UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT 2.0 AND 2.5 GENERATION COHORTS IN THE UNITED STATES: WHO FARES BETTER?

Abstract

Intermarriage with a native is often viewed as the final step of assimilation for immigrants. Would their children (“2.5 generation”) be more assimilated than children of intra-marriages between immigrants (“2.0 generation”)? Using US Census 1970-2000 data, I adopt an instrumental variable approach to mitigate the endogeneity of intermarriage and examine the relationship between parental exogamy and the child’s outcomes across education, labour and marriage. Compared to the 2.0 generation, I find the 2.5 generation aged 7-18 years less likely to repeat a grade in 1970 and 1980 but more likely to in 1990 and 2000. They were also less likely to be not schooling at 18 years. Examining older respondents aged 25-64 years in 1970, I find outperformance of the 2.5 generation. They were less likely to be a high school dropout, more likely to attend college, fared better in employment and wages and more likely to marry a native.