Feng Hou

Changes in Family Structure and Child Outcomes: Roles of Economic and Familial Resources

This article examines the effects of changes in family structure (from a family with two original parents to a lone-parent family or a stepfamily) on emotional-behavioral and cognitive outcomes of young children. We use data from three cycles of the National Longitudinal Surveys of Children and Youth, first conducted in 1994–95, and every 2 years since then. The present analysis is based on data for children, who were 4 to 7 years old at the first cycle. We find that compared with children in families with two original parents, those in lone-parent and stepparent families are at a disadvantage on every measure of child outcome, even when their initial disadvantages and socioeconomic background are taken into account. We also find that the deterioration in economic resources is more important in explaining the relationship between family structure and cognitive outcomes (such as math and reading scores) but not emotional-behavioral outcomes, whereas the deterioration in familial resources—ineffective parenting and parental depression, in particular—is more important in explaining the effects on emotional-behavioral outcomes. The scarcity of material resources mediates the relationship between family structure and cognitive outcomes, whereas the diminution of familial resources mediates the relationship between changes in family structure and emotional-behavioral outcomes.

Regional effects on the mental health of immigrant children: Results from the New Canadian Children and Youth Study (NCCYS)

Children in immigrant families from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and the Philippines living in Toronto and Montreal are at higher risk of Emotional Problems than children in immigrant families in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver (Beiser et al., 2010). The current publication explores human capital, social capital, institutional receptivity, and perceptions of welcome as explanations for regional disparities. Parents lack of linguistic fluency, and depressive symptoms provided the most likely explanation for Montreals mental health disadvantage. Immigrant human and social capital, poor home-school relationships, marginalization, and lack of neighborhood organization contributed to the prediction of risk for emotional problems among immigrant children in Toronto, but may not fully account for differences between Toronto and Vancouver.

Chronic health conditions, labour market participation and resource consumption among immigrant and native-born residents of Canada

AbstractObjectives To compare chronic illnesses, economic dependence and health-care use by immigrants and native-born Canadians.MethodsA secondary analysis of the Canada Community Health Survey national data (2009–2010) was conducted.ResultsRecent and established immigrants were healthier than native-born Canadians. Healthy, established immigrants were more likely than native-born Canadians to be working, and no more likely to use transfer payments. Health-challenged recent immigrants had high employment rates, but low rates of health care. Health-challenged established immigrants and native born were equally likely to be working, depending on transfer payments and using health care. Regardless of nativity or health, education, male gender and linguistic fluency increased the probability of employment. Female gender and advancing age increased the likelihood of dependency. Residents of Canada’s most prosperous regions were the most likely to be employed and the least likely to receive transfer payments.ConclusionsImmigrants with chronic illnesses do not inevitably dilute the economic benefits of immigration or create excessive burden. Timely programs to promote integration can help ensure a favourable balance between economic contribution and social cost. Neglecting the health of new immigrants may eventuate in long-term disability.

Patterns and determinants of immigrants’ sense of belonging to Canada and their source country

ABSTRACT This study examines the relative distribution of immigrants who have: strong sense of belonging to both Canada and the source country; strong sense of belonging to Canada only; strong sense of belonging to the source country only; and weak sense of belonging to Canada and the source country. It further examines four sets of determinants of these acculturation profiles, including source-country socio-economic and cultural characteristics, immigrant entry status, post-migration experience, and demographic characteristics. Using a large national representative sample of 7,000 immigrants in Canada from over 100 countries, this study finds that the overwhelming majority of immigrants have a strong sense of belonging to Canada with or without a strong sense of belonging to their source country. Source-country attributes are as important as immigrant entry status and post-migration experience in affecting immigrants’ sense of belonging to Canada and their source country.

Bosses of Their Own: Are the Children of Immigrants More Likely to be Self-Employed than their Parents?

Using a generational cohort method, this paper compares the self-employment rates of immigrant parents and their children when they were in the same age range of 25 to 44. The focus is on three questions: (1) Are the children of immigrants more or less likely to be self-employed than their parents? (2) Are the children of immigrants more or less likely to be self-employed than the children of Canadian-born parents? (3) Is the generational change from immigrant parents to their children in the self-employment rate different to that from Canadian-born parents to their children? The results show that Canadian-born male children of immigrants had a lower self-employment rate than their fathers. The decline in the self-employment rate was not unique from immigrant fathers to second-generation men. It was also observed from Canadian-born parents to their children. For both groups, the decline was related to changes in life-course events—longer schooling, fewer marriages and fewer children. Similar to the difference among their fathers, the second-generation men had a higher self-employment rate than the third-and-higher-generation men. Among women, the self-employment rate increased from immigrant mothers to their daughters and from Canadian-born mothers to their daughters.