At a Crossroads: Economic Hierarchy and Hardship at the Intersection of Race, Sex, and Nativity

Abstract

Immigration has been the focus of much contention in the United States in recent years. Indeed, concerns persist with regard to how the foreign-born will adapt and integrate into U.S. society and core institutions, including the economy and labor market. Despite the considerable insights of prior research, however, our understanding of contemporary racial/ethnic stratification remains limited, especially in terms of how race/ethnicity and sex intersect with immigrant status. Using pooled 2012–2016 American Community Survey data, we investigate wage differences and near-poverty status by race/ethnicity, sex, and nativity (among full-time, full-year workers) in five dynamic majority-minority U.S. labor markets and high-volume immigrant destinations (Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City). Findings demonstrate that assimilative and human capital attributes matter. Yet our analyses reveal discernible group-level inequalities suggestive of depressed mobility, blocked opportunity, and race/ethnic- and sex-based hierarchy—patterns that highlight the embedded character of assimilation and economic outcomes within contexts of constraint. We find significant inter- and intragroup variation in these regards—particularly for near-poverty. We discuss our findings in light of their empirical and theoretical implications toward understanding minority group incorporation and economic inequality.