Immigrant Integration and Immigrant Segregation - The Relationship Between School and Housing Segregation and Immigrants' Futures in the U.S.

Oct 15, 2026

Explores how immigrant integration and immigrant segregation interact, focusing on the connection between school segregation, housing segregation, and immigrants’ future outcomes in the United States. Frames the analysis through major theoretical approaches and evaluates patterns using quantitative data, comparing effects on educational and broader life trajectories. Synthesizes existing scholarship and evidence to inform inclusive, equitable housing and school policies, culminating in a research agenda for policy and practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages52

Reading Time2 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

About the Author

Immigrant Integration and Immigrant Segregation

The Relationship Between School and Housing Segregation and Immigrants' Futures in the U.S.

Current Situation

Who Are the Immigrants in the United States?

Theoretical Frameworks

School Segregation and Immigrants’ Outcomes

Residential Segregation and Immigrants’ Outcomes

Quantitative Data Analysis

Conclusion

References

Appendix 1: Key Immigrant Related Characteristics, by State

Immigrant Integration and Immigrant Segregation The Relationship Between School and Housing Segregation and Immigrants' Futures in the U.S. Martha Cecilia Bottia, Ph. D. April 2019 Acknowledgements Thanks to UnidosUS for its initial financial support of this project in 2018 , and helpful comments from Unidos’ staff on an earlier draft (but note that PRRAC and the author are solely responsible for the analysis and conclusions in this report) . Thanks also to Gina Chirichigno and Susan Eaton, who shared some of their photographic archives from the One Nation Indivisible project, highlighting school integration and immigrant integration stories from across the U.S.([www.onenationindivisible.org](www.onenationindivisible.org)) . PRRAC Senior Research Associate Brian Knudsen assisted in the editing and other input for Dr. Bottia. Cover photo by Gina Chirichigno. Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................... i About the Author .............................................................................................. ii Immigrant Integration and Immigrant Segregation: ...............................................1 The Relationship Between School and Housing Segregation and Immigrants ' Futures in the U.S. Current Situation ..............................................................................................2 Who Are the Immigrants in the United States? ......................................................4 Theoretical Frameworks ....................................................................................6 School Segregation and Immigrants’ Outcomes ...................................................9 Residential Segregation and Immigrants’ Outcomes ............................................16 Quantitative Data Analysis ...............................................................................22 Conclusion ....................................................................................................33 References ....................................................................................................36 Appendix 1 : Key Immigrant Related Characteristics, by State ...............................43 Introduction By Susan Eaton No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, or how you feel or what you believe or think you understand about immigration, the numbers make one thing clear. The fate of the United States is tied up with the fate of its immigrants. One in four children living in the United States has at least one parent who is an immigrant. The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that 14 percent of US residents —or 44 million people —were born outside the country. This is among the largest shares of immigrants in the U.S. since the 1890’s, when 14.7 percent of the nation’s population was foreign-born. In 2014, data from the New American Economy shows that immigrants paid $328.2 billion in local, state and federal taxes. In New Jersey, New York and California that year, immigrants paid more than 20 percent of the total paid in state taxes. In March 2019, New American Economy reported that Houston’s immigrants generated more than a quarter of that regions gross domestic product (GDP) . As Dr. Martin Luther King and more recently, Congressman John Lewis remind us, our foremothers and forefathers may have come to this nation on different ships, but weare “all in the same boat now.” This report from Martha Cecilia Bottia helps us more clearly see this truth and act upon it constructively. This much-needed, thorough review of the existing scholarship on what is known (and still unknown) about the relationship between residential segregation and various outcomes for immigrants, is an important foundation on which to build inclusive, equitable housing and school policies. Bottia also clearly elucidates the various theoretical frameworks that hav

FAQs

What is the core question of the report?

The report examines how school segregation and housing segregation are related to immigrants’ future outcomes in the United States, contrasting dynamics of integration and segregation.

Which groups or populations does the report describe?

It discusses who immigrants are in the United States and situates their role using national and regional statistics on foreign-born residents.

How does the report organize its evidence and analysis?

It outlines theoretical frameworks and then analyzes outcomes tied to school segregation and residential segregation using quantitative data analysis, followed by conclusions and references.

Oct 15, 2026

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