Department of Sociology and Criminology

Professional Bio

Research and Teaching Interests

Immigration (Health and Well-being of Children of Immigrants, Assimilation and Integration of Immigrants; Unauthorized Migration, Indirect Estimation Techniques of Migration Flows); Social Demography; Demographic Techniques; Health

Research Interests

I am interested in demography, immigrant integration, and health.  One part of my work is to use demographic methods to estimate the size, characteristics, and dynamics of the unauthorized foreign-born population. Another part of my work focuses on the health and well-being of immigrants and their children.

Current Research Projects

I am currently working on a project that uses linked U.S. Census data to better understand the assimilation process as it unfolded for Mexican immigrants across the 20th century.  In this project, we are asking questions  such as: Did Mexican immigrants and their descendants differ from other immigrant groups, such as the Italians and Irish, in educational attainment and mobility during the 1940s and 1950s?  Have their chances improved following the reforms of the civil rights era? Finally, how do the results connect to contemporary policy debates about how American society can expand opportunities for future immigrants and their children?  Overall, this work engages in core debates currently confronting American society about whether it can successfully integrate increasingly diverse waves of newcomers.