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Intergenerational Transmission of Culture Among Second-and-Higher Generation Immigrants: the Case of Age at First Birth and Nonmarital Childbirth

Author

Listed:
  • Hamid Noghanibehambari

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Nahid Tavassoli

    (University of Wisconsin Milwaukee)

  • Farzaneh Noghani

    (University of Houston-Clear Lake)

Abstract

This paper uses immigration to investigate the intergenerational transmission of culture. The culture is proxied by nonmarital fertility and age at the first birth in the immigrant’s home country. Using the Current Population Survey, Censuses, and American Community Survey data covering the years 1970–2020, we find that average outcomes in the home country can explain a statistically significant portion of immigrants’ behavior. Furthermore, we rule out the influence of confounders by including a rich set of demographic and socioeconomic familial controls, other important home country characteristics, as well as state-by-year fixed effects. We find that a one-percentage-point increase in nonmarital fertility rate in the mother’s country of birth is associated with an 8.7 basis-point increase in the likelihood of nonmarital birth among second-generation women. Similarly, a one-year increase in age at first birth in the mother’s birthplace is associated with 0.37 years increase in age at first birth among second generations. The results show that there are cultural factors associated with nonmarital fertility and age at the first birth that can be transmitted from one generation to the next.

Suggested Citation

  • Hamid Noghanibehambari & Nahid Tavassoli & Farzaneh Noghani, 2023. "Intergenerational Transmission of Culture Among Second-and-Higher Generation Immigrants: the Case of Age at First Birth and Nonmarital Childbirth," Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joerap:v:6:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s41996-022-00103-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s41996-022-00103-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Keuntae Kim, 2014. "Intergenerational Transmission of Age at First Birth in the United States: Evidence from Multiple Surveys," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(5), pages 649-671, October.
    2. Paola Giuliano & Nathan Nunn, 2021. "Understanding Cultural Persistence and Change [Cultural Assimilation During the Age of Mass Migration]," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 88(4), pages 1541-1581.
    3. Rachel M. Shattuck, 2019. "Preferences Against Nonmarital Fertility Predict Steps to Prevent Nonmarital Pregnancy," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 38(4), pages 565-591, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Culture; Immigration; Nonmarital fertility; Family economics; Age at first birth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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