9701739 Palloni This Doctoral Dissertation project examines the relationship between the family structure of Cuban-Americans and their economic and social adjustment in the United States. Previous research on immigration adaptation and acculturation has focused on characteristics o the economic and social environment which immigrants encounter upon arrival, on the individual characteristics of immigrants, and on the receptivity of the host country. An important element that has been overlooked in these studies has been the role that the family and household arrangements of immigrants play in their social and economic adaptation to a new environment. Of particular interest is whether living arrangements and family structure is a result of certain 'survival strategies' pursued by immigrants as a result of precarious conditions or if they are cultural related. Cuban-Americans will be studied because much has been written about their relative socioeconomic success relative to other immigrant groups. The project will use three data sources: microfiles of three U.S. censuses (1970, 1980, and 1990), published tabulations of Cuban censuses, and a purposive survey of Cuban business owners and their employees in the Miami Metropolitan area. The census data will be used to describe the living arrangements of Cuban-Americans relative to those of Anglo-Americans at three points in time. Additionally, household and demographic characteristics of Cubans living in the U.S. will be compared to those living in Cuba (prior to and after the 1959 revolution). Finally, a survey of business owners and their employees will be conducted to address questions that cannot be answered using cross-sectional census data. ****
