Immigrant Remitters in the U.S.: Sex and Ethnic Differences

Amelie Constant, DIW DC and George Washington University
Agnieszka Postepska, Georgetown University
Patrick Wetherille, Harvard University

As the quintessential link between home and host countries, remittances are an integral part of immigrant behavior. Based on the New Immigrant Survey we estimate Tobit models to determine the characteristics of remitters. We also employ semiparametric techniques to check for the robustness of our results without the assumption of normality. With the notable exception of Filipinas we find women remitting significantly less than men. Respondents’ income is a positive and significant determinant of the amount of remittances. Remittances decreases with education, and are significantly influenced by additional years of residence in the host country. Immigrants remit more in the beginning albeit at a decreasing rate, but stop remitting after a threshold number of years in the host country. Married immigrants and those with many children remit less. Immigrants from Mexico and China remit significantly more than those from Northern America, UK and Oceania.