Earnings Gap, Cohort Effect and Economic Assimilation of Immigrants from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan in the United States

28 Pages Posted: 23 Feb 2013

See all articles by Carl Lin

Carl Lin

Bucknell University; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Abstract

Using 1990, 2000 censuses and a 2010 survey, I examine the economic performance of ethnically Chinese immigrants from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan (CHT) in the U.S. labor market. Since 1990, relative wages of CHT migrants have been escalating in contrast to other immigrants. I show these widening gaps are largely explained by individual's endowments, mostly education. Rising U.S.-earned degrees by CHT migrants can account for this relatively successful economic assimilation. Cohort analysis shows that the economic performance of CHT migrants admitted to the U.S. has been improving, even allowing for the effect of aging.

Keywords: Chinese immigration, economic assimilation, Oaxaca decomposition, synthetic cohort analysis

JEL Classification: J31, J61, J24

Suggested Citation

Lin, Carl, Earnings Gap, Cohort Effect and Economic Assimilation of Immigrants from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan in the United States. IZA Discussion Paper No. 7208, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2223115 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2223115

Carl Lin (Contact Author)

Bucknell University ( email )

1 Dent Drive
Lewisburg, PA 17837
United States

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.iza.org/profile?key=6255

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