Abstract
In recent years, migration studies have increasingly shown that subjective well-being carries considerable weight in immigrant integration. Yet little is known about the subjective well-being of immigrants in their origin country (pre-migration) or its relation to their well-being in the host country. This paper examines the relationship between subjective well-being, both pre- and post-immigration, among North Americans who arrived in Israel during the past two decades. The study combines both quantitative and qualitative research methods. According to our quantitative findings, the labor market performance of North American immigrants in Israel is lower than in their origin countries. Further, we learned from the qualitative analysis that although the immigrants’ positions in the labor market were better in their origin countries, the immigrants perceived their standard of living in Israel to be the same as in their origin country—if not better—due to the low cost of services in Israel. The importance of the immigrant’s satisfaction from the current job in Israel was apparent in the findings of both methods. We also found that the subjective well-being of North American immigrants in Israel is relatively high, and most immigrants did not consider leaving Israel. The subjective well-being of the immigrants in Israel was found to be related to their social networks in their origin country, to their religious immigration motive and to their work satisfaction in Israel. The more supportive the immigrants’ families were of their decision to immigrate, the less the immigrants tended to consider leaving Israel. Immigrants with a religious motivation for immigrating to Israel were less inclined to leave, and the same was true for immigrants who were satisfied with their work in Israel. The qualitative data added important perspective on the immigrants’ social networks, this time in Israel. Interviewees reported having more supportive social networks in Israel, and a greater sense of community, although most of their contacts were within the Anglo community.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amit, K. (2010). Determinants of life satisfaction among immigrants from Western countries and from the FSU in Israel. Social Indicators Research, 96(3), 515–534.
Amit, K., & Litwin, H. (2010). Predictors of successful migration: A study of well-being among persons aged 50 and older who migrated in their lifetimes to Israel. Social Indicators Research, 98(1), 89–104.
Amit, K., & Riss, I. (2007). The role of social networks in the immigration decision-making process: The case of North American immigration to Israel. Immigrants and Minorities, 25(3), 290–313.
Amit, K., & Semyonov, M. (2006). Israel as a returning Diaspora. Metropolis World Bulletin, 6, 11–14.
Amit, K. (2012) Social integration and identity of immigrants from the FSU, Western countries and Ethiopia in Israel. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 35(7), 1287–1310.
Bartram, D. (2013). Happiness and “economic migration”: A comparison of Eastern European migrants and stayers. Migration Studies, 1(2), 156–175.
Blaine, B., & Crocker, J. (1995). Religiousness, race, and psychological well-being: Exploring social psychological mediators. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 1031–1041.
Bohnke, P. (2008). Does society matter? life satisfaction in enlarged Europe. Social Indicators Research, 87, 189–210.
Bonini, A. N. (2008). Cross-national variation in individual life satisfaction: Effects of national wealth, human development, and environment conditions. Social Indicators Research, 87, 223–236.
Bordieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). New York: Greenwood Press.
Borjas, J.G. (1990). Friends or Strangers: The Impact of Immigrants on the U.S Economy. New York: Basic Books.
Brubaker, R. (2005). The “Diaspora” Diaspora. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 28(1), 1–19.
Bürgelt, P. T., Morgan, M., & Pernice, R. (2008). Staying or returning: Pre-migration influences on the migration process of German migrants to New Zealand. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 18(4), 282–298.
Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) (2012). Statistical Abstract of Israel.
Chiswick, B. (1979). The economic progress of immigrants: Some apparently universal patterns. In W. Fallner (Ed.), Contemporary economic problems (pp. 357–399). D.C: Washington.
Chiswick, B. R., Lee, Y. L., & Miller, P. W. (2005). A longitudinal analysis of immigrant occupational mobility: A test of the immigrant assimilation hypothesis. International Migration Review, 39(2), 332–353.
Czaika, M., & De Haas, H. (2012). The role of internal and international relative deprivation in global migration. Working Papers, Paper 35.
Diener, E. R. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95, 542–575.
Diener, E. R., Emmos, R., Larsen, R., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75.
Diener, E., Sandvik, E., Seidlitz, L., & Deiner, M. (1993). The relationship between income and subjective well-being: Relative or absolute? Social Indicators Research, 28, 195–223.
Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276–302.
Ellison, C. G., & George, L. K. (1994). Religious involvement, social ties and social support in a Southeastern community. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 33(1), 46–61.
Froschauer, K. (2001). East Asian and European entrepreneur immigrants in British Columbia, Canada: Post-migration conduct and pre-migration context. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 27(2), 225–240.
Gasper, D. (2004). Human well-being: Concepts and conceptualizations. Discussion Paper No. 2004/06. Institute for Social Studies, The Hague.
Jong, G. F., Chamratrithirong, A., & Tran, Q. G. (2002). For better, for worse: Life satisfaction consequences of migration. International Migration Review, 36(3), 838–863.
Lester, L. H. (2005). Immigrants satisfaction: What is it? Does it matter? NILS working paper, No. 154: 2–103.
Litwin, H. (2005). Correlates of successful aging: Are they universal? International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 61(4), 313–333.
Massey, D. S., & Redstone, A. I. (2006). Immigrant intentions and mobility in a global economy: The attitudes and behavior of recently arrived US immigrants. Social Science Quarterly, 87(5), 954–971.
McMichael, C., & Manderson, L. (2004). Somali women and well-being: Social networks and social capital among immigrant women in Australia. Human Organization, 63(1), 88–99.
Neto, F. (2001). Satisfaction with life among adolescents from immigrant families in Portugal. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 30(1), 53–67.
Putnam, R. D. (2006). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Rebhun, U., and Waxman, C. I. (2000). The “Americanization” of Israel: A demographic, cultural and political evaluation. Israel Studies, 5.
Schweitzer, R. D., Brough, M., Vromans, L., & Asic-Kobe, M. (2011). Mental health of newly arrived Burmese refugees in Australia: Contributions of pre-migration and post-migration experience. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45, 299–307.
Semyonov, M., & Lewin-Epstein, N. (2003). Immigration and ethnicity in Israel: Returning diaspora and nation-building. In M. Rainer & O. Rainer (Eds.), Diasporas and ethnic migrants (pp. 327–337). London: Frank Cass.
Silove, D., Sinnerbrink, I., Field, A., Manicavasagar, V., & Steel, Z. (1997). Anxiety, depression and PTSD in asylum-seekers: Associations with pre-migration trauma and post-migration stressors. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 170, 351–357.
Smith, J. A. (1995). Semi-structured interviewing and qualitative analysis. In: J. A. Smith, R. Harre & L. Van (Eds.), Rethinking methods in psychology. London: Sage.
Smith, T. B., MucCullough, M., & Poll, J. (2003). Religiousness and depression: Evidence for main effect and the moderating of stressful life events. Psychological Bulletin, 129(4), 614–636.
Uba, L., & Chi-Ying Chung, R. (1991). The relationship between trauma and financial and physical well-being among Cambodians in the United States. The Journal of General Psychology, 118(3), 215–225.
Wuthnow, R. (2002). Religious involvement and status-bridging social capital. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 41(4), 669–684.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Amit, K., Riss, I. The Subjective Well-Being of Immigrants: Pre- and Post-migration. Soc Indic Res 119, 247–264 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0492-7
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0492-7