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Life Satisfaction of Immigrants: Does Cultural Assimilation Matter?

Author

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  • Viola Angelini
  • Laura Casi
  • Luca Corazzini

Abstract

We empirically assess the relationship between cultural assimilation and subjective well-being of immigrants by using the German Socio-Economic Panel, a longitudinal dataset including information on both the economic and non-economic conditions of the respondents. We find that the more immigrants identify with the German culture and fluently speak the national language, the more they report to be satisfied with their lives. This result is robust to several potential confounding factors, including a large number of individual variables (demographic, educational, social, economic and health), labour market outcomes and the external social conditions of the immigrant.

Suggested Citation

  • Viola Angelini & Laura Casi & Luca Corazzini, 2014. "Life Satisfaction of Immigrants: Does Cultural Assimilation Matter?," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 654, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp654
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    assimilation; identity; life-satisfaction; immigration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration

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