PATTERNS OF ECONOMIC ATTAINMENT OF FOREIGN-BORN MALE WORKERS IN THE UNITED-STATES

This article is concerned with the economic attainment patterns of for eign-born male workers in the United States in 1980. The economic atta inment patterns of males born in 92 countries of the world are examine d and are compared among themselves, as well as among the seven princi pal U.S.-born groups of Anglos, Afro-American, Mexican Americans, Puer to Ricans, Cuban Americans, Asian Americans, and American Indians. For all foreign-born groups, the article examines the degree to which suc h individual-level factors as educational attainment, labor market exp erience, and so forth account for their variation in economic attainme nt. We conclude that although microlevel characteristics are not the c omplete answer, they are important for most foreign-born populations i n explaining their variation in earnings.