The impact of opening markets on Mexican male/female wage and occupational differentials

This article addresses the effect of a more open market under NAFTA on the economic status of Mexican women. It is assumed that increases in export processing and tourism, industries that have a high demand for female labor, will result from the agreement. The approach of this study is to use regression and correlation analysis to compare wage and occupational differences in two Mexican cities: Tijuana, on the U.S.-Mexican border, and Torreon, in the interior. A major findings is that the overall wage gap is statistically significantly lower where there is increased export processing activity, but there appears to be very little change in occupational segregation. Three additional impacts are: first, that labor force participation rates increase for both men and women, but proportionally more for women. Second, the higher labor demand appears to weaken the relationship between the job qualifications of education and experience and wages. Third, wages by gender are more equal, but for the labor force as a whole there is a greater level of wage dispersion.     

Negotiating survival: undocumented Mexican immigrant women in the Pacific Northwest

Current analyses of Mexico–U.S. migration theory generally are based on socioeconomic contexts and decision-making processes of male respondents. Further, limited data available on undocumented Mexican immigrant women mainly address the Mexico–U.S. border area, and adjacent U.S. urban centers. Our qualitative study focuses on undocumented Mexican immigrant women residing in central Washington State, where the regional economy is dominated by agribusiness development and dependent on immigrant and migrant farm labor. This paper assesses propositions of neoclassical economic and social capital theories of international migration in explaining the women’s migration decision-making processes. Project data indicate that while the Pacific Northwest has been a primary migration destination for sometime, it now may be increasingly a second-stage U.S. migration site, following initial migration to more traditional destinations such as California.     

Hispanic Ethnicity,Gender, and the Change in the LEP‐Earnings Penalty in the United States During the 1990s*

Objective. Although studies suggest that the earnings of limited‐English‐proficient (LEP) Hispanic men have recently improved relative to the English fluent, it remains unclear as to whether specific Hispanic groups experienced similar improvements. Methods. Using 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census data, this study employs regression, wage decomposition, and quantile regression analyses to examine how gender and Hispanic ethnicity relate to the LEP‐earnings penalty. Results. The LEP‐earnings penalty fell significantly for Mexican‐American men between 1990 and 2000. However, additional results suggest that this penalty increased for Cuban‐American men and women (and, to a lesser extent, for Mexican‐American women). Conclusions. Expanding trade and ethnic networks as well as reduced statistical discrimination have not systematically benefited all LEP Hispanic populations. Therefore, policies designed to enhance English‐language proficiency may yield heterogeneous socioeconomic outcomes along the ethnic, gender, and income class dimensions.     

Latino Phenotypic Discrimination Revisited: The Impact of Skin Color on Occupational Status

Objective . We reexamine the issue of phenotypic discrimination against Mexicans in the U.S. labor market, originally studied by Telles and Murguia (1990) and later by Bohara and Davila (1992). We also seek to explain this topic with respect to the Puerto Rican and Cuban populations in the United States. Methods . Instead of using household income as a dependent variable, we use occupational ranking scores computed by Hauser and Warren (1996) in combination with data from the 1990 Latino National Political Survey (LNPS). The occupational rankings more accurately reflect the level of labor market discrimination faced by individuals. Furthermore, the use of the more recent LNPS allows us to update the work of previous scholars and extend the analysis to two previously unexamined Latino groups—Puerto Ricans and Cubans. Results . Our findings indicate that darker-skinned Mexicans and Cubans face significantly lower occupational prestige scores than their lighter-skinned counterparts even when controlling for factors that influence performance in the labor market. However, we find no conclusive evidence that skin-color differences impact occupational prestige scores for Puerto Ricans. Conclusions . Using earlier data, some scholars found evidence for difference in labor market performance among Mexican Americans as a function of phenotypic variations among Mexican Americans. Today, dark-skinned Mexican Americans and Cuban Americans continue to face higher levels of discrimination in the labor market, whereas dark-skinned Puerto Ricans do not, which may indicate regional differences across the three groups that need to be controlled for.     

Importation,SES-selective acculturation,and the weaker SES-health gradients of Mexican immigrants in the United States

Previous studies find U.S. immigrants have weaker socioeconomic gradients in health relative to non-Hispanic Whites and their U.S.-born co-ethnics. Several explanations have been advanced but few have been tested empirically. We use data from the Mexican Family Life Survey and the U.S. National Health Interview Survey, including longitudinal data in the former measuring socioeconomic status (SES) and health previous to emigration, to test if (1) immigrants “import” their gradients from the sending country, or if (2) they may be changing as a result of SES-graded acculturation among Mexican migrant men in two health indicators: obesity and current smoking. We find evidence consistent with the first hypothesis: the gradients of migrants measured prior to coming to the U.S. are not statistically different from those of nonmigrants, as the gradients of each are relatively weak. Although the gradients for obesity and smoking appear to weaken with time spent in the U.S., the differences are not significant, suggesting little support for the selective acculturation hypothesis.     

THE LABOUR MARKET EXPERIENCE OF CAMBODIANS: POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR SETTLEMENT SERVICES

A proportion of the annual migrant intake now comprises persons accepted under the Refugee and Special Humanitarian Program entry categories, for reasons other than the direct contribution their skills can make to economic growth. This paper examines the labour market experience of Cambodians, and considers the policy implications for resettlement services for refugees. Cambodians experience high rates of unemployment, and have low levels of English language proficiency, low levels of educational attainment, and few possess post-school qualifications. Reluctance to develop settlement services for refugees, to make special provisions for access within existing services, or even to ensure equitable access to existing services has contributed to the long term economic dependency of a sizeable proportion of this group. It is recommended that they be given greater access to basic, advanced and job related English language tuition. They, and other refugees with similar disadvantages also require special access to job search skills programs, vocational training, and wage subsidy and special employment programs.     

Free trade,food-processing,and migration: An analysis of Mexican immigration in the U.S. Great Plains Region

This paper empirically identifies the factors driving Mexican immigration into the U.S. Great Plains region, focusing especially on the role of work in the Mexican and U.S. food-processing sectors, which in the context of NAFTA-induced foreign direct investments, opens up paths for migration along occupational lines into the U.S. from Mexico. Using a unique dataset on Mexican migration, the study addresses three related questions in a series of multivariate logistic regression analyses. First, is employment in the U.S. food-processing sector associated with Mexican migration into the Great Plains region? Second, does employment in the Mexican food-processing sector predict employment in the Great Plains food-processing sector? Finally, is the political–economic context linking Mexico and the U.S. related to the formation of occupational channels linking the food-processing sectors in Mexico and the U.S.? The findings demonstrate that the U.S. food-processing sector is a strong predictor of Mexican migration to the Great Plains region; Mexican migration is strongly channeled along occupational lines from Mexico to the U.S.; and the implementation of NAFTA, a period of intensive political–economic integration, strengthens the occupational channel between the food-processing sectors.     

Re-Thinking Illegality as a Violence Against, not by Mexican Immigrants, Children, and Youth

Sociohistorical theory was used to examine illegality as a form of state violence that bears upon the formation of undocumented Mexican immigrants. This article proposes a theory of dialectical violence that integrates societal with personal enactments of violence through case illustrations of Mexican youth. In a grassroots association defending immigrants' rights, youth develop within conflicting discourses about undocumented immigrants proposed by society, family, and community. Methods included ethnographic analysis of the association's documents, a workshop in which five participants authored a booklet with texts and illustrations about their lives in the city, and an interview with their mothers. Findings illustrate how Mexican youth enter a cycle of violence as a result of their undocumented status, socioeconomic class, language and ethnic-racial memberships.     

English language issues for jury service by New Zealanders from migrant and refugee backgrounds

This paper describes an exploratory study carried out to identify the issues for jury service for people with low levels of English language ability. Questions were emailed to English language teachers and providers of support services to New Zealanders from migrant and refugee backgrounds. The experiences reported by respondents related to issues of understanding the New Zealand legal system, responses to jury summons, excusal from jury service, jury selection, and courtroom and jury room language. In addition, the levels of English language ability appropriate for jury service and approaches to assessing this were identified as concerns. Suggestions are made for improvements to the process and framework for jury service.     

Migration and Employment Among the Civilian Spouses of Military Personnel*

Objectives. This article attempts to directly observe the effect of being a tied migrant on the economic status of the civilian husbands and wives of military personnel in order to confirm whether previously observed trailing‐wife effects are consistent with being a tied migrant. Methods. A sample of the civilian husbands of women in the military and the civilian wives of men in the military are drawn from the Public Use Microdata Sample of the 1990 U.S. Census. Ordinal logit models of labor‐market status and tobit models of hours worked are estimated, which include a migrant status variable. Results. Migration is associated with a 10 percent decline in employment among all civilian wives and a four‐hour decline in hours worked per week among civilian wives who remain employed. Migration is associated with a statistically insignificant but very similar 6 percent drop in employment among all civilian men and a five‐hour decline in hours worked per week among civilian men who remain employed. Conclusions. The results provide solid evidence that being a tied migrant, irrespective of gender, is disruptive to both labor‐market status and hours worked. Thus, the assumption that wives are harmed because of their disproportionate status as tied migrants is supported.     

SPECIAL ISSUE： MIGRANT WORKERS IN THE COURSE OF URBANIZATON Wages for migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta： determining factors

本文通过对珠江三角洲农民工问卷调查资料的回归分析,试图检验在市场转型下的企业制度和社会环境对农民工工资的影响。研究发现,人力资本中的教育年限、本企业工龄等变量对农民工工资有显著的正向影响,年龄和性别也有显著影响;企业制度中的工种对工资有显著影响,表现出明显的等级性。企业所属行业、规模和企业性质对工资没有显著影响,是否签订劳动合同和缺工情况同样如此。社会资本变量和社会环境变量对农民工工资水平没有显著影响。文章由此认为,农民工的工资是处于分割的二元劳动力市场一端,是高度市场化的,缺乏企业内部劳动力市场或晋升机制,也少受劳动力市场用工情况变化影响,没有地区性差异,是一个实实在在的、刚性的低工资。     

Migration and Sexuality: A Comparison of Mexicans in Sending and Receiving Communities

The reconstruction of sexuality after migration is a central dimension of immigrant health and an integral part of the process of adaptation and incorporation. Despite its significance there is little quantitative information measuring the changes in sexual behavior accompanying migration. This article contributes to the literature connecting immigrant adaptation and health risks by comparing sexual practices and attitudes among Mexicans in Durham, NC, and Mexican sending communities. Consistent with a social constructivist approach to sexuality we show that compared to nonmigrants, Mexicans residing in the United States exhibit heightened exposure to risk, including casual and, among men, commercial partners. The enhanced risks associated with migration vary systematically by gender and marital status and are accompanied by variation in attitudes toward sexuality, with the U.S. context associated with higher tolerance for infidelity and biological explanations of sexuality. We discuss the implications for immigrant adaptation and health policies in the United States and abroad.     

劳动剩余条件下的供给不足与工资上涨——基于家庭分工的视角

基于贝克尔家庭经济学和时间配置理论可以证明,劳动剩余条件下的劳动供给并不是无限的。受制于家庭分工的约束,供给曲线呈特殊的阶梯形态：随劳动供给的增加,农业劳动力的保留工资不断提高,且幅度不断扩大。劳动供给对工资的反应是非连续的：只有当工资上升到新的保留工资水平时,劳动供给才会增加;否则,工资上涨并不能带来供给增长。与这种特殊的供给形态相对应,工资上涨的主要动力从农业收入转向工业劳动需求。内蒙、甘肃两省1,500个农户的调查数据证明了上述判断。当劳动需求扩张时,由于工资的微调不能带动供给的微调,劳动力市场将长期难以出清。这提醒我们,当前农民工工资上涨与用工短缺并存现象很可能源于劳动剩余条件下的供给不足,并不必然意味着剩余劳动力枯竭,不能作为刘易斯拐点到来的证据。     

An empirical assessment of the wage premium for American veterans of World War II

This paper examines U.S. census data from 1960 to 1980 to assess the relative wages of WWII veteran and non-veteran men. Our analysis reveals that a significant portion wage gap between veterans and non-veterans (the “veteran wage premium”) is due primarily to differences in education, work experience and other socioeconomic characteristics. Our findings are consistent with the notion that greater human capital, due perhaps to the selection process for military service, or to the post-war benefits provided by the GI Bill, helped contribute to the remarkable post-war labor market success of American veterans. To a lesser extent, veterans may also have benefited from preferential labor market treatment, or from intangible aspects of military experience that enhanced their returns to earnings-related characteristics.     

Are there rewards for language skills? Evidence from the earnings of registered nurses

The existing empirical evidence on whether U.S. labor markets reward workers for second-language skills is meager and conflicting. Employing data from the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses in 2000 and 2004, this study reexamines the positive bilingual–earnings relationship found in the most current research on this topic. We test the relationship using alternative models that explain the wages earned by nurses. The advantage of this approach is that it permits an assessment of how sensitive the results are to changes in the variables used in the model. We find the evidence of a positive bilingual effect on earnings to be mixed. The relationship is sufficiently frail that statistically significant results eventually dissolve as more precise occupational characteristics are included in the wage equation. Moreover, using more current data, we find no evidence of a wage premium paid to nurses for second-language skills. We offer possible explanations for this lack of evidence within this specific occupation.     

Why Does Immigrant Trip Duration Vary Across U.S. Destinations?

Objective . This article explores the factors that lead to differences in immigrant trip duration across U.S. destinations. Methods . Using data from the Mexican Migration Project and the 1970, 1980, and 1990 U.S. Censuses, we estimate discrete-time hazard models of the probability of return for unauthorized male migrants. Results . We find three patterns of migration for undocumented migrants across U.S. destinations: semi-permanent and permanent migration to urban areas; temporary migration to agricultural areas; and sojourner, or cyclical, migration to border regions. These patterns depend on the characteristics of the immigrant population that moves to each destination, in addition to the opportunities available to migrants in each destination. However, all these factors are mediated by social and institutional conditions at the destination. Conclusions . The findings of this study reiterate the importance of economic opportunities as an important predictor of not only migration to, but also length of stay in, the United States. Dynamic regions not only attract more immigrants, but they also attract a more permanent population of migrants.     

Compensating wage differentials for fatal injury risk in Australia,Japan, and the United States

Our research infers the effects of institutionalized wage setting and lengthy worker-firm attachment by comparing estimated compensating wage differentials for fatal injury risk in Japanese, Australian, and U.S. manufacturing. Hedonic labor market equilibrium regressions for Japan reveal a statistically fragile compensating wage differential of 0% to 1.4% for exposure to the average fatality risk compared to employment in a perfectly safe workplace. Australian workers receive a statistically robust 2.5% estimated wage premium. Using new data on work-related fatalities, we find a 1% compensating wage differential in U.S. manufacturing that becomes more positive and statistically less significant as data are aggregated.     

农民工的就业与工资决定：教育与培训的重要性

在城市劳动力市场上,农村劳动力根据个人的人力资本积累状况和当地的劳动力市场条件,在成为自我经营者和工资收入者之间进行就业选择。简单的Mincer工资方程回归结果显示,工资收入者比自我经营者的教育回报率高出2个百分点左右。在矫正了样本选择偏差之后,拓展的Mincer工资方程对工资收入者的教育回报率估计结果在5.3%-6.8%之间。从培训角度看,简单培训、短期培训和正规培训对农民工再流动都有显著作用,但简单培训对农民工的工资收入作用不显著,而短期培训和正规培训则对其工资收入有着重要的决定作用。此外,工资拖欠等权益保护问题也对农村劳动力再流动有重要影响。在处理农民工的个人异质性和教育内生性问题时,本文还发现父母受教育年限不是一个理想工具变量。     

Patchwork of promises: A critical analysis of immigration policies for unaccompanied undocumented children in the United States

In 2014, the United States saw a greater than 50% increase in the number of unaccompanied children from Mexico and Central America arriving at the U.S./Mexico border, and unaccompanied children continue to migrate to the United States in consistent numbers. The dramatic increase of 2014 exposed gaps in policies aimed at supporting unaccompanied children as they await legal adjudication. This paper begins with a historic review of immigration policies in the United States aimed at supporting unaccompanied migrant children. An analytic review is provided of existing immigration policies in the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Refugee Resettlement, highlighting the competing paradigms created by missions of security‐focused policy versus child‐centred policy. A close examination of the values that influenced policy development in this area is included, along with a discussion of how social work practice can infuse elements of social justice into immigration policy reform. Areas for future research to reform immigration policy focused on supporting unaccompanied undocumented minors are highlighted.