The Moderating Role of Elements of Assimilation in First- and Second-Generation Asian Americans’ Socioeconomic Attainment

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Abstract

Contemporary assimilation theory continues to focus on immigrant groups reaching socioeconomic parity with whites as an indication that immigrants are integrating into the U.S. mainstream. In the case of Asian Americans, assimilation scholars contend that socioeconomic parity has been reached or is close to being reached. However, this claim coupled with the model minority image of Asian Americans as educated, hard-working, and well-adjusted to the U.S. mainstream discounts several negative elements of assimilation that prevent Asian Americans from reaching parity with whites on several important, non-socioeconomic measures. The current study attempts to rectify this by specifying a model that assesses the effects of perceived discrimination, ethnic relations, political participation, language acquisition, and identity formation on first- and second-generation Asian American’s socioeconomic attainment. Using data from the Kinder Houston Area Survey, I test the effects of racialized measures of assimilation using an OLS multiple regression model. Results indicate that these measures, specifically ethnic relations, partly play a role in second generation Asian Americans’ socioeconomic attainment, as perceiving ethnic relations as positive was associated with significant and substantial income gains for the sample. These findings highlight differential paths to assimilation in an immigrant population that is overwhelmingly thought to assimilate upwardly.

Author

• Dylan Simburger, University of Houston