Immigrant Integration: A Cross-National Study
June 2006
ISBN-13: 978-1-59332-153-6 / Hardcover
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 / vi, 260 pages
Immigration is rapidly transforming Western societies. Classic immigration countries, such as Australia, Canada and the United States, are again experiencing large-scale immigration. France, Germany, Great Britain and other European countries are becoming immigrant societies. In both old and new immigration countries, there is deep concern among policy makers and social scientists about the integration of the foreign-born population. Van Tubergen argues that comparing immigrant groups within and across countries provides keen insights into immigrant incorporation. Compiling a unique data set, van Tubergen analyzes immigrant's employment status, occupational status, self-employment, language proficiency and religion in 19 Western countries. Findings show that immigrant integration differs across receiving nations and across sending nations. Results also suggest that the ethnic community is important: some groups are particularly well incorporated in one country, but not in others. It is discussed how the role of immigrant's country of origin, the receiving nation, and the immigrant community can be understood with theories from sociology, economics, and demography.