The Fertility of Migrants Before and After Crossing the Border: The Ethnic German Population from the Former Soviet Union as a Case Study

Abstract

Empirical data on persons of German ethnic origin migrating to Germany from the former Soviet Union are used to calculate their relative fertility levels before and after arriving in their new host country. Despite small numbers in the survey, a suitable method was used to effectively compare fertility before and after crossing the border with an index measure of national fertility rates. A relatively strong fertility decline was observed for German origin migrants (Aussiedler) from the former Soviet Union during their first years in Germany.More interesting, we consider, is how and to what extent the change in living conditions affected reproductive behaviour after arrival in Germany.

Marriage Migration Versus Family Reunification: How Does the Marriage and Migration History Affect the Timing of First and Second Childbirth Among Turkish Immigrants in Germany?

“…Perez-Patron (2012) found indicators of post-migration disruption among Mexican migrants in the USA, if migration occurred prior to the start of family formation. In addition, ethnic Germans (“Aussiedler”) have been shown to have experienced disruption in the period immediately after they arrived in Germany (Dinkel and Lebok 1997). Other studies found that fertility was disrupted prior to migration among Mexican immigrants in the USA and among several immigrant groups in Germany, Italy, Canada, and Spain (Carter 2000; Choi 2014; Milewski 2007; Mussino and Strozza 2012; Ng and Nault 1997; Vila and Martìn 2007).…”

Native and Migrant Fertility Patterns in Greece: A Cohort Approach

“…Several theories, mainly derived from the experience of the USA as a receiving country, have been developed over the last decades. The selectivity (Kahn 1988;Kulu 2005), disruption (Ford 1990;Ram and George 1990;Kahn 1994, Dinkel andLebok 1997;Ng and Nault 1997), minority status (Johnson 1979;Ritchey 1975;Roberts and Lee 1974), socialisation/ assimilation and adaptation (Ford 1990;Stephen and Bean 1992) and cultural maintenance hypotheses (Kahn 1988;Abbasi-Shavazi and McDonald 2002) are the most widely quoted. All these theories stress the importance of social and cultural norms in the countries of origin and destination, and attempt to discern how these, along with immigrant selectivity, affect the assimilation and childbearing processes in a new environment.…”

Introduction to research on immigrant and ethnic minority families in Europe

“…The first examines determinants of inter-ethnic marriage among immigrants and their descendants (Alba and Golden 1986;Bagley 1972;Berrington 1994;Coleman 1994;Kalmijn 1998;Pagnini and Morgan 1990), and the second investigates childbearing patterns (Dinkel and Lebok 1997;Schoorl 1990). While both research streams have a long tradition, the increased availability of individual-level longitudinal data in the past two decades has boosted research activity in these areas and significantly enhanced our understanding of immigrant and ethnic minority family behaviour (Andersson 2004;González-Ferrer 2006;Milewski 2007;Singley and Landale 1998).…”