In the United States, high rates of immigration have once again raised important questions concerning the effect of ethnic diversity on patterns of socioeconomic mobility and levels of inequality between racial and ethnic groups. However, despite the potential effect of immigration and ethnic diversity on racial and ethnic stratification within multiethnic societies, research has yet to provide an examination of the impact of these factors on patterns of social mobility over the life course. While prior research focuses extensively on metropolitan area characteristics related to contemporaneous race and ethnic labor market disparities, the contribution of this research is to examine the multiethnic aspects of communities that affect the career trajectories of American workers. Applying cross-classified multilevel growth curve models to data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and U.S. Census Bureau, this research will provide a comprehensive assessment of the social forces contributing to the differential patterns of intragenerational socioeconomic mobility among race, ethnic, and gender groups in the post-civil rights era. Particular attention is given to the impact of immigration and ethnic diversity on occupational attainment, earnings growth, and acquired work experience of native born workers from young to middle adulthood. The dissemination of this research will impact the broader society by helping researchers, policy makers, teachers, and students to better understand the effects of increasing ethnic diversity on the social and economic well-being of their communities.
