Working Paper: NBER ID: w19753
Authors: Johanna Catherine Maclean; Douglas Webber; Jody L. Sindelar
Abstract: In this study we examine the importance of assimilation and ethnic enclave residence for smoking outcomes among United States immigrants. We draw data on over 140,000 immigrants from the Current Population Survey Tobacco Use Supplements between 1995 and 2011. Several patterns emerge from our analysis. First we replicate findings from previous studies that show that longer residence in the U.S is associated with improved employment outcomes while ethnic enclave residence may hinder these outcomes. Second, we find that assimilation similarly extends to coverage of employment-based anti-smoking policies such as worksite smoking bans and smoking cessation programs while enclave residence does not substantially influence these outcomes. Third, we document complex relationships between assimilation, enclave residence, and smoking outcomes. Lastly, we find no strong evidence that immigrants reduce their smoking when faced with more restrictive state anti-smoking policies and find counter-intuitive impacts of tobacco taxes. These findings have important policy implications.
Keywords: immigration; smoking; assimilation; ethnic enclave; public health
JEL Codes: I1; I18; J18; J48
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| longer residence in the US (J69) | improved employment outcomes (J68) |
| longer residence in the US (J69) | family income (D31) |
| longer residence in the US (J69) | occupational prestige (J62) |
| longer residence in the US (J69) | access to employment-based anti-smoking policies (J78) |
| assimilation (Y60) | reduced smoking rates among men (I12) |
| assimilation (Y60) | increased smoking rates among women (J16) |
| cigarette taxes (H71) | smoking behaviors (I12) |
| venue-specific smoking bans (L83) | smoking behaviors (I12) |