Migration and union dissolution among Puerto Rican women

This study examines the relationship between migration and union dissolution among Puerto Ricans, a Latino subgroup characterized by recurrent migration between Puerto Rico and the US mainland. Based on pooled life-history data from comparable surveys undertaken in Puerto Rico and the US, it finds that: Puerto Rican women who have lived on the US mainland have markedly higher rates of union disruption than those with no US experience; and even net of a wide variety of possible explanatory factors, the relatively high rates of union instability among first and second generation US residents and return migrants are strongly related to recent and lifetime migration experience. The results suggest that the weak social ties of migrants provide limited social support for their unions and few barriers to union disruption. -Authors