Search

Segmented assimilation in its current U.S.-centric incarnation is more valuable as a sensitizing concept that suggests where analysts should look rather than as a transportable causal theory of intergenerational change. One of the assumptions behind assimilation theory is that there is a policy and normative consensus that immigrants should integrate into the population. Many states want labor migrants and refugees to be temporary, even if the reality is long-term residence. Their policy goal is that immigrants should not assimilate and there should not even be a second generation. Specifying temporal and spatial scope conditions and extending the notion of segmentation beyond ethnoracial groups to include social segments in societies of origin and destination are practical ways to push this concept toward a more broadly applicable theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The “Segmented Assimilation” theory first proposed by Alejandro Portes and Min Zhou in 1992 was highly influential in reviving and reshaping the discussion of migrant integration and in refocusing attention onto the second generation in both the US and Europe. While noteworthy for its clarity and logical precision the theory was largely speculative since at that time the children of immigrants were mostly still children. Three decades later, we can appreciate both the theory’s prescience and limitations. Most of the attention paid to Segmented Assimilation focused on one of the predicted outcomes, that of “downward assimilation”. This turned out to be less common than early observers feared. Fears of the emergence of an “oppositional culture” among parts of the second generation also appear to have been overblown. And, as with other discussions of integration of the 1990s, the theory underestimated the importance of legal status in shaping migrant outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the experiences of second-generation Algerian immigrants living in Marseille, based on 60 in-depth interviews that focus in particular on several domains suggested by the theories of integration such as sense of belonging, cultural identification, and social interactions. The study reveals the respondents' complex relationship to the principles and values that shape the French integration model, and a predominance of bicultural/hybrid identity among them, comprising French and Algerian cultural elements to different degrees. The descendants of immigrants integrate most of the cultural elements of the country in which they live and grew up, those of the country of origin of their parents, and for many, those of the group of immigrants to which their parents and the people in their neighborhood belong. Finally, this article highlights the existence of a segmented integration according to cultural attachment and the intensity of religious beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has shown that, in the U.S., individuals from mixed majority-minority families generally occupy positions in between whites and minorities but 'lean' white in the sense that they behave in ways more similar in key respects to white Americans than to minority ones; those who are partly black are an exception. Using the data from the 2002 Ethnic Diversity Survey, we examine here whether the same pattern appears in Canada. We employ multiple indicators of integration – including self-classification as white rather than a visible minority, the perception of encountering discrimination, the choice of a marital partner, and household income – and find that, overall, Canadians from mixed majority-minority backgrounds are also in-between but lean white in some respects. The degree of this lean depends on the minority origin involved and tends to be strongest when the minority parent has an Arab background and weakest when that parent is black; individuals of white and Asian ancestry are intermediate. However, the distance of white–black Canadians from the others is not as extreme as is the case for white–black individuals in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El propósito de este trabajo es explicar los procesos actuales de los niños inmigrantes marroquíes nacidos en España, o que llegaron durante el primer período de socialización (hasta los 10 años). Adoptaremos una óptica transnacional para describir el modo en el que estos jóvenes siguen el Islam en un país diferente al país de origen de sus padres. Al mismo tiempo, realizaremos una comparación y contraste entre estos jóvenes y otros procedentes de América Latina para ver las diferencias y semejanzas más significativas. Basándonos en una encuesta cuantitativa anterior, este estudio se ha llevado a cabo mediante un trabajo etnográfico que analiza su comportamiento religioso como musulmanes en Madrid. Dos de las conclusiones más importantes son: los jóvenes que llegaron a una edad muy temprana o que han nacido en España intentan establecer una posición reconciliada para los musulmanes, con los valores españoles. Por otra parte, este grupo dentro del ámbito religioso desempeña una doble función: en primer lugar, dentro de la comunidad islámica y en segundo lugar, en toda la sociedad.Publicación en línea: 11 diciembre 2017

As an increasing number of highly educated second-generation immigrants are entering the labour market, their occupational trajectories are of growing interest. This article examines processes of mainstream inclusion and ethnic niche formation among second-generation individuals in three high-status professions in Norway: medicine, law and business and finance. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 62 descendants of labour migrants from Pakistan, Turkey, Morocco and India, the article identifies processes of ethnic niche formation both within mainstream firms and in the form of ethnic entrepreneurship. These processes do not simply reflect blocked opportunities to access the mainstream or strategic capitalization on ethnic resources but appear largely as unintended consequences of the ethnic competence of the second generation. Theoretically, the article contributes to the literature by offering a framework for studying the prevalence and mechanisms of ethnic niche formation at the top of the labour market hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What produces and sustains inequality in socioeconomic position and integration across immigrant groups? Luthra, Soehl and Waldinger engage with this core sociological question in their book "Origins and Destinations". They argue that nominal approaches, which compare and contrast whole national origin groups, are insufficient. Rather, they implement a variable approach. They use data on second generation immigrants living in New York and Los Angeles in the late 1990s to explore empirically what it is about immigrant groups that confers advantages and disadvantages to their offspring in the United States. Rather than comparing whole groups, they use measured data about each group's characteristics and circumstances to help explain group differences. I describe their innovative approach and provide suggestions for how future research might build on it, such as by accounting for more variation in the context of reception, or by extending the temporal dimensions of inquiry across three or more generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many right-leaning politicians claim that normative Islamic perspectives on gender are at odds with the Western values and act as barriers to immigrant integration. Our interviews with 256 second-generation Somali-Canadians, however, suggest that gender-egalitarian identities are achieved – they are constructed and deployed by our participants to practice integration and express belonging in Canada. In this study, we move beyond analysis of attaining gender-egalitarian roles as a result of immigration and propose an understanding of gender as a form of Bourdieusian cultural capital that, depending on social values, functions as symbolic capital rendering individuals and groups as advantaged or disadvantaged. We, therefore, analyse modalities of "doing" gender as potential strategies of accumulating capital in furthering successful integration. Our study contributes to the emergent literature in migration studies that examines gender in relation to ethnic and national identities, and the extent to which it may impact integration experiences of second-generation Muslim immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing discomfort with ethnic diversity in many countries is paralleled by the emergence of middle classes consisting of second-generation immigrants who articulate their minority identities. This calls for an enhanced understanding of the experiences and identifications of social climbers with minority backgrounds. In this article, I explore the relevance of the idea of a "minority culture of mobility" (MCM) as a lens to look at these processes of integration, using the case of Dutch student organizations with ethnic-minority signatures. Based on parallels with the literature, I conclude that the MCM is a useful framework, also for contexts outside the United States. At the same time, observed variations between ethnic groups and changes over time within the Dutch context lay down a research agenda in order to further refine the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main focus of the article is whether immigrants’ descendants have the same occupational mismatch as immigrants, or whether their experiences reflect those of the population with Swedish-born parents. Register data for the entire population of Sweden for the year 2007 is used for a multivariate analysis. All employed individuals aged between 25 and 64 have been selected. The main results show that the descendant generation has lower levels of mismatch compared to the immigrant generation: the male descendant population shows higher odds of being over-educated, whereas the female descendant population does not significantly differ in this from Swedish-born individuals with two Swedish-born parents.

Immigrants in many Western countries have experienced poor economic outcomes. This has led to a lack of integration of child immigrants (the 1.5 generation) and the second generation in some countries. However, in Canada, child immigrants and the second generation have on average integrated very well economically. We examine the importance of Canada’s admission classes to determine if there is an earnings benefit of the selection under the economic classes to (1) the Adult Arrival immigrants and (2) the Child Arrival immigrants (1.5 generation) once old enough to enter the labour market. We employ unique administrative data on landing records matched with subsequent income tax records that also allows for the linking of the records of Adult Arrival parents and their Child Arrival children. We find, relative to the Family Class, the Adult Arrivals in the Skilled Worker category have earnings that are 29% higher for men and 38% higher for women. These differences persist even after controlling for detailed personal characteristics such as education and language fluency at 21% for men and 27% for women. Child Arrival immigrants landing in the Skilled Worker Class have earnings advantages (as adults) over their Family Class counterparts of 17% for men and 21% for women. These Child Arrival Skilled Worker advantages remain at 9% for men and 14% for women after controlling for child characteristics, the Principal Applicant parent’s characteristics, and the parent’s subsequent income in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article underscores the importance of adding a question on parental birthplace to the American Community Survey (ACS). This question was removed from the long form of the U.S. Census after 1970 and replaced by a question on ancestry. While the former provides accurate information about a demographic fact that is critical to the identification of the children of immigrants, the latter refers to a subjective social construction that has limited utility for purposes of program administration, apportionment, or governance. At the time that the parental birthplace question was eliminated, the percentage of ACS respondents who were foreign-born had reached an all-time low, and the second generation was aging and shrinking, so the loss to the nation's statistical system was not immediately apparent. With the revival of immigration in the final quarter of the twentieth century, the inability to identify and study the second generation has become glaringly apparent. Immigrants and their children now constitute a quarter of the U.S. population: their non-white racial origins and a widespread lack of legal documents among them render their prospects for integration uncertain. Our current inability to accurately measure progress between first- and second-generation immigrants now constitutes a major weakness in the U.S. statistical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European-born children of immigrants, often referred to as the second generation, play an important role in the academic debate about integration and assimilation. The successful second generation, defined in terms of possessing a higher education diploma and or professional position, receives increasing attention. In this special issue, we will look at the most successful group: the upcoming “elite” among the descendants of migrants from Turkey, based on data gathered in the ELITES, Pathways to Success project. In this research project we deliberately selected on the dependent variable: being professionally successful in managerial jobs in the corporate business sector, the corporate law sector and the education sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the relationship between structural, cultural, social and identificational integration dimensions among second generation Russians in Estonia on the basis of TIES data. The relationship between structural integration and other dimensions is established through cluster analysis, which involves the analysis of the diff erence between means across clusters. In addition, a bivariate correlation analysis is used to determine the relationship between cultural, social, and identificational dimensions. The results raise questions regarding the pertinence of linear assimilation theory in the Estonian case. While the cluster analysis reveals a positive relationship between structural and cultural integration, higher levels of social and identificational integration are not correlated with higher levels of structural and cultural integration. Second generation Russians retain a strong ethnic identity and socialise primarily with other Russians. A bivariate correlation analysis reveals that there is a relationship between cultural, social and identity-related dimensions. Feelings of belonging to Estonia and distance from both Russia and Russians in Russia are stronger among those with good Estonian language proficiency. Respondents with strong Estonian language skills also tend to be more socially integrated and to have more Estonian friends.

Background: Ethnically mixed partnerships are often regarded as the ultimate evidence of the integration of migrants and their descendants into their host society. A common finding in the literature is an increase in the occurrence of mixed partnerships across migrant generations. Objective: This study investigates the formation of minority-majority partnerships in Estonia, with special attention to the variation associated with the migrants' generation and their exposure to the majority population. Methods: The study uses pooled data from the Estonian Family and Fertility Survey (FFS) and the Estonian Generations and Gender Survey (GGS), and estimates proportional hazards models. Results: The experience of second-generation migrants indicates a stalling trend in the incidence of mixed partnerships between the majority population and migrant groups, which is rooted in contextual features. Apart from residential proximity, the study shows the salience of early acquisition of the host society language. Our results for the majority population highlight the role of international migration, which exposes host populations to mixed partnership formation. Conclusions: The results lend support to the view that the integration of migrant populations through mixed partnering is a lengthy process that stretches across several generations. A linguistically divided school system and residential segregation contribute to the pillarization of society. Contribution: By focussing on an Eastern European context, the study contributes to a more comprehensive account of mixed unions in different socioeconomic and cultural settings. Estonia provides an interesting case as its migrant-origin minorities span several generations. The study underscores the importance of contextual factors for both the minority and majority populations.

This article takes a look at integration processes of second generation Russian youth in Estonia at identity level which is often referred to as identificational integration. The focus is set on two dimensions of the identificational integration: identification with one’s own ethnic group and identification with the majority group in host country. First the role and place of identity in theoretical approaches to integration processes is explored. The second task of the article is to demonstrate the shortcomings of widespread theories and commonly used research instruments for studying the identificational integration. For that purpose the hypotheses on identificational integration that stem from literature and presume that national level belongingness either replaces or replenishes ethnic identity are put on test. The analysis is based on both survey data and follow-up face-to-face interviews conducted with 18-35 year old Russians born in Estonia to parents of whom at least one have migrated to Estonia during Soviet times. Conducted analysis on ethnic identity of Russian youth and their sense of belonging to the majority group reveal a need for an enhanced approach to conceptualising and operationalising the identity level integration processes.

Motivated by recent debates in the media on multiculturalism and national identities, this paper examines the question of whether identity is just a 'label' or whether it matters in affecting outcomes, such as education, employment or political orientation. We begin with an empirical investigation of identity formation, with a focus on parental investment in their child's identity, and use this to understand the impact of the child's own identity on own outcomes, a generation later. Our results suggest that identity does not have a significant effect on education, employment and political orientation, thus suggesting that a strong ethnic/religious minority identity does not constrain the second generation or hamper socio-economic integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A demographic transition to greater ethno-racial diversity, the product in part of large-scale immigration over decades, will create challenges and opportunities for Western societies in coming decades. In this paper, based on our study of the USA and four Western European countries, we sift evidence from the first decade of the twenty-first century to look for clues about the possible consequences of the transition for the integration of the second generation, specifically, the children of low-status immigrants. We find unmet challenges when it comes to educational attainment and early labour-market position. That is, although on average the second generation advances beyond its parents, in each society it lags well behind its agemates from the native majority. Yet we also find, using data from the USA, that segments of the second generation are experiencing social mobility into the upper tiers of the occupational hierarchy and socially integrating with members of the majority group, arguably expanding the societal mainstream. This paradoxical picture, we argue, captures crucial dynamics that will affect the near future in the wealthy West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main focus of the article is whether immigrants' descendants have the same occupational mismatch as immigrants, or whether their experiences reflect those of the population with Swedish-born parents. Register data for the entire population of Sweden for the year 2007 is used for a multivariate analysis. All employed individuals aged between 25 and 64 have been selected. The main results show that the descendant generation has lower levels of mismatch compared to the immigrant generation: the male descendant population shows higher odds of being over-educated, whereas the female descendant population does not significantly differ in this from Swedish-born individuals with two Swedish-born parents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the ways in which Britain and the USA classify and analyse the integration of immigrants and their descendants. While both societies recognize racial differences in their official statistics and in the academic analyses of change over time, the USA tends to classify immigrants and their descendants by immigrant generation much more than Britain does. The importance of the concept of generation in American immigration research is highlighted and it is suggested that studies built on the importance of generation can illuminate social processes of integration in Britain. The complexities of defining and measuring immigrant generation are reviewed, including new developments in the measurement of generation that take into account age at migration, and historical period and cohort effects. Racial and ethnic minority groups formed through immigration may have very different characteristics depending on the average distance of their members from immigration – including the possibility of ‘ethnic leakage’, as more assimilated, later-generation individuals no longer identify with the group. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Previous research has repeatedly found a positive association between immigrants’ identification with the receiving society and their share of interethnic friends. That is, immigrants with a low level of national identification have relatively little contact with natives, and vice versa. Earlier cross-sectional studies, however, were not able to draw firm causal conclusions about the direction of causality. Theoretically, four different scenarios exist: The causal arrow might run from identification to friends (A), but also from friends to identification (B) or in both directions (C). Finally, the relationship might be spurious, caused by unobserved joint determinants (D). Using three-wave panel data for adolescents of Turkish origin in Germany, I examine these four scenarios. First-difference models with lagged independent variables that account for both time-invariant unobserved heterogeneity and potential reverse causality provide no evidence of reciprocal effects between national identification and interethnic friendships. This finding contradicts common interpretations of cross-sectional studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In a secular host society where Islam is not reinforced outside the family or ethnic community, little is known of the extent to which Muslim immigrants succeed in transmitting their religion to their second-generation children. Parents are generally found to be important religious socialisation agents for children, but this has rarely been studied in a migration context. In this article we study parental religious transmission, taking into account the child's educational attainment and social contacts with Dutch friends as possible inhibitors. On the basis of data from 641 parent–child dyads, we find the expected positive relation between the parents’ and the child's frequency of religious attendance and their respective attitudes toward religious homogamy and religious schools. Turkish-Dutch parents are more effective than Moroccan-Dutch in transmitting religious attendance, in line with higher levels of social cohesion in Turkish immigrant communities. Having Dutch friends and higher levels of education has little influence on the transmission of religious values from parents to children. The effective transmission of religion is a strong explanation for the continuously high religious involvement in the Turkish- and Moroccan-Dutch communities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Sugarcane bagasse and trash may be used as feedstock for second generation ethanol production. Production of second generation ethanol integrated with first generation plants processing sugarcane presents several advantages over the stand-alone second generation ethanol production process; however, bagasse is used as fuel to supply the energy demand of the first generation process, so the amount of bagasse and trash available for use as feedstock in second generation depends on the energy consumption of the integrated process. Therefore, process optimization leading to reduction in steam consumption will lead to the production of larger amounts of surplus bagasse. In this study the introduction of process improvements in the first generation autonomous distillery processing sugarcane were assessed through simulation using Aspen Plus. Second generation ethanol production was integrated to the optimized scenarios. Results show that process improvements can significantly increase the amount of lignocellulosic material available for use as feedstock for second generation ethanol production, thus increasing ethanol production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Drawing on recent cross-national surveys of the Turkish second generation, we test hypotheses of secularization and of religious vitality for Muslim minorities in Europe. Secularization predicts an inverse relationship between structural integration and religiosity, such that the Turkish second generation would be less religious with higher levels of educational attainment and intermarriage. The religious vitality hypothesis predicts the maintenance of religion in the second generation, highlighting the role of religious socialization within immigrant families and communities. Taking a comparative approach, these hypotheses are tested in the context of different national approaches to the institutionalization of Islam as a minority religion in four European capital cities: Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels and Stockholm. Across contexts, religious socialization strongly predicts second-generation religiosity, in line with religious vitality. The secularization hypothesis finds support only among the second generation in Berlin, however, where Islam is least accommodated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethanol production from lignocellulosic materials is often conceived considering independent, stand-alone production plants; in the Brazilian scenario, where part of the potential feedstock (sugarcane bagasse) for second generation ethanol production is already available at conventional first generation production plants, an integrated first and second generation production process seems to be the most obvious option. In this study stand-alone second generation ethanol production from surplus sugarcane bagasse and trash is compared with conventional first generation ethanol production from sugarcane and with integrated first and second generation; simulations were developed to represent the different technological scenarios, which provided data for economic and environmental analysis. Results show that the integrated first and second generation ethanol production process from sugarcane leads to better economic results when compared with the stand-alone plant, especially when advanced hydrolysis technologies and pentoses fermentation are included. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The educational and employment trajectories of migrant children in France and Germany are extremely diverse. The few successful ones dominate the public eye. Yet successful biographies of young adults with a migration background are in no way a negligible exception. However, the picture is different in the two countries: while in France more migrants' descendants manage to reach their (secondary?) general qualification for university entrance, in Germany they are overrepresented particularly at the Hauptschule (general secondary school). It is, however, considerably more difficult for these young people in France to gain a long-term foothold in the labor market, while in Germany they often take the chance to acquire a vocational qualification and have better job opportunities. As part of a three-year research project, the question examined was which social and institutional factors can stabilize educational attainment and professional orientation. On the basis of qualitative interviews, which were conducted with young adults with a migration background in four disadvantaged areas of Berlin and Paris, it is possible to name three factors that play an important role in the success and/or the stabilization of early educational and employment trajectories: the support provided by significant third parties, entry into milieus which are more socially and culturally diverse, and the prospect of a "second chance." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the relationship between structural, cultural, social and identificational integration dimensions among second generation Russians in Estonia on the basis of TIES data. The relationship between structural integration and other dimensions is established through cluster analysis, which involves the analysis of the difference between means across clusters. In addition, a bivariate correlation analysis is used to determine the relationship between cultural, social, and identificational dimensions. The results raise questions regarding the pertinence of linear assimilation theory in the Estonian case. While the cluster analysis reveals a positive relationship between structural and cultural integration, higher levels of social and identificational integration are not correlated with higher levels of structural and cultural integration. Second generation Russians retain a strong ethnic identity and socialise primarily with other Russians. A bivariate correlation analysis reveals that there is a relationship between cultural, social and identity-related dimensions. Feelings of belonging to Estonia and distance from both Russia and Russians in Russia are stronger among those with good Estonian language proficiency. Respondents with strong Estonian language skills also tend to be more socially integrated and to have more Estonian friends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study of immigrant integration - understood as the integration of immigrants and their offspring - segmented assimilation theory stands out as the most comprehensive, coherent and systematic approach in its field. It is much discussed, but also much contested. This article attempts a critical evaluation of the theory. It looks also at the question of whether the theory applies to Europe and whether it can thus be used in cross-national research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon results from the TIES survey on the second generation in eight European countries the authors propose a new perspective on integration or assimilation. The proposed comparative integration context theory argues that participation in social organizations and belonging to local communities across European cities is strongly dependent on the integration context. Differences in integration contexts include institutional arrangements in education, the labour market, housing, religion and legislation. Differences in the social and political context are especially important for social and cultural participation and belonging. The TIES data show high degrees of local involvement in the second generation and the dwindling centrality of single ethnic belongings - a reflection of the dramatically changing ethnic and (sub)cultural landscapes in cities in Europe. The article challenges established notions of 'newcomers' and 'natives', explores the 'remaking of the mainstream' and argues for the investigation of mobility pathways for a better understanding of integration or assimilation as on-going processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of segmented assimilation is both the most important and most controversial idea to have emerged over the past twenty years from the literature on the children of immigrants in the US. This article traces the origins of the concept, attempts to unravel the controversy surrounding it and to show how the concept has evolved. We consider the major findings from the largest and most widely cited research studies about the children of immigrants in the US. We find that segmented assimilation has been used both simply to describe the diversity of educational and economic outcomes among the children of immigrants and as a typology to explain those outcomes. The typology has been the more controversial use and has undergone several alterations since its introduction. We conclude that the emphasis on national origins in both description and explanation should be replaced with a focus on social contexts and processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of heightened concern about the second generation of Muslim immigrants in connection with 'home-grown terrorism' and supposed refusal to 'integrate', this paper interrogates the common sense that the second generation is 'lost' between cultures. Informed by in-depth, open-ended, semi-structured interviews with young second-generation Lebanese-background immigrants, this paper presents empirical material from two cohorts of participants, one in 1997 and one in 2003. Five cases are considered here, three from 1997 and two from 2003: all Muslim young women. It is argued that, far from being 'lost', the young women are constructing blended identities which they reflect on consciously, under circumstances of everyday racism to which they respond strategically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper introduces this special issue of JEMS on the role of the local context in immigrant and second-generation integration in the United States. Recent literature has argued that national contexts are important for understanding the integration of immigrants and their descendents. The articles in this issue make the case that local contexts, broadly defined at any sub-national scale, are also important for understanding integration within the US; they suggest that it is incorrect to think of a singular and spatially undifferentiated integration process for US immigrants. In addition to previewing the contents of the articles in this issue, our paper includes a review of the meaning of generations and integration and a general discussion of the roles of local contexts in mediating processes of integration. This discussion raises questions about the appropriate spatial scale for the analysis of integration and for comparisons of the integration experience across contexts. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research on local contexts of integration within the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the 2002 Ethnic Diversity Survey, this article examines the roles of parental human capital and social capital in the pursuit of university education among immigrant youth in Canada. We find segmented patterns across the largest minority groups in Canada, with the Chinese and the south Asians, such as Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, obtaining the highest levels of education, while Blacks show the lowest rate of university education. Our study highlights the need to go beyond human capital models by assessing the benefits of and downsides to social capital. Minority language retention at home is beneficial for post-secondary education while language usage with friends outside the minority community entails the need to be proficient in one of the official languages of Canada, English or French. Having a strong sense of trust is crucial for the pursuit of university education, especially for Blacks. Our findings underscore the importance of examining what forms of social capital are unique to each minority group and the various ways these different forms of social capital are utilised in achieving success in the educational sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The children of immigrants have lately become news in several European countries, where there is growing concern that their poor integration is caused by a lack of economic and social oportunities. Although Spain has only relatively recently become an immigration country, and thus the second generation is still rather small in number and only just now coming of age, there is a growing need to know what is happening to it. This article looks at the situation of the 1.5 and second generations of Moroccan, Dominican and Peruvian origin in Spain. It reports survey data collected in Madrid and Barcelona amongst 14-25-year-old young people from these three ethnic groups. The findings show that opportunities and achievements for the second generation in the spheres of education and labour are below those of their native peers; their situation only slightly improves compared to that of their parents. However, the survey data also show that there are considerable differences in educational and occupational outcomes between the three groups. The Peruvian performance is particularly poor. This is all the more surprising because their starting position and integration strategy appear to be more favourable than those of both Dominicans and Moroccans. Differences in family structure and ethnic group cohesion could well be at the root of the problem. Further study is needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introductory paper to the special issue of JEMS on the second generation in Europe reviews some of the key themes underpinning the growing interest in the second generation, and asks what 'integration' actually means in contemporary debates about immigration and settlement. The authors attempt to place these debates within their specific national contexts, in particular by applying US-developed theories of second-generation integration to Europe. In this way, we build on the embryonic transatlantic dialogue about which factors potentially account for different patterns of second-generation integration in different countries. Integration, in this sense, refers both to structural aspects such as educational and labour-market status as well as to a broader and at times fuzzier concept that includes ideas of culture, ethnic or religious identity and citizenship. The paper also sets the scene for the various articles in this special issue which together illustrate the thematic breadth of European-based research on the children of immigrants. We conclude by offering two theoretical avenues for future research on ethnic minority groups and their settlement patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portugal is best known as a country of emigrants whose experiences have been reflected in a large number of feature films. Immigration only became relevant following the 1974 Revolution, which ended dictatorship and colonialism, and Portugal's entrance in the European Community in 1986, which made it economically more attractive. Although immigrants and their integration is today an important issue in Portuguese society, so far only two feature films have dealt with the second-generation from African descent, the so called Luso-Africans. Pedro Costa, currently one of Portugal's internationally most recognised auteurs, focuses in the critically acclaimed Ossos/Bones (1997) on the difficulties of the Cape Verdian community. The newcomer Leonel Vieira, on the other hand, looks in Zona J/J Zone (1998), a blockbuster, at the experiences of the young generation from Angola. This article compares the quite different approaches in terms of gender, race and aesthetics, but encounters similar perspectives on integration. It argues, moreover, that the art film makes the contradictory situation of its characters apparent, while the box-office hit simply condemns its protagonist to engage more deeply with the discrimination and exclusion experienced by secondgeneration of immigrants from Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]