Son preference in the U.S.?

Are there missing girls in the United States?
Evidence on gender preference and gender selection

by Jason Abrevaya
Full paper is here
September 2005
ABSTRACT
Gender selection, manifested by unusually high percentages of male births, has spread in parts of Asia since the introduction of ultrasound technology. This paper provides the first empirical evidence consistent with the occurrence of gender selection within the United States. Based upon fertility-stopping behavior, the aggregate gender preferences among different races in the United States are documented. Analysis of comprehensive birth data shows unusually high boy-birth percentages after 1980 among later children (most notably third and fourth children) born to Chinese and Asian Indian mothers. Moreover, Asian Indian mothers are found to be significantly more likely both to have a terminated pregnancy and to give birth to a son when they have previously only given birth to girls. These findings are consistent with a simple dynamic model of the gender-selection decision in the presence of gender preferences