Je. Glick et al., IMMIGRATION AND CHANGING PATTERNS OF EXTENDED FAMILY HOUSEHOLD STRUCTURE IN THE UNITED-STATES - 1970-1990, Journal of marriage and the family, 59(1), 1997, pp. 177-191
The long-term downward trend in the percentage of extended family hous
eholds in the U.S. came to a halt during the 1980s, a change that coin
cided with a growing gap between immigrants and natives in the percent
ages of households adopting extended family structures. Using 1970, 19
80, and 1990 census data, this research assesses the degree to which c
hanges in the volume and composition of immigration have contributed b
oth to the increase in the proportion of the U.S. population residing
in extended family households and to the widening gap between immigran
ts and natives. Our results demonstrate that immigration explains only
a little of the total increase in extended living arrangements in the
total population, but that the increasing differential between immigr
ants and natives during the 1980s resulted from increases in horizonta
lly extended households among immigrants. Mexican, Guatemalan, and Sal
vadoran immigrants accounted for most of this increase, primarily beca
use of increases in the proportion of young, single adults living with
relatives and increases in poverty rates among immigrants from these
countries.