The Determinants of Earnings of Korean Immigrants in the United States

Abstract

This paper tries to explain the earnings attainment of Korean immigrants in the Chicago area by combining insights provided by different perspectives, each of which emphasizes a distinct factor: human capital, acculturation, or positions in the labor market. Among others, it is argued that these factors are interactive and therefore the impact of one factor cannot be properly assessed without considering other factors simultaneously. More specifically, while the rates of returns on the investments in human capital and acculturation are positive in the primary labor market, the same is not true in the secondary labor market or in the self-employed segment.