Migration,Friendship Ties,and Cultural Assimilation |
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| Authors: | Giovanni Facchini Eleonora Patacchini Max F. Steinhardt |
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| Affiliation: | 1. University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;2. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USAEIEF, IZA, and CEPR.;3. Helmut Schmidt University, Hamburg, Germany |
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| Abstract: | We study immigrant assimilation by analyzing whether friendship with natives is a measure of cultural assimilation, and by investigating the formation of social ties. Using the German Socio‐Economic Panel, we find that immigrants with a German friend are more similar to natives than those without German friends, along several important dimensions, including concerns about the economy, an interest in politics, and a host of policy issues. Turning to friendship acquisition, we find that becoming employed, time spent in the host country, the birth of a child, residential mobility, and additional education acquired in the host country are significant drivers of social network variation. |
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| Keywords: | Culture ethnic minorities social network formation A14 J15 J61 |
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