Over the last two decades, there has been a significant surge in the self-employment rate among Hispanics, especially among Hispanic immigrants. However, the reasons behind this increase remain underexplored. This paper addresses this gap by examining the role of undocumented immigrants, a substantial part of the Hispanic immigrant population, by discerning immigrants’ legal status in the Current Population Survey–Annual Social and Economic data (1994–2018). The findings reveal that the nearly doubled self-employment rate among Hispanic immigrants is primarily driven by undocumented individuals, especially those of Mexican origin. A key factor is the post-9/11 tightening of immigration enforcement, which worsened job prospects for undocumented immigrants, pushing many into self-employment. This event triggered a distinct pattern in Hispanic self-employment, setting it apart from other demographic groups. Other factors, such as business cycles, state-level immigration policies, the gig economy, and the growth of the Hispanic community, also contribute but play a lesser role.

在过去的二十年里，西班牙裔的自雇率大幅上升，尤其是西班牙裔移民。然而，这种增长背后的原因仍未得到充分探索。本文通过在当前人口调查 - 年度社会和经济数据（1994-2018 年）中辨别移民的法律地位，研究无证移民（西班牙裔移民人口的很大一部分）的作用来填补这一差距。研究结果表明，西班牙裔移民的自雇率几乎翻了一番，这主要是由无证个人推动的，尤其是那些墨西哥裔。一个关键因素是 9/11 后移民执法的收紧，这恶化了无证移民的就业前景，迫使许多人从事自营职业。这一事件引发了西班牙裔自雇的独特模式，使其有别于其他人口群体。其他因素，如商业周期、州级移民政策、零工经济和西班牙裔社区的增长，也会产生影响，但作用较小。