APPENDIX
VARIABLE OPERATIONALIZATION
Variables Original Survey Questions Operationalization
A. Dependent variables
Employment status [C16] Are you doing any work for pay at the present time?
For those who are working, [C22_X] are you self-employed or working for someone else at this job?
1= Employed by others 2= Self-employed 3= Unemployed
Occupational status [C18] What kind of work do you do on this job? (current U.S. job) 1= Low occupational status (reference)
2= Middle occupational status 3= High occupational status Part-time/Full-time status [C33] How many hours a week do you usually work at this job? 1= Part-time status
2= Full-time status B. Independent variables
Human Capital
Foreign-earned human capital Education in the foreign
countries
[A20] How many years of schooling in total have you completed?
[A21] How many these years in school were spent in the United States?
Continuous variable
Total years of schooling– Total years of schooling in the U.S.
Work experience in foreign countries
[B25] Before you came to the United States, had you ever worked for pay or as a family worker in a household enterprise?
0= No foreign-earned work experience (reference group) 1= Having foreign-earned work experience
Occupational status in foreign countries
[B29OC] What kind work did you do on this job? ( job abroad) 0= Unemployed/Low
occupational status (reference) 1= Middle occupational status 2= High occupational status
!
Host-country human capital
Education in the U.S. [A21] How many these years in school were spent in the United States?
Continuous variable Work experience in the U.S. [B74] Have you worked since you came to the United States to
live?
0= No U.S. work experience (reference group)
1= Having U.S. work experience Occupational status of the
first job in the U.S.
[B78OC] What kind of work did you on this job? (first U.S. job) 0= Unemployed/Low
occupational status (reference) 1= Middle occupational status 2= High occupational status English language
proficiency
[J13] How well would you say you understand English when someone is speaking to you?
[J14] How well would you say you speak English when someone is speaking to you?
0 = Low level 1= Medium level 2= High level Health [D1] Would you say your health is excellent, very good, good,
fair, or poor?
0= Poor/Fair (reference group) 1= Good/Very good/Excellent Social Capital
Strong-tie based social capital Support from family,
relatives and friends
[I13] During the last twelve months, did you or your spouse give or receive any financial assistance (such as gifts, transfers, bequests, or loans) to or from your parents or step-parents when they were not living with you in the same house?
[I17] During the last twelve months, did you or your spouse give or receive any financial assistance to or from your spouse's parents or step-parents when they were not living with you in the same house?
[I21] During the last twelve months, did you or your spouse give or receive any financial assistance to or from any of your
0= No support (reference group) 1= Received support
!
[I27] During the last twelve months, did you or your spouse give or receive any financial assistance to or from any of your
spouse’s siblings when they were not living with you in the same house?
[I31] During the last twelve months, did you or your spouse give or receive any financial assistance to or from any other relatives besides your spouse, children, parents, spouse's parents, siblings, or spouses' siblings or friends when they were not living with you in the same house?
U.S. native spouse [A145_X] In what country was your [husband/wife] born? 0= No U.S.-born spouse (reference group) 1= U.S.-born spouse Weak-tie based social capital
Membership
Social group
Religious group
Religious participation
While living outside of the United States did you give money, time or goods to any of the following organizations outside of the United States?
[J88] A labor union?
[J89] A business or professional organization?
[J90] A charitable organization?
[J92] A social club or community group?
[J93] An ethnic or national origin association?
[J39] Do you presently consider yourself to be a member of a specific church, parish, temple, synagogue, or mosque in the Unites State?
[J38o] Since becoming a permanent resident, how many times have you attended religious services?
0= No social group membership (reference group)
1= Yes
0= No religious group
membership (reference group) 1= Yes
0= Never (reference group) 1= 1-23 times
2= more than 23 times
!
[J42] Please tell us approximately what percent of adults in the church, parish, temple, synagogue, or mosque that you attend most often come from your country of origin?
[J44] Please tell us approximately what percent of adults in the church, parish, temple, synagogue, or mosque that you attend most often come from the United States?
0= Less than 50% are from my country (reference group) 1= 50% and more are from my country
0= Less than 50% are natives (reference group)
1= 50% and more are natives C. Moderating Variables
Gender [A6] Are you male or female? 0= Female (reference group)
1= Male Race/Ethnicity [N 16] Surveys of American citizens typically ask questions on
ethnicity and race. How would you answer these questions? Do you consider yourself to be Hispanic or Latino?
[K17_2] Asian?
[K17_3] Black, Negro or African American?
[K17_5] White? D. Control Variables
Individual Characteristics
Age [A7] In what year were you born? Continuous variable
Region of birth (Country of origin)
[A9a] In what country were you born? 1= Western Europe/Oceania/North America (reference)
2= Eastern Europe/Former USSR/Central Asia 3= Latin America and the Caribbean
4= Mexico 5= Asia
6= India/Middle East/North Africa
!
Immigration history
Age at arrival in the U.S. Continuous variable
Entering year into the U.S. The year of the first entry into the United States 0= 2002 and after (reference) 1= Before 2002
Years in the U.S. Duration in years of current stay in the U.S. 1= 3yrs and less (reference) 2= 4-10yrs
3= 11yrs and more Class of admission [CIS] visacatmo
NIS visa categories
Interview language [R1] Any other language used 0=Only English
1=Other languages Family Characteristics
Household size [A11] Including yourself, how many people are currently living in your household?
Continuous variable Marital status [A52] Are you now?
Married/Living together with someone else in a marriage-like relationship/Separated/Divorced/Widowed/Never married, not living with comes in a marriage like relationship
1= Married/Cohabiting (not separated) (reference group) 2=Separated/Divorced/Widowed 3= Never married
Presence of young children (under the age of 6) in the household
Children under the age(s) of 6 in the household 0= No child <6 present (reference group) 1= Child(en) <6 present
Bank account [H112] Have checking or savings accounts 0= No
1= Yes