Kinship and opportunity: Swedish chain migration to the United States, 1880–1920

Between 1850 and 1930, millions of Europeans emigrated to the United States, attracted by opportunities for a better life. We study the role of migrant networks in fostering emigration, using individual-level Swedish full-count census data for men and women, linked to emigration records. Our findings show that having previously migrating siblings was an important determinant of emigration, particularly if the migrating sibling was of the same gender. The presence of migrant networks of kin outside the immediate family also promoted emigration. Moreover, migrant networks were most important for prospective migrants from areas with the weakest migration history. The importance of migrant networks for women did not vary according to social class, while for men in rural areas, the role of siblings emigrating was more important influencing emigration in the lowest social class.