The socioeconomic attainments of second-generation Nigerian and other African Americans: Evidence from the Current Population Survey, 2009-2018

Using recent data from the Current Population Survey, we investigate education and wages among second-generation African Americans with a focus on Nigerian Americans. The results indicate that the educational attainment of second-generation Nigerian Americans exceeds other second-generation African Americans, third-and-higher generation African Americans, third-and-higher generation whites, and second-generation whites. The educational attainment of second-generation Nigerian American women furthermore exceeds second-generation Asian American women. After controlling for age, education and disability, the wages of second-generation Nigerian American women have reached parity with third-and-higher generation white women whereas third-and-higher generation African American women have about 11 percent lower wages. After controlling for age, education and disability in the case of men, the wages of second-generation Nigerian American men have reached parity with third-and-higher generation white men whereas third-and-higher generation African American men have about 21 percent lower wages while other second-generation African American men have about 12 percent lower wages than third-and-higher generation white men. Contrary to the usual pattern of socioeconomic disadvantage for African Americans, these results indicate that second-generation Nigerian Americans have exceeded whites in educational attainment and have reached parity with equally-educated whites in terms of wage determination among employed workers. Nonetheless, we view our results as being only suggestive and call for more research on the socioeconomic outcomes of second-generation African Americans who have been relatively neglected in immigration studies.