Race and immigrant stratification in the United States

The socioeconomic status of immigrants has been a topic of intense debate which has transcended the academic arena into the political sphere of the United States, resulting in changing immigration laws which reflect the current thought as to the impact of immigration on the socioeconomic fabric of the country. There is very scanty information on the situation of black immigrants in the United States. Understanding the assimilation of these migrants should enable comprehension of their impact on the country. This study investigates the earnings determination process of the black immigrants to the United States, in an attempt to explain differential earnings between these migrants and their native born counterparts. Data from the 1980 U.S. Census of Population is employed in a multiple regression format to analyze the observed earnings differentials. The model combines human capital and segmented labor market frameworks. The findings are that black immigrants do not assimilate too well in the United States; earnings differences between the black immigrants and other groups are mostly a result of discrimination, generally on the basis of race, not immigrant status. Between the various black immigrant groups, discrimination is seen as being on the basis of nativity. Thirty-six percent of the earnings difference between native whites and immigrant blacks is found to be a result of racial discrimination.