Transitions to Transitions to Adulthood in Immigrant Adulthood in Immigrant

America: America: Barriers and Barriers and

OpportunitiesOpportunitiesRubén G. Rumbaut

Pastora San Juan Cafferty Lecture on Race and Ethnicity in American Life

School of Social Service Administration, The University of ChicagoNovember 1, 2011

Figure 1. Age-Sex Pyramid for non-Hispanic Whites in the U.S.

Percent of Population

Figure 2. Age-Sex Pyramid for Hispanics in the U.S.

Percent of Population

Figure 3. Age-Sex Pyramid for Foreign-Born Hispanics in the U.S.

Percent of Population

Figure 4. Age-Sex Pyramid for U.S.-Born Hispanics

Percent of Population

Figure 5. Young Adults (ages 18 to 34) in the United Statesby Panethnic Groups and Parental Nativity

(Of the more than 70 million young adults in the U.S. today, nearly 30% are of foreign birth or parentage.)

National Origin % of group % college % less than N (000s) % (of US) N (000s) % (of US) that is undoc. graduate high school

Mode I: Low education, unauthorized

Mexican 11,535 30.8 6,570 57.0 56.9 5.8 60.0Salvadoran, Guatemalan 1,783 4.8 940 8.0 52.7 5.6 59.6

Mode II: High education, legal entry

Filipino 1,634 4.4 280 2.4 17.1 51.7 2.7Chinese, Taiwanese 1,933 5.2 190 1.6 9.8 54.8 15.8

Korean 1,021 2.7 250 2.2 24.4 57.8 2.9Indian 1,505 4.0 270 2.3 17.9 80.6 3.6

Mode III: Refugees, state-sponsored

Vietnamese 1,116 3.0 160 1.4 14.3 31.7 21.3Cuban 936 2.5 † † † 25.5 25.3

Total 37,548 100 11,550 100 30.8 26.7 32.0

Source: American Community Survey 2006; Office of Immigration Statistics (DHS 2007), for estimates of the undocumented population.

† The Cuban-born population was excluded from these estimates by DHS since, according to immigration law (under the U.S. govt's "wet foot/dry foot" policy applicable only to Cubans), few Cubans in the U.S. more than a year are at risk of being unauthorized.

Table 1. Unequal Origins: Modes of Incorporation (by Legal Status and Education) of the Largest Foreign-Born Nationalities in the United States

Education (ages 25-64)

Foreign-born population in the United StatesForeign-born total Undocumented proportion

Figure 6. Transitions to Adulthood in the United States:Young Adults 18 to 34

Figure 7. Transitions to Adulthood by Generational Cohorts: Young Adults 18 to 34

EthnicityGener-ation

Lives with parents

Full-timeschool

Full-timework

18-24 18-24 18-24 18-24 25-34 18-24 25-34% % % % % % %

Native Parentage:

Black 3rd+ 49.2 35.2 33.5 8.9 40.0 30.2 65.5 White 3rd+ 53.0 42.4 40.2 18.7 71.4 16.3 56.8

Foreign Parentage (Hispanics):

Mexican 1.0 12.4 4.7 57.4 59.2 81.7 47.0 77.11.5 43.8 23.1 46.9 35.9 73.9 35.7 75.22nd 57.1 32.5 40.8 25.4 67.9 28.7 65.8

Salvadoran/ 1.0 9.6 5.5 59.6 44.4 72.5 34.7 67.5 Guatemalan 1.5 46.5 23.8 52.2 42.4 62.4 39.0 60.5

2nd 64.1 43.4 33.5 13.8 48.3 15.2 51.8

Puerto Ricanb1.0 24.2 22.9 39.9 38.3 69.6 43.1 68.91.5 45.6 29.2 42.6 20.3 49.1 29.7 68.02nd 59.9 30.5 35.8 13.8 53.7 30.4 70.7

Dominican 1.0 31.6 23.3 43.4 31.2 71.2 30.0 74.71.5 57.4 43.3 33.9 8.1 54.5 18.9 64.22nd 66.9 48.4 25.7 7.6 54.8 13.9 52.7

Cuban 1.0 40.7 12.9 52.3 33.2 72.1 20.3 58.21.5 56.1 32.1 44.9 23.8 75.6 20.2 64.72nd 59.7 46.7 39.1 10.0 70.2 11.1 57.6

second generation = U.S.-born of foreign-born parents; third or higher (3rd+) generations = U.S.-born of U.S.-born parents.b

For Puerto Ricans, 1.0 and 1.5 = born on the island; 2nd = born on the mainland of island-born parents.

Ever married Has children

a The first generation (foreign born) is divided into two cohorts: 1.0 (13 or older at arrival) and 1.5 (12 or younger at arrival);

Table 2. Adult Transitions among Young Men and Women, by Ethnicity and Generation

Men and women, 18-24 only Women only, 18-24 vs. 25-34

EthnicityGener-ation

Lives with parents

Full-timeschool

Full-timework

18-24 18-24 18-24 18-24 25-34 18-24 25-34% % % % % % %

Native Parentage:

Black 3rd+ 49.2 35.2 33.5 8.9 40.0 30.2 65.5 White 3rd+ 53.0 42.4 40.2 18.7 71.4 16.3 56.8

Foreign Parentage (Asians):

Vietnamese 1.0 37.6 46.6 28.5 24.8 78.3 8.5 56.01.5 52.1 59.9 22.8 13.0 56.7 15.0 41.42nd 53.9 60.5 30.4 6.2 38.8 6.1 31.9

Filipino 1.0 47.5 28.1 37.0 31.9 76.1 22.9 53.41.5 55.5 55.7 36.6 8.9 56.6 9.9 45.62nd 65.6 55.0 29.5 9.6 55.7 15.3 44.8

Korean 1.0 33.5 60.9 15.2 14.3 75.5 <1% 47.01.5 58.9 57.9 29.1 6.7 56.6 4.4 36.52nd 58.0 61.4 21.0 10.2 39.3 4.3 26.0

Chinese 1.0 27.2 68.4 20.4 10.9 71.5 2.9 37.91.5 59.6 67.4 21.9 1.7 45.4 5.4 26.82nd 66.7 65.7 21.5 3.5 46.0 1.3 25.5

Indian 1.0 19.1 41.4 30.8 53.6 92.0 8.8 63.01.5 71.7 73.5 16.9 15.3 65.4 8.6 52.12nd 75.0 71.0 18.1 2.7 51.0 1.4 25.8

Table 2, continued

Men and women, 18-24 only Women only, 18-24 vs. 25-34

Ever married Has children

Source: Current Population Surveys, 2003-2008 (Annual Social and Economic Supplement).

EthnicityGener-ation

College

graduatebHigh School

dropoutCollege grads/ H.S. dropouts

Low-wage

laborcFamily below poverty line

% % ratio % %

Native Parentage:

Black 3rd+ 17.9 17.8 1.01 40.1 25.6 White 3rd+ 35.2 10.8 3.26 32.0 10.7

Foreign Parentage (Hispanics):

Mexican 1.0 4.2 61.4 0.07 79.2 27.5

1.5 7.4 41.8 0.18 54.6 19.8

2nd 14.8 23.6 0.63 37.0 15.4

Salvadoran/ 1.0 5.0 64.1 0.08 75.6 19.9 Guatemalan 1.5 11.2 37.8 0.30 47.0 13.8

2nd 32.0 19.8 1.62 29.1 9.9

Puerto Rican 1.0 14.9 23.9 0.63 45.4 30.9

1.5 11.2 28.0 0.40 33.2 23.0

2nd 13.1 23.6 0.56 32.2 21.6

Dominican 1.0 11.9 27.5 0.43 53.6 21.7

1.5 17.8 28.1 0.63 34.0 22.8

2nd 27.4 22.6 1.21 29.1 19.6

Cuban 1.0 16.5 17.2 0.96 44.7 16.9

1.5 22.3 14.3 1.56 18.5 11.42nd 47.6 10.6 4.48 17.8 10.9

c Employed in jobs with Duncan socioeconomic index (SEI) scores below 25.

Educational attainment

b College graduation rates are reported only for 25 to 34 year olds.

Table 3. Socioeconomic Inequality among Young Adults 18 to 34 in the U.S.

Economic status

EthnicityGener-ation

College

graduatebHigh School

dropoutCollege grads/ H.S. dropouts

Low-wage

laborcFamily below poverty line

% % ratio % %

Native Parentage:

Black 3rd+ 17.9 17.8 1.01 40.1 25.6 White 3rd+ 35.2 10.8 3.26 32.0 10.7

Foreign Parentage (Asians):

Vietnamese 1.0 27.1 18.4 1.47 58.6 11.6

1.5 47.8 8.8 5.45 29.0 10.3

2nd 51.7 8.6 6.04 24.4 15.0

Filipino 1.0 54.5 3.5 15.45 26.4 4.6

1.5 37.4 7.8 4.79 26.7 6.7

2nd 46.5 7.6 6.14 21.8 7.2

Korean 1.0 66.6 4.1 16.10 15.1 23.7

1.5 58.0 5.2 11.09 17.2 8.6

2nd 59.0 7.5 7.83 18.8 14.5

Chinese 1.0 65.6 8.4 7.85 22.2 20.8

1.5 64.2 9.5 6.74 21.7 11.8

2nd 79.1 7.6 10.37 14.1 7.3

Indian 1.0 88.4 2.0 44.03 7.2 8.2

1.5 70.3 7.1 9.94 18.9 7.82nd 86.2 7.0 12.33 4.2 8.9

Table 3, continued

Economic status

c Employed in jobs with Duncan socioeconomic index (SEI) scores below 25.

Educational attainment

b College graduation rates are reported only for 25 to 34 year olds.