Internal Migration of New Immigrant Groups to New Destinations

Douglas T. Gurak, Cornell University
Mary M Kritz, Cornell University
Min-Ah Lee, Cornell University

Our paper examines the individual and aggregate determinants of out-migration from 740 commuting areas to Gateway and non-Gateway destinations from 1995 to 2000. We draw on restricted access data from the 2000 Census (16% sample) to analyze how 24 national origin groups differ in their out-migration patterns. We focus on the largest origin groups from Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean. In addition to finding significant differences across foreign-born origin groups in migration rates, concentration levels, and settlement preferences, our analysis indicates that context differences across immigrant’s origin areas in foreign-born composition and growth, as well as in economic trends – wage rates, unemployment levels, and employment in health and education industries, and housing and housing costs have significant effects on out-migration.