Does Ethnic Capital Matter? An Analysis of Intergenerational Transmission of Education Among Hispanic Americans

• In Event: 4412 - Section on Latino/a Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 03. Latina/o/xs and Education

Abstract

Intergenerational transmission of education from parents to children is an important indicator of societal inclusiveness and educational inequality. This topic has been investigated extensively. However, research on the heterogeneity of intergenerational education transmission remains scarce. The present study uses restricted-access data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) to investigate whether intergenerational education transmission varies by ethnic capital for Hispanic Americans. Based on immigration generation, Hispanic Americans are grouped into 3+ generation Hispanic Americans (i.e. children of native-born Hispanic parents) and 2nd-generation Hispanic Americans (i.e. children of foreign-born Hispanic parents). Men and women are analyzed separately. Results indicate that an increase in the Hispanic population in counties where Hispanic youths reside decreases father-son transmission of schooling for 3+ generation Hispanics. An increase in the college-educated population in counties where Hispanic youths reside decreases father-son and mother-son transmission of schooling for 2nd generation Hispanics. In other words, intergenerational educational mobility is higher if 3+ generation Hispanic men reside in areas with a larger Hispanic population, and if 2nd generation Hispanic men resided in areas with a larger college-educated population, during their adolescent years. Ethnic capital does not seem to affect intergenerational educational mobility of Hispanic women, non-Hispanic white men, or non-Hispanic white women. Theoretical and empirical implications of the findings are discussed.

Author

• Sharron Wang, Texas A&M University