Description
I hypothesize that first, unauthorized migrant women are more likely to have U.S.- born children and second, women who have U.S.-born children are more likely to settle permanently in the United States. I analyze the 2007 Boston Metropolitan Immigrant Health and Legal Status survey and the 2011 Los Angeles County Mexican Immigrant Health and Legal Status survey (n=488 observations) to test this. I employ multivariate logistic regression to test whether having a U.S.-born child is positively associated with reporting intentions to settle permanently, controlling for individual characteristics, home, neighborhood and social capital, and work-related factors. The results indicate a disconfirmation the "anchor baby" hypothesis. Legal permanent resident migrant women are more likely to have U.S.-born children and having a U.S.-born child has little to no effect on intending to settle permanently in the United States. These findings confirm there is no evidence of an "anchor baby" hypothesis.
