 This study shows that Mexican-origin women have higher birth rates because of their lower socioeconomic standing and work opportunities, not because of their cultural orientations, and that their fertility changes as they achieve higher levels of education.A second area in which Bean is well-known is Hispanic demography, as indicated by his 1987 book "The Hispanic Population of the United States" (with Marta Tienda), which was commissioned by the National Committee for Research on the 1980 Census and the Russell Sage Foundation.Regarded as a canonical treatment of its subject, the work provides a comprehensive portrayal of Hispanics and shows, among other things, the crucial importance of considering Hispanic national-origin and nativity groups separately in policy-relevant research.