The Interstate Migration of U.S. Immigrants: Individual and Contextual Determinants

Using data from the 1990 Public Use Microdata Sample, this article examines the sources of differentials between immigrants and natives in interstate migration in the 1985-90 period. Three sets of factors are evaluated to determine whether they account for differences between immigrants of different origins and natives: individual human capital, social capital of nativity groups, and economic conditions in state of residence. The analysis shows that while human capital factors are the most important sources of differences between immigrants and natives in internal migration patterns, contextual dimensions associated with the social capital of nativity groups and state economic conditions also strongly influence interstate migration of immigrants.