Premium or Penalty? Occupations and Earnings of Ottoman Immigrants and Their Offspring in the United States, 1900-1940

We study the economic integration of immigrants from Ottoman Syria and Turkey and their offspring in the US using full count census data for the period 1900 to 1940. Using imputed earnings measures we find significant premiums for men on arrival in the US, but significant penalties when using actual earnings data collected in 1940. These penalties grow with time since arrival, suggesting low levels of assimilation. However, the second generation closes most of the gap to native Whites. This contrasts with the experience of Northern European immigrants who matched natives more closely in terms of occupations and earnings