INCORPORATING ORIGIN AND PROCESS IN MIGRATION-FERTILITY FRAMEWORKS - THE CASE OF PUERTO-RICAN WOMEN

Using life history data from both origin and destination areas, we exa mine the relationship between migration and fertility among Puerto Ric an women. Our analysis extends previous research by including origin d ata; by measuring precisely the timing of migration, fertility and tim e-varying covariates; and by including single women in the analysis. R esults reveal that single US-born nonmigrants have significantly highe r rates of transition to first birth than nonmigrants in Puerto Rico, while married and cohabiting US-born nonmigrants have significantly lo wer rates. Selection effects for both single and married/cohabiting wo men indicate that migration to the US is an integral part of the famil y formation process. Our results highlight the need for a broadening o f the traditional migration-fertility framework to encompass a wider r ange of family formation processes, including nonmarital fertility and union formation.