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Earnings Gap, Cohort Effect and Economic Assimilation of Immigrants from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in the United States

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  • Carl Lin

Abstract

Using 1990, 2000 censuses and a 2010 survey, I examine the economic performance of ethnically Chinese immigrants from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan (CHT) in the U.S. labor market. Since 1990, relative wages of CHT migrants have been escalating in contrast to other immigrants. I show these widening gaps are largely explained by individual's endowments, mostly education. Rising U.S.-earned degrees by CHT migrants can account for this relatively successful economic assimilation. Cohort analysis shows that the economic performance of CHT migrants admitted to the U.S. has been improving, even allowing for the effect of aging.
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  • Carl Lin, 2013. "Earnings Gap, Cohort Effect and Economic Assimilation of Immigrants from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in the United States," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(2), pages 249-265, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:reviec:v:21:y:2013:i:2:p:249-265
    DOI: 10.1111/roie.2013.21.issue-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Harriet Duleep & Xingfei Liu & Mark Regets, 2022. "How the earnings growth of US immigrants was underestimated," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(2), pages 381-407, April.
    2. Duleep, Harriet & Dowhan, Dan & Liu, Xingfei, 2023. "A Historical Note on the Assimilation Rates of Foreign-Born Women in the U.S," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1221, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    3. Fang, Tony & Hsu, Mei & Lin, Carl, 2024. "Migrants from a Different Shore: Earnings and Economic Assimilation of Immigrants from China in the United States," IZA Discussion Papers 17251, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Duleep, Harriet & Liu, Xingfei & Regets, Mark, 2018. "Country of Origin, Earnings Convergence, and Human Capital Investment: A New Method for the Analysis of U.S. Immigrant Economic Assimilation," GLO Discussion Paper Series 247, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Duleep, Harriet & Jaeger, David A. & McHenry, Peter, 2021. "On Immigration and Native Entrepreneurship," GLO Discussion Paper Series 846, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    6. Duleep, Harriet & Liu, Xingfei & Regets, Mark, 2014. "Country of Origin and Immigrant Earnings, 1960-2000: A Human Capital Investment Perspective," IZA Discussion Papers 8628, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Duleep, Harriet & Liu, Xingfei & Regets, Mark, 2021. "How the Earnings Growth of U.S. Immigrants Was Underestimated," GLO Discussion Paper Series 820, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    8. Miao Chi & Michael Coon, 2020. "Variations in Naturalization Premiums by Country of Origin," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 46(1), pages 102-125, January.
    9. Carl Lin & Tony Fang & Mei Hsu, 2024. "Migrants from a Different Shore: Earnings and Economic Assimilation of Immigrants from China in the United States," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 305-349, September.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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