Should I Stay or Should I Go? Influence and Persistence of Italian Culture in Explaining the Living Arrangements of Young Adults

Culture is a powerful force that can shape individual choices, and its influence can persist over time and across countries. Using four waves of Canadian Census Data covering the 2006-2021 period, we examine whether culture has effects on the likelihood that Canadian-born young adults of Italian heritage reside with their parents. We identify the influence and persistence of culture by examining the difference in coresidence choices between young adults of Italian origins and young adults of the majority population. These two groups share the same institutional and economic environment but differ in terms of their cultural background. Our results show that culture has a significant and persistent effect. Our findings are robust over time to changes in the sample criteria, to alternative variables used as a proxy for cultural heritage, and to the potential omission of relevant variables. The empirical analysis also shows that Italo-Canadians have preferences for remaining with their parents that span generations. This preference carries over to non-Italians in neighbourhoods with a high proportion of Italian households. Interestingly, the proportion of young people of Italian origin who choose to stay at home longer in Canada is not approaching the majority norm. During our observation period, the dominant majority did not prevail. In essence, we are not observing a melting pot in the context of this study either, but perhaps more of a salad bowl.