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Ethnic Identity and Work

Author

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  • Constant, Amelie F.

    (Temple University)

Abstract

Immigrants do not fare as well as natives in economic terms; even after including many controls, an unexplained part remains. The ethnic identity entered the field of labor and migration economics in an effort to better explain the economic outcomes of immigrants, their behavior and their often perceived as irrational and suboptimal choices. Quantifying ethnic identity is a major issue; even more challenging is to measure its impact on economic outcomes such as the probability to work or the earnings of immigrants. The thin but burgeoning theoretical and empirical literature shows that ethnic identity has a significant impact on the economic behavior of immigrants.

Suggested Citation

  • Constant, Amelie F., 2014. "Ethnic Identity and Work," IZA Discussion Papers 8571, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8571
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Amelie F. Constant & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2009. "Work and money: payoffs by ethnic identity and gender," Research in Labor Economics, in: Ethnicity and Labor Market Outcomes, pages 3-30, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    2. Alberto Bisin & Eleonora Patacchini & Thierry Verdier & Yves Zenou, 2011. "Ethnic identity and labour market outcomes of immigrants in Europe [Assessing the oppositional culture explanation for racial/ethnic differences in school performance]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 26(65), pages 57-92.
    3. Roland Bénabou & Jean Tirole, 2011. "Identity, Morals, and Taboos: Beliefs as Assets," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 126(2), pages 805-855.
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    5. Laura Zimmermann & Klaus F. Zimmermann & Amelie Constant, 2006. "Ethnic Self-Identification of First-Generation Immigrants," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 657, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    6. George A. Akerlof & Rachel E. Kranton, 2000. "Economics and Identity," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 115(3), pages 715-753.
    7. Gil Epstein & Odelia Heizler, 2014. "Ethnosizing Immigrants: A Theoretical Framework," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1441, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    8. Zimmermann, Laura & Gataullina, Liliya & Constant, Amelie & Zimmermann, Klaus F., 2008. "Human capital and ethnic self-identification of immigrants," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 98(3), pages 235-239, March.
    9. Amelie F. Constant & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2008. "Measuring Ethnic Identity and its Impact on Economic Behavior," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 6(2-3), pages 424-433, 04-05.
    10. Darity, William Jr. & Mason, Patrick L. & Stewart, James B., 2006. "The economics of identity: The origin and persistence of racial identity norms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 60(3), pages 283-305, July.
    11. Harminder Battu & Yves Zenou, 2010. "Oppositional Identities and Employment for Ethnic Minorities: Evidence from England," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 120(542), pages 52-71, February.
    12. Nekby, Lena & Rödin, Magnus, 2007. "Acculturation Identity and Labor Market Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 2826, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Amelie F. Constant & Martin Kahanec & Ulf Rinne & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2011. "Ethnicity, job search and labor market reintegration of the unemployed," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(7), pages 753-776, October.
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    17. Manning, Alan & Roy, Sanchari, 2007. "Culture clash or culture club? The identity and attitudes of immigrants in Britain," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 19729, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    18. Patrick Mason & Andrew Matella, 2014. "Stigmatization and racial selection after September 11, 2001: self-identity among Arab and Islamic Americans," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-21, December.
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    20. Kuran, Timur, 1998. "Ethnic Norms and Their Transformation through Reputational Cascades," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 27(2), pages 623-659, June.
    21. Mason, Patrick L., 2004. "Annual income, hourly wages, and identity Among Mexican Americans and other Latinos," MPRA Paper 11326, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    22. Russo, Giovanni & Hooft, Edwin van, 2011. "Identities, conflicting behavioural norms and the importance of job attributes," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 103-119, February.
    23. Amelie F. Constant & Klaus F. Zimmermann (ed.), 2013. "International Handbook on the Economics of Migration," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 4026.
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    Cited by:

    1. Myia S. Williams & Cong Liu, 2023. "Who Am I and Where Do I Belong? The Impact of Heritage Cultural Identity Salience on Immigrant Workers Acculturation Strategies," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 793-815, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    marginalization; integration; labor markets; labor force participation; informal networks; immigration; identity; human capital; ethnicity; ethnic identity; employment; discrimination; assimilation; national identity; oppositional identity; separation; wages; work;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

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

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