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Ethnicity and the Intergenerational Transmission of Welfare Dependency

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  • George J. Borjas
  • Glenn T. Sueyoshi

Abstract

There exist sizeable differences in the incidence and duration of welfare spells across ethnic groups, and these differences tend to persist across generations. Using the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth, we find that children raised in welfare households are themselves more likely to become welfare recipients for longer durations. We also show that growing up in an ethnic environment characterized by welfare dependency has a significant effect on both the incidence and duration of welfare spells. About 80 percent of the difference in welfare participation rates between two ethnic groups in the parental generation is transmitted to the children.

Suggested Citation

  • George J. Borjas & Glenn T. Sueyoshi, 1997. "Ethnicity and the Intergenerational Transmission of Welfare Dependency," NBER Working Papers 6175, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:6175
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    Cited by:

    1. George J. Borjas, 2000. "Immigration and the Food Stamp Program," JCPR Working Papers 121, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    2. Barón, Juan D. & Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Erkal, Nisvan, 2008. "Cultural Transmission of Work-Welfare Attitudes and the Intergenerational Correlation in Welfare Receipt," IZA Discussion Papers 3904, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Jolliffe, Dean, 2006. "The Income Gradient and Distribution-Sensitive Measures of Overweight in the U.S," 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia 25677, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Anna Christina D'Addio, 2007. "Intergenerational Transmission of Disadvantage: Mobility or Immobility Across Generations?," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 52, OECD Publishing.
    5. Juan D. Barón & Deborah A. Cobb‐Clark & Nisvan Erkal, 2015. "Welfare receipt and the intergenerational transmission of work‐welfare norms," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 82(1), pages 208-234, July.
    6. Devillanova, Carlo, 2008. "Social networks, information and health care utilization: Evidence from undocumented immigrants in Milan," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 265-286, March.
    7. Oscar A. Mitnik, 2007. "Intergenerational transmission of welfare dependency: The effects of length of exposure," Working Papers 0715, University of Miami, Department of Economics.
    8. Robert Paul Hartley & Carlos Lamarche & James P. Ziliak, 2022. "Welfare Reform and the Intergenerational Transmission of Dependence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 130(3), pages 523-565.
    9. Shirit Katav-Herz, 2001. "Social Conformity and Child Labor," Working Papers 2001-14, Bar-Ilan University, Department of Economics.
    10. Giorgio Valente, 2003. "Monetary policy rules and regime shifts," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(7), pages 525-535.
    11. Shirit Katav Herz & Gil S. Epstein, 2022. "Social norms and child labor," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 627-638, May.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty

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