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Sex of first child: like migrant father, like son

Author

Listed:
  • Shan LI

    (School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

As males in Mexico have the authority in households and dominate migration flows to the US, this paper argues that having a son as the first child provides an early additional candidate for the anchor position in Mexico and for migration trips to the US, making households better off. Fathers with longer migration experiences have higher expectations for future migration trips and stronger incentives to manipulate the sex of their first child. The empirical analysis confirms that by presenting positive effects of fathers’ previous migration experiences on the probability of having a son as a firstborn child, though abortions are widely illegal in Mexico.

Suggested Citation

  • Shan LI, 2025. "Sex of first child: like migrant father, like son," JODE - Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 91(1), pages 49-81, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ctl:louvde:v:91:y:2025:i:1:p:49-81
    DOI: 10.1017/dem.2022.12
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Migration duration; Sex of firstborn; Subsitution effects;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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