Gendered Inequalities and Deskilling among Turkish Immigrants in the United States

• In Event: International Migration Section Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): 26. Highly skilled migration and gender

Abstract

This paper examines gendered inequalities among Turkish immigrants in the United States, an understudied immigrant group in quantitative migration research. Using the 2015-2019 American Community Survey data (N = 3,876) obtained through IPUMS USA, it analyzes patterns of deskilling among highly educated Turkish women and addresses a gap in the literature on the gendered dimensions of the Turkish diaspora. Drawing on feminist migration theory, the study examines gender differences in English proficiency, educational attainment, labor force participation, class of work, and income. Chi-square tests and OLS regression model are employed to assess inequalities in labor market incorporation. The findings show that although Turkish women and men exhibit comparable levels of education, women are significantly less likely to participate in the labor force and earn substantially lower incomes. I interpret these patterns as evidence of gendered deskilling, suggesting that educational parity does not translate into equal economic returns within this immigrant population.

Author

• Sevval Yilmaz Aslan, Michigan State University