Immigration and Work

Immigrants and their descendants are growing populations that are rapidly changing the racial/ethnic composition of the United States and many societies across the globe. People migrate from one place to another for a multitude of reasons but work ? whether in the high-skilled, low-wage, or informal sectors of the economy, or the drive to establish a business - remains a primary motivation. This volume brings together new empirical studies and theoretical innovations from scholars at the forefront of research concentrating on the intersection of immigration and work. The chapters examine topic that are salient in research on immigration today, such as how legal status impacts immigrant workers in varying contexts, but they also highlight new empirical and theoretical approaches to emerging themes, like labor unions and the transnational entrepreneurs that characterize today's global migration flows. The chapters also advance classical questions of ethnic enterprise, occupational riches, and racial/ethnic relations. Chapters in this volume investigate core questions such as how larger structural inequalities in sending and receiving nations, immigrant entry policies, group characteristics, and micro level processes, such as discrimination and access to ethnic networks and community resources, shape labor market outcomes and immigrant integration. These topics are explored among diverse populations and societies using varying methodological approaches. Several contributions, especially those examining the impact of legal status and labor unions for low-income workers, provide important insights for policy makers attempting to address issues of immigrant mobility and integration in varying contexts.