The internal migration of the foreign-born population in the United States: 1985-1990

Using the 1990 United States Public Use Microdata Files, this dissertation focuses on the population geography of ten major immigrant groups in the United States. Partitioning the foreign-born by place of birth and ancestry and the native-born by ancestry allows me to focus on migration differentials between same-ancestry foreign-born and native-born groups during the 1985-1990 time period.;The analysis of the patterns of migration and spatial distribution using an accounting approach to migration reveals that the population geography of the total foreign-born is very different from that of the total native-born. Although different groups have different directional migration biases, same-ancestry populations have similar preferences. As a result, I am able to observe patterns of cumulative layering.;Focusing on the determinants of the internal migration flows from a human capital and network theory perspective shows that same-ancestry foreign-born and native-born behave in correspondence to both theories. When comparing same-ancestry foreign-born to same-ancestry native-born, I find that most of the populations respond similarly to certain origin-specific factors, such as nativity concentration, earnings growth, and/or AFDC benefits when making migration decisions. On the other hand, same-ancestry foreign-born, relative to same-ancestry native-born, respond differently to California residence, fluency in English, and/or SSI supplements. Partitioning the foreign-born by entry cohort shows that duration of residence can have an influence on the factors shaping migration decisions. Especially recent immigrant cohorts behave differently, suggesting that their utility functions are different from the ones observed for the older entry cohorts.;Given the recent dramatic rise in the number of foreign-born living in the United States, their expected continued growth, and their increasing birthplace-specific diversity, it is likely that the population geography of the United States will become more diverse, pointing toward greater regional demographic divisions in the years to come. These patterns will be reinforced by the continued influence of networks established by previous entry cohorts and reestablished by more recent immigrants. Investments in human capital skills might counteract these developments and might eventually lead to fewer spatial--and also social, economic, and political--divisions and disparities between different parts of the country.