The effect of immigration on poverty in the southwestern United States, 1980-1990

Objective. The effects of the change in immigrant populations on the number of persons in poverty from 1980 to 1990 has received substantial attention . Methods. The effects of immigration are compared to the effects of other determinants of poverty for the total population and for three ethnic minor ity groups in 58 areas in the southwestern United States. Results. The resu lts show significant direct and indirect effects of immigration on poverty in the total population but not in the minority subpopulations, and smaller relative direct effects for immigration than for other determinants of pov erty. Conclusions. The fact that the largest effects of immigration are ind irect through other socioeconomic factors, coupled with the lack of effects in the ethnic subgroups, suggest (paralleling findings by Bean et al. (199 7) for social-service usage) that the effects of immigration on poverty are likely to result from change in the countries of origins of the immigrant pool rather than from increases in the number of poor immigrants from tradi tional countries of origin.