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The Wealth of Mexican Americans

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Author Info
Deborah A. Cobb-Clark
Vincent A. Hildebrand

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Abstract

This paper analyzes the sources of disparities in the relative wealth position of Mexican Americans. Results reveal that—unlike the racial wealth gap— Mexican Americans’ wealth disadvantage is in large part not the result of differences in wealth distributions conditional on the underlying determinants of wealth. Rather, Mexican Americans’ wealth disadvantage is attributable to the fact that these families have more young children and heads who are younger. Mexican Americans’ low educational attainment also has a direct effect in producing a wealth gap relative to other ethnic groups even after differences in income are taken into account. Income differentials are important, but do not play the primary role in explaining the gap in median net worth. Finally, geographic concentration is generally unimportant, but does contribute to narrowing the wealth gap between wealthy Mexican Americans and their white and black counterparts.

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File URL: http://jhr.uwpress.org/cgi/reprint/XLI/4/841
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Publisher Info
Article provided by University of Wisconsin Press in its journal Journal of Human Resources.

Volume (Year): 41 (2006)
Issue (Month): 4 ()
Pages:
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Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:41:y:2006:i:4:p841-868

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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  13. Stephen V. Cameron & James J. Heckman, 2001. "The Dynamics of Educational Attainment for Black, Hispanic, and White Males," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 109(3), pages 455-499, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  21. Long, James E & Caudill, Steven B, 1992. "Racial Differences in Homeownership and Housing Wealth, 1970-1986," Economic Inquiry, Oxford University Press, vol. 30(1), pages 83-100, January.
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  24. Christopher D. Carroll & Byung-Kun Rhee & Changyong Rhee, 1998. "Does Cultural Origin Affect Saving Behavior? Evidence from Immigrants," NBER Working Papers 6568, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  25. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes & Susan Pozo, 2002. "Precautionary Saving by Young Immigrants and Young Natives," Southern Economic Journal, Southern Economic Association, vol. 69(1), pages 48-71, July.
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Mathias Sinning, 2007. "Wealth and Asset Holdings of Immigrants in Germany," Ruhr Economic Papers 0030, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen. [Downloadable!]
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  2. Eva M. Sierminska & Joachim R. Frick & Markus M. Grabka, 2008. "Examining the Gender Wealth Gap in Germany," SOEPpapers 115, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). [Downloadable!]
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  3. Cobb-Clark, Deborah & Hildebrand, Vincent A., 2008. "The Asset Portfolios of Native-Born and Foreign-Born Households," IZA Discussion Papers 3304, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Eren,Ozkan & Henderson,J. Daniel, 2006. "The Impact of Homework on Student Achievement," Departmental Working Papers 0518, Southern Methodist University, Department of Economics, revised 12 May 2006. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Thomas K. Bauer & Deborah A. Cobb-Clark & Vincent Hildebrand & Mathias Sinning, 2007. "A Comparative Analysis of the Nativity Wealth Gap," IZA Discussion Papers 2772, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  6. Deborah A. Cobb-Clark & Vincent A. Hildebrand, 2006. "The Portfolio Choices of Hispanic Couples," IZA Discussion Papers 1948, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Robert W. Fairlie & Christopher Woodruff, 2008. "Mexican-American Entrepreneurship," CEPR Discussion Papers 575, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. [Downloadable!]
  8. John Gibson & Trinh Le & Steven Stillman, 2007. "What Explains the Wealth Gap between Immigrants and the New Zealand Born?," Working Papers in Economics 07/02, University of Waikato, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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  9. Baron, Juan & Cobb-Clark, Deborah, 2008. "Occupational Segregation and the Gender Wage Gap in Private- and Public-Sector Employment: A Distributional Analysis," IZA Discussion Papers 3562, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  10. Francine D. Blau & Lawrence M. Kahn, 2005. "Gender and Assimilation Among Mexican Americans," NBER Working Papers 11512, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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