Family Composition of the Foreign-Born: Do Nativity and Citizenship Status Matter?

Cassandra A. Logan, U.S. Census Bureau
David Dixon, Migration Policy Institute

Children of immigrants represent the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population under the age of 18. As this segment of the population continues to grow, it is important to understand the family context in which these children live, as family structure is associated with a host of economic, social, and developmental outcomes for children. This study seeks to examine the current demographic landscape of children of immigrants by analyzing the relationship between parental nativity and citizenship status and family composition. Specifically, the proposed study uses data from the 2005-2007 Multi-year estimate file of the American Community Survey to answer the following questions: What are the differences between the family structures of children with immigrant and native parents? How is the attainment of citizenship status by the foreign-born parents associated with differences in family structure? Is the world region/country of birth of the foreign-born parents associated with family structure?