English Language Skills, Ethnic Communities, and Household Composition among Older Mexican Immigrants

Jeffrey A. Burr, University of Massachusetts at Boston
Jan Mutchler, University of Massachusetts at Boston

We examine the living arrangements of older Mexican immigrants in order to demonstrate how the formation of complex households is related to English language proficiency. We also examine how living in communities with a relatively high density of co-ethnics impacts household composition. Data from the 1990 Census of Population are employed to evaluate hierarchical non-linear models of living arrangements. We find that strong English language skills increase the probability of living independently and increase the likelihood of being head of a complex household. Our results also show that living in an area with a high concentration of Hispanics increases the probability that an older Mexican immigrant will live with other adults without headship as compared to living independently. Cross-level interaction models show that the relationship between language ability and living arrangements is weakened in communities with larger numbers of Hispanic persons.