Part one: Determinants of the fertility of Samoan migrants in Hawaii

Relationships among age at marriage, age at migration, education, ideal number of children, years since marriage and migration, and number of live births in Samoa and Hawaii are analyzed in a cross‐sectional sample of Samoan women currently living in Hawaii. Migration from Samoa to Oahu, Hawaii leads to a shift from a relatively traditional environment to a modern, urbanized setting. The timing of this migration, as well as the characteristics of the female migrants, influences the way in which the migration process affects fertility. Path analysis is used to quantify the interrelationships among the variables for a model which includes the determinants of the number of live births to a female migrant, both before and after migration. Quantification of the model provides preliminary support for the hypothesis that as exposure to a modern, urbanized environment increases, fertility decreases.