Health among Black Children by Generational Status and Parental Nativity

Arun S. Hendi, University of Pennsylvania

Among U.S. blacks, the proportion of children with foreign-born parents has increased from 9% to 17% from 2000-2012 due to large migration streams from Africa and the Caribbean. Despite its rapid growth over the past decade—from roughly 930,000 to over 2 million children—relatively little is known about this subpopulation. We examine differences in health outcomes among U.S. black children distinguished by the mother’s region of birth and the child’s generational status. We find that children of foreign-born mothers were healthier across all five outcomes compared to children of U.S.-born mothers. Among children of foreign-born mothers, those born in the U.S. performed worse on all health outcomes relative to children born abroad. African-origin children had the most favorable health profile. Longer duration of U.S. residence among foreign-born mothers was associated with poorer child health. Maternal educational attainment and other socio-demographic characteristics did little to explain these differences.