THE ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN REFUGEES IN CALIFORNIA (IMMIGRATION).

摘要

The economic integration of Southeast Asian refugees in California was investigated using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 1990 Census of Population and Housing Public Use Microdata Sample, which is a 1% stratified random sample of California residents. Descriptive analyses were used to compare Southeast Asian refugees with U.S.-born residents (White American, African American, Asian American, Native American, and Hispanic American) with respect to socioeconomic characteristics. Multivariate analyses were used to identify the predictors of employment status, public assistance utilization, and household income among Southeast Asian refugees.; The results indicated that Southeast Asian refugees overall had worse economic status than any of the native-born ethnic groups. Large proportions of refugees were not employed, were receiving public assistance, and were living in poverty. Young adult refugees who arrived in the United States as children had better economic status than their parents, but still had worse economic status than their native-born peers of the same age.; Multivariate analyses correctly classified 75% of the cases with respect to employment status, 81% of the cases with respect to public assistance utilization, and explained 37% of the variance in household income. The most important predictors of Southeast Asian refugees' economic status were ethnicity, education, presence of children in the household, and citizenship. Hierarchical modeling indicated that demographic characteristics of the refugees accounted for most of the explained variance in economic status.; The results suggest several pathways for improvement of Southeast Asian refugees' economic status. Specific recommendations for resettlement policies, programs, and practices are discussed.