To do so, Abramitzky and Boustan collected millions of tax filings, census records and other data and analyzed upward mobility over time. As in the past, immigrants themselves tend to remain poor if they arrive poor, as many do. Within a generation or two, immigrant families resemble native families in economic terms. Overall upward mobility has declined sharply. For a mix of reasons — including their willingness to move to U.S. regions with strong economies — immigrant families have kept climbing society’s ladder.

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Persons: — Ran Abramitzky, Leah Boustan, Princeton —, ”, Boustan Organizations: Stanford, Princeton, Immigrants Locations: United States, Gold, Asia, Latin America, Italy, Russia, U.S