Linkage Errors Overstate Assimilation

Research on multi‑generational mobility shows that measurement error, short time windows, and imperfect intergenerational linkage make societies look more mobile than they are. Applying this directly to immigration, common datasets and methods likely overstate how quickly second‑ and third‑generation immigrants converge to natives on income and other outcomes. More robust, lifetime measures and better-linked records are needed to estimate true assimilation rates. — If assimilation has been overstated by data artifacts, models and policies that assume rapid convergence may be miscalibrated, affecting debates over immigration scale and integration strategy.