Volunteerism among Mexican Youth in the US: The Role of Family Capital

This study investigates patterns of volunteerism within a rapidly growing segment of the population, Mexican immigrant and Mexican origin youth, using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS). These data show that volunteerism varies by immigrant generational status. Contradicting classical assimilation theory, first generation Mexican immigrant youth are found to be more likely to engage in volunteerism compared to their third+ generation counterparts. This difference is most pronounced at the lower end of the family income spectrum. The study also analyzes the effects of components of family capital, family income and parental education, on youth volunteerism. Family income and parental education both have a positive effect on volunteerism, but the former is associated with volunteerism of any frequency and the latter with regular volunteerism.