Recent, post-1980, immigration patterns have had a dramatic effect on U.S. labor markets, leading to considerable debate about the impact of immigration on native-born black workers. This research examines immigrant and black labor markets, across metropolitan areas, using Public Use Microdata and Summary File data from Census 2000 to generate low, mid, and high classifications of immigrant and black occupations based on socio-economic index (SEI). Multivariate findings indicate that the effect of recent immigration on black labor market outcomes differs by occupational level. Competition for low-skilled jobs is identified for native-born blacks in low-level jobs while a “bump-up” effect is identified for blacks in mid-level jobs. For example, production occupations with low language and skill requirements are shown to be contested among the groups. On the other hand, service and administrative functions emerge as bump-up mechanisms that create opportunity for black workers who amass the human capital required of these occupations. Thus, the ramifications of immigration for native-born blacks are shown to be quite different for low- and mid-SEI jobs.

Promoting physical activity in older adults is an important part of healthy aging. With an increasing older foreign-born population in the United States, there is limited information on physical activity participation in this group and even less for those experiencing difficulties in physical functioning and chronic illnesses. The primary objective of the study was to determine how physical factors, psychological issues, chronic illnesses, pain symptoms, perceived health status, and number of years living in the U.S. influence physical activity participation in older foreign-born respondents. The secondary objective was to identify the difference of predictors of physical activity participation between older foreign-born and older native-born respondents. The study is based on data collected from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) conducted from 2002 to 2009 for adults aged 50 or older. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to predict and explain the physical activity participation in older foreign-born respondents. Factors associated with more physical activity participation included a higher level of education, more time living in the U.S., more positively perceived health status, and having at least one chronic illnesses, or pain symptoms. Having more difficulties in physical functioning caused older foreign-born respondents to participate less in physical activity. This study provides the most recent evidence to health-care professionals to develop and implement policies and strategies to facilitate physical activity programs that will be beneficial to elderly immigrants living in the U.S.

Background: Non-communicable diseases and chronic conditions continue to emerge as public health crises in the United States (U.S.) and globally. Obesity, one of the most notable of such conditions, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Compared to non-immigrants, U.S. immigrants are known to have lower risks of obesity. However, there is paucity of literature on how U.S. immigrants compare to native-born adults regarding obesity-related behavior. Objective: We aim to describe demographic characteristics, weight distribution, and distributions of specific obesity-related behaviors among immigrant and native-born U.S. adults. Secondarily, we aim to estimate associations between nativity status and obesity-related behavior among U.S. adults. Methodology: We analyzed data from the Health Information National Trends Survey conducted between September and December 2013 (HINTS 4 Cycle 3). The independent variable was nativity status (immigrant vs. native-born). Outcomes of interest were indicators of dietary behavior (fruit, vegetable, and soda intake) and indicators of physical activity level (sitting time spent on television/computer games/web surfing, participation in physical exercise, and participation in muscle training exercise). Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression models were utilized in describing demographics, weight distribution, and associations between variables of interest. Statistical significance was determined using p-values < 0.05 and 95% CI around adjusted odds ratios. Results: A total of 3185 individuals participated in the survey. The overall male to female ratio was 1:1.6. Approximately 17% of participants were immigrants and roughly 83% were native-born U.S. adults. The mean age was 51 years (SD +/- 15) for immigrants and 55 years (SD+/-16) for native-born respondents. Among immigrants, the racial distribution was 55.3% Hispanic, 18.9% Asian, 14.7% White, 9.9% Black and 1.3% other races. About 25% of immigrants were obese, compared to 34% of non-immigrants. Immigrants were more likely than native-born respondents to take some quantity of fruit daily (adjusted OR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.07 - 3.32; p = 0.0290); and less likely than native-born respondents to consume soda every week (adjusted OR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.55 - 0.98; p = 0.0383). Immigrants were less likely than non-immigrants to spend 6 hours or more a day on sedentary leisure activities (adjusted OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.42 - 0.97; p = 0.0350). Immigrants were also more likely than non-immigrants to engage in physical activity of at least moderate intensity, at least once a week (adjusted OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.07 - 2.05; p = 0.0192). Conclusion: Compared to non-immigrants, U.S. immigrants appear to have a tendency towards healthier lifestyles regarding diet and physical activity behavior. Strategies to sustain such tendencies among immigrants will promote health and reduce risks of obesity, cancer and other chronic diseases in the U.S. More robust studies are needed to shed more light on various socio-economic, cultural and demographic factors that influence proximal determinants of obesity.

With over 18% of the Canadian population born outside of Canada, the health of immigrants is an important concern. Heart health is of particular importance because heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in Canada. Using data from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS), the purpose of this thesis is to first establish whether immigrants to Canada have lower rates of coronary heart disease (CHD), and high blood pressure (HBP) than native-born Canadians, and second to determine the lifestyle and psychosocial factors that predict heart health and compare them between immigrants and native-born Canadians. Regression and survival analyses of the NPHS data indicate that lifestyle and psychosocial risk factors such as smoking status, body mass index, alcohol consumption and depression affect immigrants and native-born Canadians similarly. Immigration variables such as length of time in the host country and country of origin are significant risk factors for HBP, however, not in the incidence of CHD. Immigrants were more likely to have HBP than native-born Canadians. However, immigrants have a significantly lower incidence of CHD than native-born Canadians. Native-born Canadians are at a higher risk of heart disease at a younger age than immigrants. These results suggest that there must be other factors relating to immigration affecting the heart health of immigrants. Due to the complexity and high incidence of heart disease in Canada, it may never be possible to ascertain all of the risk factors for heart disease. However, this study has identified several key risk factors and has excluded other variables as possible risk factors. The risk factors identified in this study can form the basis for the development of heart health programs to target all Canadians-both native-and foreign-born. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Syftet med studien är ge ett kunskapsbidrag om hur några gymnasielever upplever att deras flerspråkighet inkluderas i svenskundervisningen för att främja språkutvecklingen. För att uppnå syftet har följande frågor besvarats: Hur upplever de inrikes- och utrikesfödda eleverna sin flerspråkighet och hur talar de om sin flerspråkighet? Vilka språkliga aspekter upplever de inrikes- och utrikesfödda eleverna påverkar inlärningar av det svenska språket? Hur upplever de inrikes- och utrikesfödda eleverna att deras flerspråkighet tas tillvara i svenskundervisningen? Studien tar sin utgångspunkt i den sociokulturella teorin där språket har en viktig funktion för elevernas inlärning. Undersökningen bygger på självrapporter och intervjuer i fokusgrupper. Studien inleds med en förundersökning där självrapporterna inhämtar förkunskaper och bakgrundsinformation om eleverna medan intervjuerna utgör den material som presenteras i resultatet. Det innebär att intervjuerna har en framträdande roll i studien. I resultatet framgår det att elevernas flerspråkighet är både en resurs och ett hinder i svenskundervisningen. Vidare synliggörs det i studien att ordförrådet och grammatiken är de främsta faktorerna som påverkar elevernas språkutveckling. Enligt eleverna blir de mer engagerade och motiverade till att lära sig svenska när deras flerspråkighet tas tillvara i undervisningen. Det innebär att elevers flerspråkighet främjar språkutvecklingen. / The aim of the study is to give knowledge about how some high school students perceive their multilingualism to be included when learning the Swedish language in order to encourage their language development. In order to achieve this purpose these questions have been answered: How do the native-born and foreign-born students experience their multilingualism and how do they speak regarding their multilingualism? Which aspects of language do the native-born and foreign-born students perceive to affect their learning of the Swedish language? How do the native-born and foreign-born students perceive their multilingualism to be utilized in Swedish language education? The study is based on the sociocultural theory where the language has an important function for students learning. The survey is based on self-reports and interviews in focus groups. The study begins with a preliminary investigation where the self-reports gather prior knowledge and background information about the students while the interviews constitute the material presented in the results. This means that the interviews have a prominent role in the study. The results show that students' multilingualism is both a resource and an obstacle when learning the Swedish language. Furthermore, the study makes it clear that the vocabulary and grammar are the main factors that affect the students' language development. According to the students, they become more engaged and motivated to learn Swedish when their multilingualism is being utilized in their education. This means that students' multilingualism promotes language development.

Unemployment amongst Swedish citizens is higher within the group which falls under the designation foreign-born. The aim of this thesis is to examine which municipal factors that can explain the differences in unemployment amongst foreign-born relative to native born.The empirical models are examined with both cross-sectional data for the year of 2010 and panel data for the years of 2002-2012. The examination is implemented through a linear regression analysis of the type Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Fixed Effect regressions. A theory section will be presented where the theory on Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate (NAIRU), theories on discrimination and country-specific human capital are illustrated. The result from the cross-sectional data shows that the amount of foreign-born, the level of foreign-born immigrated from Nordic countries have a significant negative effect on unemployment amongst foreign-born. The general unemployment shows a significant positive effect on the unemployment amongst foreign-born. The result from the panel data however shows that the acceptance rate in Swedish for immigrants (SFI) and the highest level for tertiary education also have a significant negative effect on unemployment amongst foreign born. According to the theory of country-specific human capital, an increase in languageskills and education will increase the individual’s human capital and productivity, hencedecrease unemployment amongst foreign-born. This theory also indicates that an increase in the level of foreign-born immigrated from Nordic countries has a lower “cultural distance”,hence easier to integrate into the Swedish labor market. Previous research indicates that an increase of the amount of foreign-born can decrease the unemployment amongst this group through an expansion of social network and employer contacts. According to the theory of NAIRU, the level of equilibrium unemployment is affected by changes in the composition ofthe workforce, hence should affect the unemployment amongst foreign-born in the corresponding direction. This indicates that the integration policy is of importance to bring down the level of NAIRU. / Arbetslöshet är ett omtalat fenomen inom den svenska samhällsdebatten. Arbetslösheten bland Sveriges invånare är högre bland den grupp människor som faller under beteckningen utrikes födda. Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka vilka kommunala faktorer som kan förklara skillnaden i arbetslöshet mellan utrikes- och inrikes födda. De empiriska modellerna testas både med tvärsnittsdata för år 2010 samt paneldata för år 2002-2012. Undersökningen genomförs med en linjär regressionsanalys av typen Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) samt Fixed Effect regressioner. Datamaterialet är av sekundär data från Statistiska centralbyrån(SCB). Ett teoriavsnitt kommer att presenteras där teorin om Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment (NAIRU) samt teorier om diskriminering och land-specifikt humankapital belyses. Resultatet av tvärsnittsdata visar att andelen utrikes födda, andelen invandrade från Norden har en signifikant negativ effekt på arbetslöshet bland utrikes födda samt att den allmänna arbetslösheten har en signifikant positiv effekt på arbetslöshet bland utrikes födda. Resultatet av paneldata visar att även andelen godkända i svenska för i invandrare samt högstaeftergymnasiala utbildningsnivå har en signifikant negativ effekt på arbetslöshet bland utrikesfödda. Enligt teorin om land-specifikt humankapital ökar språkkunskaper samt utbildning individens humankapital och således produktivitet vilket minskar arbetslösheten bland utrikesfödda. Denna teori belyser även att andelen invandrade från Norden har ett lägre ”kulturavstånd” och bör således ha lättare att integrera sig på den svenska marknaden. Detta medför att arbetslöshet bland utrikes födda reduceras. Tidigare forskning tyder på att ökad andel utrikes födda kan minska arbetslöshet bland denna grupp genom ökat socialt nätverkoch arbetsgivarkontakter. Enligt teorin om NAIRU, påverkas jämviktsarbetslösheten av förändringar i arbetskraftens sammansättningar vilket bör medföra en påverkan på arbetslöshet bland utrikes födda i motsvarande riktning. Detta indikerar att integrationspolitiken är av betydelse för att få ner nivån på NAIRU.

Diverses études s’accordent sur le fait que les immigrants, notamment dans les premiers moments succédant leur arrivée, sont en meilleure santé que les natifs, ce que l’on appelle l’« effet de sélection de l’immigrant en bonne santé » (ESIBS). Toutefois, cet effet tend à se dissiper avec la durée de résidence dans le pays d’accueil. Dans la perspective de vérifier si ce fait est toujours avéré au Canada, l’objectif principal de l’étude est de documenter l’évolution de l’ESIBS au cours des 20 dernières années. En outre, nous analysons l’évolution du rôle de la durée de résidence dans la dissipation de l’ESIBS, et en particulier nous cherchons à savoir si cette dissipation s’observe toujours et dans quelle mesure. Pour atteindre notre objectif, nous appuyons nos analyses sur les données issues de tous les passages de l’Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes (ESCC) de 2001 à 2018 (au nombre de 8), excepté celle de 2011-2012 pour laquelle les données sont indisponibles. Pour mesurer la santé des individus, nous nous en remettons principalement à la variable de la santé perçue ou auto-déclarée de l’ESCC. L’analyse descriptive, dans un premier temps, met en lumière le rôle de la durée de résidence sur la santé perçue en croisant cette variable avec une série de variables sociodémographiques, en particulier l’âge, le sexe, l’ethnicité et le revenu. Une analyse multivariée, basée sur le modèle complémentaire log-log (ou cloglog), permet d’étudier de manière plus approfondie les relations entre la variable (dépendante) de santé perçue et ces variables indépendantes. Comme résultats principaux, nous observons que l’ESIBS s’est maintenu tout au long de la période étudiée, de même que l’effet négatif sur la santé de la durée de résidence écoulée. Il semble même que l’ESIBS se soit accentué avec le temps, particulièrement pour les immigrants récents (i.e., durée de résidence < 10 ans). Cette amélioration s’observe plus particulièrement chez les femmes immigrantes récentes en 2018, probablement à cause d’un effet de sélection accru dans ces cohortes d’immigrantes. L’amélioration de la santé perçue des immigrants est également statistiquement significative, mais n’est pas aussi prononcée que pour les immigrantes. Hormis l’état matrimonial et la province de résidence pour lesquels l’effet n’était pas très important dans nos modèles, les autres variables conjuguées avec la durée de résidence permettent d’approfondir notre compréhension de l’ESIBS et de ses relations multivariées avec ses principaux déterminants mesurables. Fait notoire, l’ESIBS se manifeste presqu’exclusivement dans les groupes socioéconomiques les moins avantagés, et pratiquement pas dans les groupes avantagés, indiquant qu’un revenu élevé peut avoir le rôle d’un effet protecteur de la santé, chez les natifs comme chez les immigrants. / Various studies agree that immigrants, especially in the first moments after arrival, are healthier than the native-born, the so-called “healthy immigrant effect” (HIE). However, this effect tends to dissipate with the length of residence in the host country. In order to verify whether this fact is still true in Canada, the main objective of the study is to document the evolution of the HIE over the last 20 years. In addition, we analyze the changing role of residence time in the dissipation of HIE, and in particular whether and to what extent this dissipation is still observed. To achieve our objective, we base our analyses on data from all the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) rounds from 2001 to 2018 (8 in number), except for 2011-2012 for which data are unavailable. To measure the health of individuals, we rely primarily on the perceived or self-reported health variable of the CCHS. The descriptive analysis first highlights the role of length of residence on perceived health by cross-tabulating this variable with a series of socio-demographic variables, in particular age, gender, ethnicity and income. A multivariate analysis based on the complementary log-log (or cloglog) model, allows us to further investigate the relationships between the (dependent self-reported health variable and these independent variables. As main results we observe that the HIE has been maintained throughout the study period, as well as the negative effect of the length of residence on health. It even seems that the HIE has increased over time, especially for recent immigrants (i.e., length of residence <10 years). This improvement is particularly observed among recent immigrant women in 2018, probably due to an increased selection effect in these immigrant cohorts. The improvement in the self-reported health of immigrants is also statistically significant but is not as pronounced as for female immigrants. Apart from marital status and province of residence, for which the effect was not very significant in our models, the other variables combined with length of residence provide further insight into the HIE and its multivariate relationships with its main measurable determinants. Notably, HIE occurs almost exclusively in the lowest socio-economic groups, and almost not in the highest, indicating that high income may act as a protective effect on health, both for natives and immigrants.