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E Pluribus Unum: Bilingualism and Language Loss in the Second Generation

Author

Listed:
  • Alejandro Portes

    (The Jerome Levy Economics Institute)

  • Lingxin Hao

    (The Jerome Levy Economics Institute)

Abstract

We examine patterns of language adaption in a sample of over 5,000 second generation students in South Florida and Southern California. Knowledge of English is near universal and preference for that language is dominant among most immigrant nationalities. On the other hand, only a minority remain fluent in the parental languages and there are wide variations among immigrant groups in the extent of their parental linguistic retention. These variations are important for theory and policy because they affect the speed of acculturation and the extent to which sizable pools of fluent bilinguals will be created by today's second generation. We employ multivariate and multi-level analyses to identify the principal factors accounting for variation in foreign language maintenance and bilingualism. While a number of variables emerge as significant predictors, they do not account for differences across immigrant nationalities which become even more sharply delineated. A clear disjunture exists between children of Asian and Hispanic backgrounds whose parental language maintenance and bilingual fluency vary significantly. Reasons for this divergence are explored and their policy implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Alejandro Portes & Lingxin Hao, 1998. "E Pluribus Unum: Bilingualism and Language Loss in the Second Generation," Macroeconomics 9805006, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpma:9805006
    Note: Type of Document - Acrobat PDF; prepared on IBM PC; to print on PostScript; pages: 48; figures: included
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    File URL: https://econwpa.ub.uni-muenchen.de/econ-wp/mac/papers/9805/9805006.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Abramitzky, Ran & Boustan, Leah & Catron, Peter & Connor, Dylan & Voigt, Rob, 2021. "Refugees without Assistance: English-Language Attainment and Economic Outcomes in the Early Twentieth Century," SocArXiv 429jp, Center for Open Science.
    2. Han, Wen-Jui, 2010. "Bilingualism and socioemotional well-being," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 720-731, May.
    3. Hoyt Bleakley & Aimee Chin, 2008. "What Holds Back the Second Generation?: The Intergenerational Transmission of Language Human Capital Among Immigrants," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(2), pages 267-298.
    4. Aristide R. Zolberg, 2004. "The Democratic Management of Cultural Differences: Building inclusive societies in Western Europe and North America," Human Development Occasional Papers (1992-2007) HDOCPA-2004-17, Human Development Report Office (HDRO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    5. Christian Dustmann, 2008. "Return Migration, Investment in Children, and Intergenerational Mobility: Comparing Sons of Foreign- and Native-Born Fathers," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(2), pages 299-324.
    6. Han, Wen-Jui & Lee, RaeHyuck & Waldfogel, Jane, 2012. "School readiness among children of immigrants in the US: Evidence from a large national birth cohort study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 771-782.
    7. Guofang Li & Zhuo Sun & Fubiao Zhen & Xuejun Ryan Ji & Lee Gunderson, 2022. "Home Literacy Environment and Chinese-Canadian First Graders’ Bilingual Vocabulary Profiles: A Mixed Methods Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-14, November.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics

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