Does Age at Immigration Matter? A Comparison of Asian Immigrants in Canada and the United States

Sharon M. Lee, University of Victoria

Conventional theories of immigrant integration predict that immigrants who arrive at younger ages are more integrated. However, there is much debate over how best to study age-at-immigration effects. We examine microdata from the 2000 U.S. census and the 2005 American Community Survey, and the 1991, 2001, and 2006 Canadian censuses to compare age-at-arrival effects on several measures of integration, including home language, education, and occupation, for the six largest Asian immigrant groups in both countries. Age at immigration is a key factor in Asian immigrants’ integration in both the U.S. and Canada, and a linear measure of age at immigration is superior to age break points (for example, at 5 or 12 years old) or immigrant generation (such as 1.5 generation) for revealing age-at-immigration effects. There are also substantial differences by gender, ethnic group, and outcome. We discuss implications for theories of, and future research on, immigrant integration.