Does “Where do you come from” matter in internal migration choices? A study of the nativity and ethnicity impact on internal migration status in the US from 1994 to 2019

Abstract: The migration issue has been a hot topic for decades. However, internal migration has not received as much attention as international migration. Furthermore, the internal migration pattern can differentiate from ethnicities and nativity status, further impacting their social-economic status. This thesis aims to discover the ethnic differences in internal migration patterns and the differences between the first generation and second generation migrants internal migration patterns. Some social, economic status will also be added for analyzing. In this thesis, the data is taken from IPUMS CPS from the US between 1994 to 2019, which is a broad survey data which collects demographic information. In this thesis, the quantitative method was used, and the models were based on a logistic model, which is a binary choice model. In results, it is discovered that black and Latino Ethnicity has a higher internal migration likelihood, whereas Asian ethnicities have insignificant effects. The first generation migrants have a significant positive impact on internal migration patterns. In contrast, the second generation mainly has a negative impact on the internal migration pattern. The study result proved that the first generation migration also migrates more than natives, whereas the second generation migrant may not assimilate the natives.