Richard D. Alba

Richard D. Alba, professor of sociology and public policy at the State University of New York, Albany, will compare the adaptation of second and third generation immigrants in the United States, France, Germany, and Great Britain. In the years following World War II, varying political ideologies, economic opportunities, and citizenship laws within each nation set distinct boundaries for newcomers. Alba will study patterns of residential segregation and mobility, educational attainment, occupational niches, intermarriage, and language acquisition among the descendants of diverse immigrant groups. He will also examine how the pre-existence of disadvantaged minority groups affected the assimilation of ethnic immigrants.