RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 What Holds Back the Second Generation?
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 267
OP 298
DO 10.3368/jhr.43.2.267
VO 43
IS 2
A1 Hoyt Bleakley
A1 Aimee Chin
YR 2008
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/43/2/267.abstract
AB In 2000 Census microdata, various outcomes of second-generation immigrants are related to their parents’ age at arrival in the United States, and in particular whether that age fell within the “critical period” of language acquisition. We interpret this as an effect of the parents’ English-language skills and construct an instrumental variable for parental English proficiency. Estimates of the effect of parents’ English-speaking proficiency using two-stage least squares yield significant, positive results for children’s English-speaking proficiency and preschool attendance, and significant, negative results for dropping out of high school and being below age-appropriate grade.