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Do Birds of a Feather Flock Together? Immigration Flows and Cultural Clustering in Host Countries

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Abstract

This paper presents a simple theoretical framework in which immigrants have a relative incentive to cluster in host countries where cultural characteristics and imperfect information sustain the segmentation of the labor market and a higher wage in foreign communities. The hypothesis is tested on a panel of immigration flows to OECD countries. The pull effect of cultural communities is supported and it is found that the minimum size of a given cultural community is around 5% of the foreign population. It is also found that the pull effect weakens as the community grows as predicted by the theoretical framework.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominique Gross & Nicolas Schmitt, 2000. "Do Birds of a Feather Flock Together? Immigration Flows and Cultural Clustering in Host Countries," Discussion Papers dp00-06, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University, revised Feb 2000.
    • Handle: RePEc:sfu:sfudps:dp00-06
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John F. Helliwell, 1996. "Convergence and Migration among Provinces," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 29(s1), pages 324-330, April.
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    3. Klaus F. Zimmermann, 1996. "European Migration: Push and Pull," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 19(1-2), pages 95-128, April.
    4. George J. Borjas & Richard B. Freeman, 1992. "Immigration and the Work Force: Economic Consequences for the United States and Source Areas," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number borj92-1.
    5. George J. Borjas, 1992. "National Origin and the Skills of Immigrants in the Postwar Period," NBER Chapters, in: Immigration and the Work Force: Economic Consequences for the United States and Source Areas, pages 17-48, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Rotte, Ralph & Vogler, Michael, 1998. "Determinants of International Migration: Empirical Evidence for Migration from Developing Countries to Germany," CEPR Discussion Papers 1920, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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    Cited by:

    1. Berg, Nathan, 2008. "Imitation in location choice," MPRA Paper 26592, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    International migrations; relative incomes; cultural clustering;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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