Downward Assimilation in the New Destinations? School Non-Enrollment among Mexican Origin 15-17 Year-Olds in New and Traditional Destinations of Immigrant Settlement

Elizabeth S. Ackert, University of Washington

Recent shifts in the geography of Mexican immigrant settlement raises the potential for greater heterogeneity in Mexican origin educational outcomes. Using the 2005-2007 ACS, I examine how rates of school non-enrollment vary among Mexican origin 15-17 year-olds in new and traditional destination states. I evaluate whether baseline differences in the relative odds of school non-enrollment between new and traditional destination Mexican origin adolescents and non-Hispanic whites can be attributed to variables related to immigrant selection into destinations. I find that Mexican origin adolescents in new destinations have higher rates of school non-enrollment than those in traditional destinations. However, controlling for immigrant generation and parental education eliminates differences in the relative odds of school non-enrollment between new and traditional destination Mexican origin adolescents and non-Hispanic whites. This suggests that destinations do not have a net effect on differences in rates of school non-enrollment between Mexican origin and non-Hispanic white adolescents.