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166 Ecuadorians

Abstract:

166 Ecuadorians 1999 triggered a sharp spike in migration to the United States and western Europe. The following year, after the Ecuadorian currency (the sucre) went into hyperinflation and the US dollar was adopted as the national currency, more than 10 percent of the Ecuadorian population reportedly left the countrymost for the United States. In the typical immigration pattern, most initial immigrants have been middle-aged men whose wives or partners eventually join them, leaving behind children who are cared for by family members; the children usually do not come until the parents are financially established, by whatever means. Ecuadorian immigrants come to the United States for a variety of reasons and under different terms, but most often for the prospect of economic improvement. The most common pull factor is a relative or prospective employer who offers a place to live, often with the promise of employment. Some arrive on a tourist visa and overstay their visit; others come with false passports. The number of Ecuadorian students attending universities in the United States has also increased in recent years; although a college education is likely to improve one's job prospects—which in turn might help obtain a work visa-most students opt to return to Ecuador. Second-generation Ecuadorians who complete a college education generally enjoy better job prospects than their parents. The largest Ecuadorian community in the United States is located in New York City, numbering an estimated 114,900. Others are found in major metropolitan areas of Illinois, California, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Ecuadorian Americans generally work in the …