SOVIET JEWS IN THE UNITED-STATES - AN ANALYSIS OF THEIR LINGUISTIC AND ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT

This article reviews the literature and analyzes 1980 Census data to s tudy English language fluency and earnings among Soviet Jews. The lite rature review reveals: 1) the importance of employment and attaining p remigration occupational status for self-esteem; 2) the difficulty of adjusting to the wide range of choices in the United States; 3) the gr eater difficulty and economic importance of learning English; and 4) t he rapid linguistic and economic mobility. The multivariate analysis s upports the latter two points. Soviet Jews have a difficult initial ad justment, but after five years in the United States they achieve parit y in English fluency and earnings with other European immigrants, cete ris paribus.