CULTURE, RACE, AND THE ECONOMIC ASSIMILATION OF IMMIGRANTS

The economic assimilation of European-origin immigrants is fairly rapi d but selectively culture contingent; the economic assimilation of rac ial minority immigrants is less rapid and less culture contingent Regr ession analysis of survey data examines occupational status and earnin gs effects of eight ethnic attachments among men and women in seven et hnic and racial minorities in mainstream and enclave employment in Tor onto (N = 1792), controlling for foreign and domestically acquired hum an capital Assimilationist pressures that the survey showed to be wide ly perceived may apply more to Europeans than to racial minorities. Ec onomic assimilation is affected when 'foreignness'' is most pronounced : very selectively for European immigrants and universally for racial minorities treated as ''foreign,'' presumably based on skin color rega rdless of specific culture, identity, behaviors, or network affiliatio ns.