Foreign-born out-migration from new destinations: Onward or back to the enclave?

Immigrants have a markedly higher likelihood of internal mignation if they live in new destinations. This paper looks at why that pattern occurs and at how immigrants’ out-migration to new versus traditional destinations responds to their labor market economic and industrial structure, nativity origins and concentration, geographic region, and labor market type. Confidential data from the 2000 and 1990 decennial censuses are used for the analysis. Metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas are categorized into 741 local labor markets and classified as new or traditional based on the nativity concentrations of immigrants from the 24 largest Asian, Caribbean and Latin American origins. The analysis shows that immigrants are less likely to migrate to new destinations if they live in areas of higher nativity concentration, foreign-born population growth, and wages but more likely to make that move if they are professionals, agricultural or blue collar workers, highly educated, fluent in English, and live in new destinations. While immigrants are more likely to migrate to new rather than traditional destinations that outcome differs sharply for immigrants from different origins and for some immigrants, particularly those from the Caribbean, the dispersal process to new destinations has barely started.

► We model immigrants’ internal migration destinations.
► Immigrants living in new destinations are twice as likely to migrate as those in gateways.
► Most foreign-born internal migrants move to new destinations.
► Immigrants tend to stay in places with high wages and nativity concentration.
► Asian, Caribbean and Latino origin groups differ in internal migration dynamics.