Educational Attainment of Mexican American Immigrants: A Longitudinal Analysis in Six Texas Gateways

Abstract

This paper analyzes data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series to examine trends in educational attainment from 2000 to 2018 in six Texas gateway cities: El Paso, San Antonio, McAllen, Dallas Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin. Multilevel analyses explore three variables: generational cohort, citizenship status, and English proficiency and how they relate to years of education. Results demonstrate an overall increase in education, placing the 1.75 generation at the top of attainment along with the 2nd generation, and sometimes surpassing the latter in almost every gateway, while the 1.25 generation is achieving the lowest levels. Results also show that naturalized citizens attain higher levels of education than non-citizens. Lastly, English language proficiency shows the strongest connection to educational attainment, linking much higher levels of attainment with the best speaking abilities, while dual-language speakers attain the highest levels in most cities. The different types of gateways account for some differences in the gaps between attainment, which could explain the inequity in some cities across the analyzed years.