Immigration and Homeownership in Gateway Cities in California

William A.V. Clark, University of California at Los Angeles

A central element of the current debate about immigration in developed economies is about the trajectories of new immigrants, about how they are progressing in their adopted countries and whether they will assimilate to the host society. Part of that assimilation is related to their relocation behavior within the United States and especially within metropolitan areas after their arrival. Related to relocation behavior is the extent to which immigrants become homeowners. Owning a home in the U.S. is increasingly seen as a central part of upward social mobility and integration into the new society. This study examines the mobility and homeownership behavior of the foreign born in three large metropolitan areas in California- Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. A combined three year file from the Current Population Survey for 1998-1999-2000 can be used to examine the residential locations and relocations within the metropolitan areas.