Sending Money Home...For Now: Remittances and Immigrant Adaptation in the United States

This paper examines the factors that determine the remittance behavior of Latino immigrants in the United States. To study the question of who among the immigrants remits, the paper relies on three social science surveys, which it examines in depth, analyzing their indications about remittance behaviors. The author uses statistical modeling to rigorously analyze the following characteristics:

• Demographics such as age and education;
• Earnings and skill set;
• Immigration history and acculturation;
• Family characteristics and social networks.

Although there are some contradictions in the results of the three surveys, the common findings on remitting actions reveal:

• In terms of demographics, older and more educated immigrants are less likely to remit. Also, men are more likely to remit than women;
• Migrants who earn more are more likely to remit;
• Immigration and acculturation characteristics also influence the likelihood of remitting, with the more acculturated less likely to remit;
• The location of the immigrant's family has a dramatic impact on the likelihood of remitting. When immediate family is in the United States, remitting declines, and vice-versa;
• Social networks maintain ties to the place of origin and, consequently, increase the likelihood of remitting.

Based on the results of these surveys, the author concludes that new immigration must continue to replace the acculturating immigrants, ensuring that money flowing between the United States and Latin America continues to increase in the future.