Growing pains : child marriage and immigrant integration in the United States
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What is the impact of originating from a country with high rates of child marriage on the economic integration outcomes of female immigrants residing in the United States? Using data collected in the 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS), I examine the consequences of originating from countries with child marriage on educational and economic integration outcomes to highlight the post-migration effects of pre-migration gendered experiences, specifically structural inequality. There is significant literature suggesting life-long economic challenges for victims of child marriage, including poor health outcomes, lack of formal education, lower lifetime earnings, and high levels of poverty. Countries with child marriage also tend to heavily restrict the economic empowerment of women, including their access to education and work. While the consequences of child marriage are well known, less is known about how originating from a country where it is the cultural norm shapes immigrant integration outcomes. I argue that originating from a country with high rates of child marriage will negatively impact the economic and educational integration outcomes of female immigrants. Two linear regressions provide support for my theory. This study contributes to the growing immigrant integration literature seeking to understand the significance of pre-migration experiences, intersectional feminist literature highlighting the gendered nature of migration, and human rights literature seeking to demonstrate the lifelong effects of child marriage.
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M.A.