The Socioeconomic Attainments of Second-Generation Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans

Arthur Sakamoto*, Hyeyoung Woo

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    37 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    We investigate the socioeconomic attainments of second-generation Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans. Using 2000 Census data, we focus on education, wages, and managerial/professional employment relative to African Americans and whites. The second-generation Vietnamese stand out as having extraordinarily high average values on these indicators. By contrast, the socioeconomic attainments of second-generation Cambodians, Hmong, and Laotians tend to be closer to those of African Americans except among those second-generation Southeast Asians who are clearly part of the earlier (i.e., Wave 1) immigration stream that tended to have somewhat higher socioeconomic origins. The most disadvantaged groups are non-Wave 1 second-generation Laotians and Cambodian women, particularly in terms of the process of educational attainment. The results are interpreted as indicating the importance of class origins and immigrant selectivity.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)44-75
    Number of pages32
    JournalSociological Inquiry
    Volume77
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Feb 2007

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Sociology and Political Science

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