Research Themes


Migrants, Minorities, and Unequal Opportunities

Among the demographic “headlines” of the last quarter century is the massive relocation of human populations. The movement of people across national boundaries has attracted the most scholarly attention, as societies seek ways to adjust to the increased ethnic and cultural diversity introduced by the new arrivals, and as immigrants adjust to their host societies. Substantial migration has also occurred within countries, mostly as a result of rapid urbanization or the flight of refugees from war or famine. The empirical impact of migration on population dynamics has brought renewed attention to migration methodology and theory, particularly the role of networks and the internally driven momentum of migration, both of which are independent of "push" or "pull" factors and frequently stymy policies to stem or direct migration. Furthermore, the demographic processes of international and internal migration are often accompanied by increased contact among different racial and ethnic groups. At the same time, racial and ethnic contours within a society are typically associated with the level of access to a society’s desirable, and sometimes scarce, resources such as educational attainment, economic success, political influence, and even good health. Research on these intersecting issues of migration, minority status, and access to opportunity defines the work of a substantial segment of CSDE scholars. The five subthemes below characterize this work.