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Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Education–Occupation Mismatch Status Among Immigrants in South Africa and the United States

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Journal of International Migration and Integration / Revue de l'integration et de la migration internationale Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, a comparative–international approach is used to examine race–ethnic disparities in education–occupation mismatch status among immigrants. Using data from the USA and South Africa, this study finds that immigrants are most likely to be undereducated, or have less schooling for their jobs, when their racial characteristics are similar to those of the local racial majority. Black immigrants in South Africa and White immigrants in the USA are the most likely to be undereducated. Having racial characteristics similar to those of the local racial majority is associated with a lower likelihood of overeducation among immigrants.

Résumé

Dans cette étude, une approche comparative internationale est utilisée pour examiner les disparités sur les plans de la race et de l’ethnicité dans le statut de non-concordance entre la formation et la profession chez les immigrants. Utilisant des données des États-Unis et de l’Afrique du Sud, cette étude conclut que les immigrants sont plus susceptibles d'être sous-scolarisés ou d’avoir fait moins d’études pour leur emploi, lorsque leurs caractéristiques raciales sont similaires à celles de la majorité raciale locale. Les immigrants de race noire en Afrique du Sud et les immigrants blancs aux Etats-Unis sont les plus susceptibles d’être sous-éduqués. Le fait de partager les mêmes caractéristiques raciales que la majorité raciale locale est associé à une plus faible probabilité de sur-éducation chez les immigrants.

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Notes

  1. Since these changes were made in 2008, they are not reflected in the racial categories used in the empirical analyses done in this study which are based on data from the 2001 South African census.

  2. Since US census information on Asian racial characteristics contain categories indentifying individuals who are either “Chinese,” “Japanese,” “Korean,” or “Asian,” these racial groups are combined into a broader Asian category.

  3. US census data are not appropriate for the use of realized matching methods using mean years of schooling but are more appropriate for modal matching procedures. This is because at the lower schooling levels, educational attainment levels are combined into two nominal categories, i.e., grades 1 to 4 and grades 5 to 8. This also limits our ability to conduct sensitivity tests that compare the results from both modal and mean matching methods. However, to facilitate the comparison between the USA and South Africa, the equivalent grades in the South African data are also combined into nominal categories.

  4. As a result of the issues described in footnote 3, the dummy variable approach rather than the years of overeducation approach is more appropriate for analyses using US census data.

  5. English language ability is used in South Africa because the census indicates that English is the predominant language used in the country. The variable “Higher education” is slightly different from the “Grad/Prof” used in the USA. It includes respondents with either Masters or PhDs (65%) or those with “Honors” degrees (35%). Both categories are separate from the “Bachelor’s” degree category in the South African census data.

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  1. Department of African and African-American Studies and Sociology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16801, USA

    Kevin J. A. Thomas

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Thomas, K.J.A. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Education–Occupation Mismatch Status Among Immigrants in South Africa and the United States. Int. Migration & Integration 11, 383–401 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-010-0152-6

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