PUBLISHED
“The Effects of Intermarriage on Wages for Immigrant Women in Italy” (with Valentova, Marie). The Journal of Family Issues. access here
Abstract
In the current article, we analyze the impact of intermarriage on the wages of immigrant women in Italy. Using a sample of married immigrant women from a randomly selected sample, representative of families with foreigners in Italy, we estimate Ordinary Least Squares and we address self-selection into employment, while simultaneously accounting for intermarriage endogeneity with the combined method. The results reveal 9 percentage points higher earnings for intermarried immigrant women. However, this vanishes once we add other characteristics, as well as when we account for endogeneity and selection into employment, separately and simultaneously. We conclude that although immigrant women who marry natives have higher wages, this is due to their observable and unobservable characteristics.
“Comparing Voluntary Activities among Immigrant and Non-immigrant Focus on Third Country Nationals” (with Valentova, Marie). The Journal of Child Indicators Research. access here
Abstract
The main purpose of this paper is to compare the involvement in voluntary organizations of two non-EU groups of students (of former-Yugoslavian and of Cape Verdean immigrant background) with their EU and native counterparts in Luxembourg. In this comparison, we aim to account for the fact students with a non-EU background differ systematically from other youth groups in their observable characteristics. The propensity score matching method is used to account for selection into particular groups by making compared groups similar to each other for a wide range of observed characteristics. Our results reveal that students with a former- Yugoslavian immigrant background exhibit no substantial differences from similar (i.e., matched) natives. However, this group demonstrates substantially higher engagement in some types of voluntary organizations than students with a Portuguese or a French immigrant background. Cape Verdeans are less engaged in many voluntary organizations than natives and students with an EU-immigrant background. The exception for both non-EU groups concerns engagement with organizations campaigning for an issue.
WORKING PAPERS
“Is There an Employment Advantage for Immigrant Women Who Marry Natives in Italy?” (with Valentova, Marie). Under revision in the Journal of International Migration Review.
Abstract
In this paper, we estimate the effect of intermarriage on employment-related outcomes, binary (employed or not), continuous (average weekly hours of work), and a proxy for underemployment, for immigrant women. A linear probability model reveals that intermarried immigrant women are nearly 44 percentage points less likely to be employed than their single counterparts, and 6.8 percentage points less likely to be employed than endogamous women. By comparison, those in endogamous marriages are around 37 percentage points less likely to be employed than single women. This result is also confirmed by nonlinear regressions, probit, and logit. The intermarriage penalty more than doubles once we account for endogeneity of intermarriage to -114 percentage points when compared to single women and -70 percentage points when compared to endogamous.
With regard to the intensity of employment, women in any type of marriage on average work nearly 16 hours less per week than their single counterparts. Moreover, women in both types of marriages have a higher probability (between 7 and 5 percentage points) of being underemployed than their single counterparts. Being married—intermarriage as well as endogamous marriage—is the strongest and only significant predictor of underemployment among employed immigrant women in Italy.
“Happily Ever After? Intermarriage and Life Satisfaction in Luxembourg”. Under revision in the Journal of Happiness Studies
Abstract
In this paper, I explore the general life satisfaction (LS) of foreign-born people in relation to having a partner of the same origin (endogamous) compared with having a partner of a different origin (intermarriage). I use data from the Statistics on Income and Living Conditions surveys of 2011 and 2013 from Luxembourg; a country where the foreign born represent nearly half of the population.
The results suggest a premium in LS for a foreign-born person intermarried to a native and a penalty for those intermarried to a foreigner of a different origin, compared with endogamous counterparts. The related results vary in magnitude and significance between men and women. Women experience a significant LS premium from intermarriage to a native, while men face an LS penalty from intermarriage to a foreigner.
Heterogeneous results were found, subject to the maturity and size of the relevant immigrant community in Luxembourg. Men originating from countries that do not yet have a mature and well-established community experience a LS premium of intermarriage to a native. Women who intermarry into a well-established immigrant community also experience a LS premium, while those who intermarry out of a well-established community face a penalty of a similar magnitude.
WORK IN PROGRESS
“Is Discrimination Hindering the Integration of Immigrants in Luxembourg? Evidence from the Racism and Discrimination Survey”
“Does Intermarriage Decrease Remittances?”
“A Sentiment Analysis Comparing the Ukrainian and Syrian Refugees’ Crises”
OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS
“Implication des jeunes étrangers dans des activités bénévoles au Luxembourg” (with other co-authors). access here
“The Immigrants Intermarriage Premium: Italy 2004-2012”. access here
“Comunidad Indigena de Manquemapu-Chile: Estudios de Caso. Soluciones Locales de Desarrollo Sostenible para las Personas, la Naturaleza y las Comunidades Resilientes” (with other co-aurhors). access here