IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eme/ijmpps/v30y2009i1-2p70-82.html

Naturalization proclivities, ethnicity and integration

Author

Listed:
  • Klaus F. Zimmermann
  • Amelie F. Constant
  • Liliya Gataullina

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the determinants of naturalization of non‐EU immigrant household heads with a fresh look at the role of integration and ethnicity. Design/methodology/approach - Employing data on immigrant household heads from the German Socioeconomic Panel differentiation is made among those who already have been naturalized, those who plan to take citizenship, and those who do not have citizenship and do not want it, using multinomial probit models. The subject scope includes literature on naturalization, ethnicity, and integration. Findings - A robust finding is that German citizenship is very valuable to female immigrant household heads and the generally better educated, but not to those educated in Germany. The degree of integration into German society has a differential effect on citizenship acquisition. While a longer residence in Germany has a negative influence on actual or future naturalization, arriving at a younger age and having close German friends are strong indicators of a positive proclivity to citizenship acquisition. Likewise, ethnic origins and religion also influence these decisions. Muslim immigrants in Germany are more willing to become German citizens than non‐Muslim immigrants, but there are also fewer German citizens among Muslims than among non‐Muslims. Research limitations/implications - Future research should also investigate the second‐generation naturalization proclivities and those of illegals. Practical implications - Allowing for dual citizenship helps generate more naturalizations among Muslims. Originality/value - The paper provides a test of the relative importance of the integration approach in comparison with the ethnicity model; demonstrating that integration in German society has a stronger effect on naturalization than ethnic origin and religion.

Suggested Citation

  • Klaus F. Zimmermann & Amelie F. Constant & Liliya Gataullina, 2009. "Naturalization proclivities, ethnicity and integration," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 30(1/2), pages 70-82, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ijmpps:v:30:y:2009:i:1/2:p:70-82
    DOI: 10.1108/01437720910948401
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/01437720910948401/full/html?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/01437720910948401/full/pdf?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1108/01437720910948401?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or

    for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Don J. DeVoretz, 2013. "The economics of immigrant citizenship ascension," Chapters, in: Amelie F. Constant & Klaus F. Zimmermann (ed.), International Handbook on the Economics of Migration, chapter 25, pages 470-488, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Eva Dziadula, 2020. "Marriage and Citizenship Among U.S. Immigrants: Who Marries Whom and Who Becomes a Citizen?," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 46(1), pages 34-52, January.
    3. Denis Fougère, 2011. "Social and Labor Market Integration of Ethnic Minorities in France: Has the French Integration Model Broken Down?," Chapters, in: Martin Kahanec & Klaus F. Zimmermann (ed.), Ethnic Diversity in European Labor Markets, chapter 5, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Denis Fougère & Mirna Safi, 2009. "Naturalization and employment of immigrants in France (1968‐1999)," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 30(1/2), pages 83-96, March.
    5. Dutta, Nabamita & Kar, Saibal & Roy, Sanjukta, 2014. "Education and Self-Employment: South Asian Immigrants in the US Labor Market," IZA Discussion Papers 8152, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Amelie F. Constant & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2013. "Immigrants, ethnic identities and the nation-state," Chapters, in: Amelie F. Constant & Klaus F. Zimmermann (ed.), International Handbook on the Economics of Migration, chapter 14, pages 259-275, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Balsimelli Ghelli, Bianca & Gallo, Giovanni, 2025. "The impact of citizenship on intermarriage: evidence from Italy," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1669, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    8. Adriana Rocío Cardozo Silva & Christopher Prömel, 2025. "Feeling Equal before the Law? The Impact of Access to Citizenship and Legal Status on Perceived Discrimination," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1223, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    9. Jan Brenner, 2009. "Life-Cycle Variations in the Association between Current and Lifetime Earnings – Evidence for German Natives and Guest Workers," Ruhr Economic Papers 0095, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    10. Constant, Amelie F. & Nottmeyer, Olga & Zimmermann, Klaus F., 2009. "Cultural Integration in Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 4675, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Gathmann, Christina & Garbers, Julio, 2023. "Citizenship and integration," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    12. Amelie F. Constant & Annabelle Krause & Ulf Rinne & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2011. "Economic preferences and attitudes of the unemployed," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(7), pages 825-851, October.
    13. Michael A. Hansen & Jonathan Olsen, 2023. "Identity and Belonging: Emotional Assimilation in Two Immigrant Communities in Germany," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1795-1815, December.
    14. Davide Azzolini & Raffaele Guetto, 2017. "The impact of citizenship on intermarriage: Quasi-experimental evidence from two European Union Eastern enlargements," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(43), pages 1299-1336.
    15. Fougère, Denis & Safi, Mirna, 2008. "The Effects of Naturalization on Immigrants’ Employment Probability (France, 1968–1999)," IZA Discussion Papers 3372, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Amelie F. Constant & Annabelle Krause & Ulf Rinne & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2017. "Reservation wages of first- and second-generation migrants," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(13), pages 945-949, July.
    17. Brenner, Jan, 2010. "Life-cycle variations in the association between current and lifetime earnings: Evidence for German natives and guest workers," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 392-406, April.
    18. Bağçe, Sinem & Yılmaz, Ensar & Kılıç, İbrahim Engin, 2021. "Ethnic identity and economic welfare," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 45(3).
    19. Amelie F. Constant & Annabelle Krause & Ulf Rinne & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2010. "Economic Preferences and Attitudes of the Unemployed: Are Natives and Second Generation Migrants Alike?," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1088, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    20. Christina Gathmann & Nicolas Keller, 2014. "Returns to Citizenship? Evidence from Germany's Recent Immigration Reforms," CESifo Working Paper Series 4738, CESifo.
    21. Amelie F. Constant & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2011. "Migration, Ethnicity and Economic Integration," Chapters, in: Miroslav N. Jovanović (ed.), International Handbook on the Economics of Integration, Volume III, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eme:ijmpps:v:30:y:2009:i:1/2:p:70-82. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Emerald Support (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.