants: 105,781?US college students who completed the Spring 2011 National College Health Assessment. Methods: We utilized the latent class analysis to determine clustering of health risk behaviors (alcohol binge drinking, cigarette/marijuana use, insufficient physical activity, and fruit/vegetable consumption), and chi-square and ANOVA analyses to examine associations between the class membership and mental health (mental health diagnoses, psychological symptoms, and self-injurious thoughts/behaviors). Results: Three classes were identified with differing rates of binge drinking, substance use, and insufficient physical activity but similar rates of insufficient fruit/vegetable consumption. Students classified with the highest rates of binge drinking and cigarette/marijuana use had the highest rates across all mental health variables compared to other classes. Conclusions: Students who reported engaging in multiple health risk behaviors, especially high alcohol and cigarette/marijuana use, were also more likely to report poorer mental health.