Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), 1991-2006 (ICPSR 20520)
Version Date: Jan 23, 2012 View help for published
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s)
Alejandro Portes, Princeton University;
Rubén G. Rumbaut, University of California-Irvine
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR20520.v2
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2018-02-15 The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented. The previous citation was:
- Portes, Alejandro, and Rubén G. Rumbaut. Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), 1991-2006. ICPSR20520-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2012-01-23. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR20520.v2
2012-01-23 Variable naming convention detail was added to the updated codebook.
2011-12-20 New covers were added to the documentation.
2010-08-19 Minor edits were made to some variable labels and question text.
2008-01-07 Minor edits were made to the metadata, and additional text describing the third survey, CILS-III, has been included.
2007-10-18 Variable naming convention detail was added to the codebook.
Summary View help for Summary
Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS) was designed to study the adaptation process of the immigrant second generation which is defined broadly as United States-born children with at least one foreign-born parent or children born abroad but brought at an early age to the United States. The original survey was conducted with large samples of second-generation immigrant children attending the 8th and 9th grades in public and private schools in the metropolitan areas of Miami/Ft. Lauderdale in Florida and San Diego, California. Conducted in 1992, the first survey had the purpose of ascertaining baseline information on immigrant families, children's demographic characteristics, language use, self-identities, and academic attainment. The total sample size was 5,262. Respondents came from 77 different nationalities, although the sample reflects the most sizable immigrant nationalities in each area. Three years later, corresponding to the time in which respondents were about to graduate from high school, the first follow-up survey was conducted. Its purpose was to examine the evolution of key adaptation outcomes including language knowledge and preference, ethnic identity, self-esteem, and academic attainment over the adolescent years. The survey also sought to establish the proportion of second-generation youths who dropped out of school before graduation. This follow-up survey retrieved 4,288 respondents or 81.5 percent of the original sample. Together with this follow-up survey, a parental survey was conducted. The purpose of this interview was to establish directly characteristics of immigrant parents and families and their outlooks for the future including aspirations and plans for the children. Since many immigrant parents did not understand English, this questionnaire was translated and administered in six different foreign languages. In total, 2,442 parents or 46 percent of the original student sample were interviewed. During 2001-2003, or a decade after the original survey, a final follow-up was conducted. The sample now averaged 24 years of age and, hence, patterns of adaptation in early adulthood could be readily assessed. The original and follow-up surveys were conducted mostly in schools attended by respondents, greatly facilitating access to them. Most respondents had already left school by the time of the second follow-up so they had to be contacted individually in their place of work or residence. Respondents were located not only in the San Diego and Miami areas, but also in more than 30 different states, with some surveys returned from military bases overseas. Mailed questionnaires were the principal source of completed data in this third survey. In total, CILS-III retrieved complete or partial information on 3,613 respondents representing 68.9 percent of the original sample and 84.3 percent of the first follow-up.Relevant adaptation outcomes measured in this survey include educational attainment, employment and occupational status, income, civil status and ethnicity of spouses/partners, political attitudes and participation, ethnic and racial identities, delinquency and incarceration, attitudes and levels of identification with American society, and plans for the future.
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Sample View help for Sample
CILS followed a sample of over 5,200 children of immigrants from early adolescence to early adulthood, interviewing them at three key points of their life cycle: in junior high school, at average age 14, just prior to high school graduation (or dropping out of school), at average age 17, at the beginning of their work careers (or continuing schooling), at average age 24. Each sample wave retrieved approximately 85 percent of the preceding one. The third wave produced data on 3,564 respondents or 68 percent of the original sample.
Time Method View help for Time Method
Universe View help for Universe
Immigrant second generation children born in the United States with at least one foreign-born parent, or children born abroad but brought to the United States at an early age.
Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation
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HideOriginal Release Date View help for Original Release Date
2007-10-04
Version History View help for Version History
2018-02-15 The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented. The previous citation was:
- Portes, Alejandro, and Rubén G. Rumbaut. Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), 1991-2006. ICPSR20520-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2012-01-23. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR20520.v2
2012-01-23 Variable naming convention detail was added to the updated codebook.
2011-12-20 New covers were added to the documentation.
2010-08-19 Minor edits were made to some variable labels and question text.
2008-01-07 Minor edits were made to the metadata, and additional text describing the third survey, CILS-III, has been included.
2007-10-18 Variable naming convention detail was added to the codebook.
1st assistance agency
Please tell us which agencies were these?
1st group discriminating
And what group has mostly discriminated against you?
1st language parent uses w/child
In what language do you mostly speak to your child?
1st language spoken in residence
What is the language spoken most in this residence?
1st year in US/receive assistance
During your first year of residence in the U.S., did your or your family receive any kind of economic assistance from a government or private agency?
1st year/contact US dept/agency
During your first year of residence, did you have any contact with agencies or departments of the U.S. government?
2nd assistance agency
Please tell us which agencies were these?
2nd language parent uses w/child
In what 2nd language do you mostly speak to your child?
2nd language spoken in residence
What is the language spoken 2nd most in this residence?
3rd assistance agency
Please tell us which agencies were these?
Adult neighbor at home after school
Are any of the following people at home when your child returns home from school? Adult neighbor?
Adults child can look up to
Please tell us how much you agree or disagree with each statement. There are a lot of adults around here my children can look up to.
Age 30 expected occ. Treiman prestige score
Treiman prestige score for v426
Age 30 expected occupation
What type of occupation do you realistically expect to have when you reach age 30?
Agency help w/adjustment
Would you say that these contacts helped you or made it harder for you to adapt to life in the U.S.?
American way of life/weakens family
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements: The American way of life weakens the family.
American way of life/weakens family
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements: The American way of life weakens the family.
Americans feel superior
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements: Americans generally feel superior to foreigners.
Americans feel superior to foreigners
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements: Americans generally feel superior to foreigners.
Amount saved/child education
About how much money have you set aside for your child's future educational needs?
Annual dropout rate/1995
Annual Dropout Rate at 1995 School (School Records)
Asian student school percent
Percent of Asian Students in School
Assistance type
What kind of assistance was this?
Assoc/junior college major
What was your major field of study?
Associate/junior college degree
What degree or diplomas have you received? Associate or junior college degree-an AA?
Associate/junior college degree year
What year did you receive it?
At times I think I am no good at all
Please indicate how you feel about the following statements: At times I think I am no good at all.
At times I think I am no good at all
Please indicate how you agree or disagree with the following statements: At times I think I am no good at all.
Bachelor's degree
What degree or diplomas have you received? Bachelor's degree-a BA, AB, BS?
Bachelor's degree major
What was your major field of study?
Bachelor's degree year
What year did you receive it?
Better find job near parents
Please indicate how you feel about the following statements: When looking for a job a person should find a job near his/her parents even if it means losing a better job somewhere else.
Bilingual 1992-1993
Bilingual in 1992-93 (Constructed from c4 and c6)
Bilingual 1995-1996
Bilingual in 1995-96 (Constructed from c5 and c7)
Black student school percent
Percent of Black Students in School
Buy from stores/owned by country people
How true are the following statements? I prefer to buy in stores owned by people from my own country.
CASE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
CILS III questionnaire
Have CILS III questionnaire?
Can pay for child education w/o assistance
Indicate which statement is true or false for your family. We can pay for our child's further education without getting any outside assistance.
Case ID
Case Number
Child biological parent location
Where does your child's other biological parent currently live?
Child make money needed for education
Indicate which statement is true or false for your family. My child will be able to earn most of the money he or she will need for schooling beyond high school.
Child opposition/marry white American
Do you think your child will experience opposition in the future if he/she wants to: Marry a white American.
Child opposition/white club
Do you think your child will experience opposition in the future if he/she wants to: Join a club of white Americans.
Child opposition/white neighborhood
Do you think your child will experience opposition in the future if he/she wants to: Move into a white American neighborhood.
Child raising customs
Do you want your child to be raised according to the customs of your own country or according to American customs?
Children importance
Finally, how important is each of the following to you in your life? Having children.
Choose job near parents
Please indicate how you feel about the following statements: When looking for a job a person should find a job near his/her parents even if it means losing a better job somewhere else.
City current residence
City of current residence
Close community from birth country
How true are the following statements? I have a close community of friends among people from my country.