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Martin Dribe. Photo.

Martin Dribe

Professor, Centre director, Centre for Economic Demography

Martin Dribe. Photo.

Kinship and opportunity: Swedish chain migration to the United States, 1880–1920

Author

  • Marcos Castillo
  • Martin Dribe
  • Jonas Helgertz

Summary, in English

Between 1850 and 1930, millions of Europeans emigrated to the United States, attracted by opportunities for a better life. We study the role of migrant networks in fostering emigration, using individual-level Swedish full-count census data for men and women, linked to emigration records. Our findings show that having previously migrating siblings was an important determinant of emigration, particularly if the migrating sibling was of the same gender. The presence of migrant networks of kin outside the immediate family also promoted emigration. Moreover, migrant networks were most important for prospective migrants from areas with the weakest migration history. The importance of migrant networks for women did not vary according to social class, while for men in rural areas, the role of siblings emigrating was more important influencing emigration in the lowest social class.

Department/s

  • Department of Economic History
  • Centre for Economic Demography

Publishing year

2025-06-02

Language

English

Pages

1-15

Publication/Series

Explorations in Economic History

Volume

97

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Academic Press

Topic

  • Economic History

Status

Published

Project

  • Wallenberg Scholar (Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation)

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0014-4983