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Premium or penalty? Occupations and earnings of Ottoman immigrants and their offspring in the United States, 1900–1940

Zalfou, Rami LU and Dribe, Martin LU (2025) In European Review of Economic History
Abstract
We study the economic integration of immigrants from Ottoman Syria and Turkey and their offspring in the United States using full count census data from 1900 to 1940. Immigrants initially achieved occupational premiums due to their selection into high-reward industries, but 1940 earnings data reveals significant and growing disadvantages over time, partly due to lower educational attainment. In contrast, the second generation achieved substantial upward mobility, closing both the education and earnings gaps with native Whites. This contrasts with the experience of Northern European immigrants who matched natives more closely in terms of occupations and earnings.
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author
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
European Review of Economic History
publisher
Oxford University Press
ISSN
1474-0044
DOI
10.1093/ereh/heae020
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
46b3e1be-be6f-4e4e-b66a-a987a1a5073b
date added to LUP
2025-02-20 15:28:30
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:06:59
@article{46b3e1be-be6f-4e4e-b66a-a987a1a5073b,
  abstract     = {{We study the economic integration of immigrants from Ottoman Syria and Turkey and their offspring in the United States using full count census data from 1900 to 1940. Immigrants initially achieved occupational premiums due to their selection into high-reward industries, but 1940 earnings data reveals significant and growing disadvantages over time, partly due to lower educational attainment. In contrast, the second generation achieved substantial upward mobility, closing both the education and earnings gaps with native Whites. This contrasts with the experience of Northern European immigrants who matched natives more closely in terms of occupations and earnings.}},
  author       = {{Zalfou, Rami and Dribe, Martin}},
  issn         = {{1474-0044}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{European Review of Economic History}},
  title        = {{Premium or penalty? Occupations and earnings of Ottoman immigrants and their offspring in the United States, 1900–1940}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ereh/heae020}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/ereh/heae020}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}