IMMIGRATION, NATURALIZATION, AND RESIDENTIAL ASSIMILATION AMONG ASIAN-AMERICANS IN 1980

We investigate the residential assimilation of Asian-origin groups in the U.S., paying particular attention to socioeconomic characteristics , immigrant status, and ethnicity. Our primary goal is to disentangle the competing influence of the last two variables. Data from a special tabulation of the 1980 U.S. census (PUMS-F) allow us to express resid ential outcomes measured in the aggregate as a function of individual characteristics. We restrict out sample to Asian-origin householders a nd use OLS for our analysis of both pooled and separate group estimate s of residential assimilations. Our results support the link between s ocial mobility and spatial mobility in that Asian-origin groups transl ate their socioeconomic achievements into residential assimilation. Co ntrary to some interpretations of standard assimilation models, we fin d that duration of residence in the United States does not have a part icularly strong influence on residential assimilation. The effect of i mmigrant status is overshadowed by that of ethnic group membership, a factor that points to the diversity of experiences and contexts of arr ival for Asian Americans.