Ethnic Penalties and Premia at the End of Lower Secondary Education

Author(s):  
Anthony Heath ◽  
Catherine Rothon

This chapter investigates the grades and test scores of second-generation minorities at the end of compulsory schooling (around age fifteen). We document the differences in overall achievement both between minorities and between countries, showing that Chinese and some other Asian groups out-perform the majority group while Turkish, North African, Caribbean, Sub-Saharan African groups and many European minorities all perform less well. Whilst the disadvantage of many European minorities can largely be explained by their disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, socioeconomic background does not explain the disadvantages experienced by minorities with Turkish and North African backgrounds, meaning that these groups experience significant ‘ethnic penalties’ even after controlling for their parent's socioeconomic circumstances. Conversely, the Chinese experience substantial ‘ethnic premia’. We then investigate explanations for these ethnic premia and penalties, concluding by considering the extent to which different countries offer more or less favourable environments for the educational success of the children of immigrants.

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-118
Author(s):  
Yaël Brinbaum

This article analyses the labour market incorporation of migrants and second-generation minorities in France. Using the 2013–2017 French Labour Surveys and the 2014 adhoc module, we focus on labour market outcomes—activity, employment, occupation and subjective overqualification—and measure the gaps between ethnic minorities and the majority group by origins, generation and by gender. In order to elucidate the mechanisms behind these gaps and explain ethnic disadvantages for immigrants, we take into account different factors, such as education, and factors linked to migration—duration of stay in France, language skills, foreign qualifications, nationality—with additional controls for family, socioeconomic and contextual characteristics. We also investigate the returns to higher education among second-generation minority members compared to the majority population. We show large differences by country of origins, generation and gender. Across generations, most minority members have made clear progress in terms of access to employment and skilled jobs, but ethnic penalties remain for the descendants of North-Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Turkey. In contrast, Asian second-generation men and women encounter slight advantages in attaining highly-skilled positions. Controlling for tertiary degrees even increases the gap with majority members mostly in access to highly-skills jobs.


Author(s):  
Amy C. Lutz

This chapter examines the success of the second generation in completing tertiary education in Belgium, Canada, England and Wales, France, the Netherlands and the USA (the only countries for which appropriate data were available). The ethnic inequalities found in higher education largely reflect patterns seen earlier in the educational career but there is at the same time clear evidence of progress relative to majority populations. Thus, if we compare the second-generation groups and countries which are covered in both Chapter 3 and Chapter 7, we find that there are thirteen significant ethnic penalties (that is, negative estimates after controls for socioeconomic background) in Chapter 3 (out of a total of twenty-seven that we estimated), but only three in Chapter 7. This is an important and novel finding, suggesting that higher education may give valuable ‘second chances’ to disadvantaged ethnic minorities. This pattern applies in all six countries.


1994 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 640-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Portes ◽  
Richard Schauffler

The language adaptation of second generation children is explored in the context of the history of linguistic absorption and bilingualism in America. Strong nativist pressures toward monolingualism have commonly led to the extinction of immigrant languages in two or three generations. Contemporary fears of loss of English dominance are based on rapid immigration during recent decades and the emergence of linguistic enclaves in several cities around the country. This article explores the extent of language transition and the resilience of immigrant languages on the basis of data from south Florida, one of the areas most heavily affected by contemporary immigration. Results from a sample of 2,843 children of immigrants in the area indicate that: 1) knowledge of English is near universal; 2) preference for English is almost as high, even among children educated in immigrant-sponsored bilingual schools; 3) preservation of parental languages varies inversely with length of U.S. residence and residential locations away from areas of ethnic concentration. Hypotheses about other determinants of bilingualism are examined in a multivariate framework. The relationships of bilingualism to educational attainment and educational and occupational aspirations are also explored.


1997 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 849-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan te Nijenhuis ◽  
Henk van der Flier ◽  
Liesbeth van Leeuwen

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 3630-3635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Kmiec ◽  
Yohan Nguyen ◽  
Christine Rouger ◽  
Jean Luc Berger ◽  
Dorothée Lambert ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elina Kilpi-Jakonen

Citizenship acquisition is often viewed as an indicator of immigrant integration as well as an event that spurs integration further. Relatively little is know about the relationship between citizenship and integration for children of immigrants. This article examines the relationship between citizenship and educational attainment at approximately age 16 in Finland using register data. Results suggest that children of immigrants who are Finnish citizens have better educational outcomes than non-citizens, measured with three indicators of educational attainment. However, the Finnish citizens come from families with higher levels of educational and economic resources than non-citizens and this explains much of the relationship between citizenship and education. After controlling for intervening variables, second generation students with Finnish citizenship are found to be more likely to choose general rather than vocational upper secondary education compared to their peers who have another citizenship. It is argued that this reflects a difference in educational attitudes between the two groups.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1089-1107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Alfieri ◽  
Daniela Marzana ◽  
Sara Martinez Damia

The following study aims at inquiring into the motivations behind young migrants’ volunteerism in civic organizations in Italy, namely in starting and maintaining their engagement (preliminary vs. maintenance phase). The term “young migrants” refers to first and second generation of migrants who deal with two challenges: the transition to adulthood and the acquisition of a cultural identity. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 37 Sub-Saharan young migrants living in Italy (18-32 years old), 19 of first generation (1G) and 18 of second generation (2G). The Omoto and Snyder’s Volunteer Process Model (VPM, 1995) was used as an underpinning theoretical framework and a guide for the interpretations of the results. The findings indicate that a) motivations included in the VPM are also found for young migrants, b) some of these motivations take particular meaning for young migrants, c) some motivations are not included in the VPM and are specific of this sample. We named these last motivations: social norms, advocacy and ethno-cultural. In addition, some considerations may be advanced regarding the generation and the phase of motivation: 1G migrants are particularly moved by the importance of integration in the Italian context and by the promotion of their ethnic group while 2G migrants reported mostly the desire to understand their roots. The values, the concern for the community and the longing to develop relationships are the motivations for which all young migrants continue to volunteer; however, 1G migrants are also sustained by advocacy and ethno-cultural motivations. Implications and future directions are discussed.


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