Woodrow, Karen A., and Amelia Peregoy. 1991. “Parents, Siblings, and Children: How Many Do Immigrants and Native-born Persons Have?” Presented at the 1991 annual meeting of the Population Association of America, Washington, D.C. Abstract.


Legal immigrants to the U.S. include vast numbers of immediate relatives (parents, siblings, or children) of citizens or permanent resident aliens in the U.S. The potential for chain migration under the preference system and the immediate relatives provision has been the subject of considerable debate. The extent to which chain migration has occurred and may yet occur may be assessed with new survey data. The November 1989 Current Population Survey (CPS) Supplement on Language, Immigration, and Emigration included special questions on the numbers of parents, brothers, sisters and children living and the numbers living outside the U.S. Based on appropriate weighting of these responses for multiple reporting, estimates for parents, siblings, and children living inside and outside of the U.S. are derived for the native-born and foreign-born populations. Since the statuses of parent, sibling, or child are not mutually exclusive, this research also presents estimates for living immediate relatives by residence inside or outside of the U.S. Family reunification is evident for the immigrant population. Great potential is demonstrated for further family reunification, especially for siblings.