Determinants of Hispanic Poverty in the Course of the Transition to Adulthood

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The poverty rate among Hispanicfamilies is greater than 25%, a rate almost three times as high as that of non-Hispanic Whites. Yet, despite the data on the extent of poverty, we know little about the processes that result in poverty among Hispanics. This study examines the conditions during the transition to adulthood that affect the probability of poverty among this population. Based on data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, the study shows that factors associated with the socioeconomic resources of the family of origin and individual aptitude at the adolescent stage, as well as educational and migration decisions made in the course of the transition to adulthood, influence the risk offalling into poverty in young adulthood. On the other hand, although adolescent background is important, the unique placement of young adults in the current labor market also structures their poverty outcomes.