Jamaican Immigrant Union Formation Patterns: a Test of Assimilation Theories
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JAMAICAN IMMIGRANT UNION FORMATION PATTERNS: A TEST OF ASSIMILATION THEORIES Natalee Alecia Marilyn Gooden A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of The requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2011 Committee: Kara Joyner, Advisor Susana Peña Graduate Faculty Representative Alfred DeMaris Gary Oates Laura Sanchez i ABSTRACT Kara Joyner, Advisor This study tested competing theories of assimilation by examining the patterns of union formation (i.e. marriage, cohabitation, single, ethnic / racial intermarriage and ethnic / racial inter-cohabitation) among non-Hispanic American whites, non-Hispanic African Americans and Jamaican women aged 18 – 44 years in the year 2000. The study also examined how union formation patterns differ across groups of Jamaican women (i.e. born and living in Jamaica, 1st generation Jamaican immigrants, 1.5 generation Jamaicans, 2nd generation, and beyond). It is important to study West Indian union formation patterns since the West Indian immigration rate has been increasing. The black West Indian population in the U.S. grew by about 67% between 1990 and 2000. The growth rate of the black West Indian population is greater than that of other established groups such as the Cubans and Koreans (Logan & Deane, 2003). This study focused specifically on Jamaicans since the bulk of the West Indian migrants is from Jamaica (Peach, 1995). Moreover, they represent both the diversity of modes of incorporation in the U.S. and the range of occupational backgrounds and immigrant status among contemporary immigrants (from professionals and entrepreneurs to laborers, refugees and unauthorized migrants). I used the Reproductive Health Survey 2002 for the analysis of the Jamaican women in Jamaica and the Census 2000 (5% PUMS) for the analysis of non-Hispanic white American and non-Hispanic African women. I also used the National Survey of Family Growth 2002 (NSFG 2002) to assess data quality and for purposes of comparison. I found that Jamaican women’s union formation patterns followed the segmented assimilation model where marriage rates tended to decline across generation and cohabitation rates tended to increase across generation that resembled more the union formation patterns of non-Hispanic African American women. Also, I found that out partnership increased across generation where Jamaican women had much greater odds of out partnering with a non-Hispanic African American partner compared to partnering with a non-Hispanic white American partner. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank Dr. Kara Joyner for guiding this project. I would also like to thank my dissertation committee members: Gary Oates and Laura Sanchez for their detailed and useful comments on this dissertation. I would like to thank my other committee members: Alfred DeMaris and Susana Peña for their valuable comments during the oral defenses. I would also like to thank Jean Gerard for sitting in as the graduate faculty representative during the oral proposal defense. I would like to thank the Integrated Public Use Microdata Sample -USA database Census team. I am grateful to have had access to the 5% Census 2000 dataset and I thank the Census team for teaching me how to use and analyze the 5% Census 2000 dataset. I would also like to thank The Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, University of the West Indies, Mona branch in allowing me to use the Jamaican Reproductive Health Survey 2002 for the analysis of the women in Jamaica. This research was also supported in part by the Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, which has core funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Finally, I would like to thank my Aunt, Hilary Gooden for helping me with the editing of this dissertation, my mother and sister Sylvia and Rachel Gooden, husband Keith Burkard, friend Sarah Burgoyne for moral support. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………… 1 Assimilation and the Jamaican Diaspora………………………………..………… 2 Union Formation………………………………………………..………… 4 Inter-racial / Inter-ethnic Union Formation …………………...…………... 7 Descriptive Results…………………………………………..….……..…... 9 An Overview of the Samples………………………..……...……… 9 Research Goals………………………………………… …………………. 11 Study Contribution………………………………….……………………… 18 CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW....……………………………………………… . 21 Marriage…………………………………………………………………… 21 Cohabitation……………………………………………………………….. 34 Inter racial / Inter ethnic Union Formation………………………………… 39 CHAPTER III. DATA AND METHODS ............................................................................. 47 CHAPTER IV. MARRIAGE ................................................................................................ 61 Introduction………………………………………………………………… 61 Descriptive Results……………………………………………………….… 62 Data Analysis……………………………………………………………….. 63 Multivariate Results……………………………………………………….... 64 Conclusion………………………………………………………………… 68 CHAPTER V. COHABITATION ........................................................................................ 69 Introduction…………………………………………………………………. 69 Descriptive Results………………………………………………………… 71 Data Analysis……………………………………………………………….. 72 Multivariate Results…………………………………………………………... 73 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………. 79 iv CHAPTER VI. INTER-RACIAL / INTER-ETHNIC UNION FORMATION.................... 81 Introduction………………………………………………………………… 81 Descriptive Results………………………………………………………….. 85 Data Analysis……………………………………………………………….. 85 Multivariate Results………………………………………………………… 86 Conclusion………………………………………………………………….. 89 CHAPTER VII. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ......................................................... 90 APPENDIX …………. ...……………….. ............................................................................ 98 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………… 135 1 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which ethnic / racial group differences (i.e. non-Hispanic American whites, non-Hispanic African Americans and the Jamaican ethnic group of women aged 18 – 44) affect union-status outcomes and race of partner outcomes. The union-status outcomes are: marriage, cohabitation and single. Race of partner outcome is only assessed for the Jamaican women and looks on the race and ethnicity of their male partners (whether married or cohabiting). By looking at the type of union and inter-racial / inter-ethnic marriages and cohabitation, I will better map out the assimilation process of Jamaicans living in the U.S. Also, the study of inter-ethnic unions is a good measure of assimilation since it reveals that intimate relations between ethnic groups are to some degree sociably acceptable (Pagnini & Morgan, 1990; Qian et al, 2005). Union-formation is created as a social means in order to provide functions that society deems important (Espenshade, 1985). The formation of unions is important since it is associated with such positive outcomes as child-protection and the reduction of depression, and it is thought to be economically advantageous. Child protection is evident since the procreation and socialization of children is generally done within unions (Espenshade, 1985). Symptoms of depression are reduced through shared recreational activities of members within the family (Espenshade, 1985). Marriage is the main form of union-formation and it serves society's main function of encouraging childbearing and rearing (Espenshade, 1985). Marriage unions are also economically advantageous as their earning capacity is far greater than that of non-marital unions. According to Green & Welniak (1982), the median income for whites between 1970 and 1980 increased by 0.8% would have increased to 3.3% if marriage had not declined. The picture is even more dramatic for African Americans; real income would have increased by 11.3% instead of declining by 4.9% over the same period. 2 Thus, the decline of marriage unions has also widened the earning gap between African Americans and white Americans. There is a general consensus that marriages have positive outcomes on children and child care as they provide a model of how to be successful in society (Sassler et al, 2009). Children who are raised in two-parent biological families have higher self-esteem, academic success and lower levels of teenage pregnancies than children who are raised in single- and cohabiting-parent families (Teachman, 2002; Sassler et al, 2009). It is also important to study cohabitation since it is on the rise and has taken on some of the roles of marriage. Since its growth would be inversely proportional to the decline in marriage, it naturally coincides with the decline in marriage. The numbers of unmarried couples have tripled over the period 1970 to 1982 (Espenshade, 1985). Cohabitation has also been discussed as being a prelude to marriage and its growth has been thought to cause the decline in marriage - especially for young people (Espenshade, 1985). The following sections below will give a summary on how assimilation is normally measured and how this study measures assimilation of the Jamaican Diaspora. Assimilation and the Jamaican Diaspora Classic assimilation theory states that as duration of stay and residence in the host country increases, immigrant groups tend to mimic and exhibit characteristics similar to those of the natives of the host country (Hirschman, 1983). On the other hand, segmented assimilation theory states