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Residential Segregation, Nativity Status, and Hispanic Living Arrangements in Later Life

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Abstract

This study examined the relationship between residential segregation in metropolitan areas and the living arrangements of middle-aged and older Hispanics. We specifically considered whether the relationship between residential segregation and living arrangements was different depending on nativity status. This study also explored whether measures of assimilation were related to living arrangements. Using data from the 2000 Census Public-Use Microdata Sample (5 %), our multilevel logistic regression models showed that residing in metropolitan areas with higher residential segregation indexes of evenness, isolation, and clustering was related to an increased likelihood of living in a co-resident household versus an independent household. We discovered that the relationship was in the same direction for US-born and foreign-born Hispanics but the relationship was stronger for US-born Hispanics. Finally, we found that as assimilation increased, so did the likelihood of living independently and that persons living in the ten largest immigrant gateway cities were most likely to co-reside as compared to live independently. These results underscored the importance of developing theoretic models of ethnic group living arrangements that include characteristics of both individuals and the community.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a Grant from the National Institute on Aging (#R01 AG21869).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA, 02125-3393, USA

    Jeffrey A. Burr & Jan E. Mutchler

  2. Institute of Gerontology, University of Georgia, 255 E. Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA, 30602-5775, USA

    Kerstin Gerst-Emerson

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  1. Jeffrey A. Burr
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  2. Jan E. Mutchler
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  3. Kerstin Gerst-Emerson
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Correspondence to Jeffrey A. Burr.

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Burr, J.A., Mutchler, J.E. & Gerst-Emerson, K. Residential Segregation, Nativity Status, and Hispanic Living Arrangements in Later Life. Popul Res Policy Rev 32, 25–45 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-012-9258-1

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