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Why Immigrant Background Matters for University Participation: A Comparison of Switzerland and Canada

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  • Hou, Feng
  • Picot, Garnett

Abstract

This paper extends our understanding of the difference in university participation between students with and without immigrant backgrounds by contrasting outcomes in Switzerland and Canada, and by the use of new longitudinal data that are comparable between the countries. The research includes family socio-demographic characteristics, family aspirations regarding university education, and the student’s secondary school performance as explanatory variables of university attendance patterns. In Switzerland, compared to students with Swiss-born parents, those with immigrant backgrounds are disadvantaged regarding university participation, primarily due to poor academic performance in secondary school. In comparison, students with immigrant backgrounds in Canada display a significant advantage regarding university attendance, even among some who performed poorly in secondary school. The included explanatory variables can only partly account for this advantage, but family aspirations regarding university attendance play a significant role, while traditional variables such as parental educational attainment are less important. In both countries source region background is important. Possible reasons for the cross-country differences are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Hou, Feng & Picot, Garnett, 2013. "Why Immigrant Background Matters for University Participation: A Comparison of Switzerland and Canada," CLSSRN working papers clsrn_admin-2013-50, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 22 Nov 2013.
    • Handle: RePEc:ubc:clssrn:clsrn_admin-2013-50
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    File URL: http://www.clsrn.econ.ubc.ca/workingpapers/CLSRN%20Working%20Paper%20no.%20128%20-%20Picott%20and%20Hou.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Card, 2005. "Is the New Immigration Really so Bad?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 115(507), pages 300-323, November.
    2. Philipp Bauer & Regina Riphahn, 2007. "Heterogeneity in the intergenerational transmission of educational attainment: evidence from Switzerland on natives and second-generation immigrants," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 20(1), pages 121-148, February.
    3. Kelly Foley & Giovanni Gallipoli & David A. Green, 2014. "Ability, Parental Valuation of Education, and the High School Dropout Decision," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 49(4), pages 906-944.
    4. Kathrin Bertschy & M. Alejandra Cattaneo & Stefan C. Wolter, 2009. "PISA and the Transition into the Labour Market," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 23(s1), pages 111-137, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bongers Anelí & Díaz-Roldán Carmen & Torres José L., 2022. "Highly Skilled International Migration, STEM Workers, and Innovation," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 16(1), pages 73-89, January.
    2. Stephen Childs & Ross Finnie & Richard E. Mueller, 2017. "Why Do So Many Children of Immigrants Attend University? Evidence for Canada," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 1-28, February.
    3. Yuri Ostrovsky & Garnett Picot & Danny Leung, 2019. "The financing of immigrant-owned firms in Canada," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 303-317, January.
    4. K. Bruce Newbold & W. Mark Brown, 2015. "The Urban–Rural Gap In University Attendance: Determinants Of University Participation Among Canadian Youth," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 585-608, September.
    5. Stacey Wilson-Forsberg & Oliver Masakure & Edward Shizha & Ginette Lafrenière & Magnus Mfoafo-M’Carthy, 2020. "Great Expectations: Perspectives of Young West African Immigrant Men Transitioning to the Canadian Labour Market Without Postsecondary Education," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1309-1328, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    immigration; second generation; higher education; university participation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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