Job Market Paper
The Effect of WWI Military Service on the Long-Term Outcomes of Immigrants
Military service has a long-lasting impact on mental, physical, and socioeconomic well-being. Although previous research has concentrated on the effect of military service on the native-born population, military experience may have different effects on immigrants through improving English language skills, fostering social interactions with natives, and providing a faster path to U.S. citizenship. I use historical Census data and an instrumental-variables approach to analyze the effect of WWI military service on the long-term outcomes of immigrants. The instrument reflects the likelihood of being drafted based on two characteristics: age at the time of the draft and being born in a country classified as an enemy of the U.S. during WWI. I find that foreign-born WWI veterans were more likely to become naturalized citizens and work in protective services, but veterans earned less after the war than their non-veteran peers.
Working Papers
My Brother and Me: The Consequences of Being Foreign-Born
Immigrant children represent a significant share of the U.S. population. However, foreign-born children are often disadvantaged compared to their native-born peers due to differences in language skills, schooling, and cultural integration. I use historical Census Data to analyze the differences in schooling and labor market outcomes between U.S-born and foreign-born siblings to understand the long-term effects of nativity. Children observed in the 1910 decennial Census are linked to their 1940 Census records using a unique method of linking individuals across Census waves. Compared to their native-born siblings, those born abroad are 10.5, 4.1, and 1.7 percentage points less likely to complete eighth grade, high school, and college respectively. The effects are larger for children who arrived at older ages. I do not find a significant impact on wages, employment, and other labor market outcomes. These findings indicate that foreign-born status is a significant determinant of long-term outcomes of children.
Works in Progress
The Consequences of Local Media Coverage for Latinx Arrest
with Ashley Muchow
Media coverage linking immigration with crime has proliferated over the past three decades at the same time local law enforcement officers have assumed important roles in immigration enforcement. While scholarship has demonstrated the ability of media to shape public opinion on immigration, relatively little research has empirically assessed its effect on policing practice. We use a novel dataset of all local television newscasts that mention immigration and crime alongside arrest data from National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) between 2009 and 2016 to examine whether such coverage increases the rate of Latinx arrest. Given the endogenous nature of local news, we use Sinclair Broadcast Group acquisitions as an instrument to isolate the effect of coverage on arrests. Findings will shed light on the impact of local news media on policing and its implications for ethnic disparities in criminal justice contact.
The Effect of Home Country Natural Disasters on Labor Market Outcomes of Adult Immigrants in the U.S.
with Agustina Laurito
This paper estimates the spillover effects of home country natural disasters on the labor market decisions of adult immigrants residing in the United States. We match the American Community Survey with data on international natural disasters from EM-DAT International Disasters Database. We measure immigrant exposure to home country natural disasters as the total share of the home country population that was affected or killed by natural disasters over the course of the prior year. Initial results show a higher probability of employment among immigrants after home country natural disasters that ranges from 0.1 to 1 percentage points. We see the largest effects in immigrant employment after home country natural disasters that affected or killed at least 10 percent of the home country population over the course of the prior year. We also see positive effects on hours worked, but these are small. Increases in employment are driven by immigrants who arrived in the United States after the age of 12.
The Impact of Exposure to Violence on Academic Outcomes of Mexican Immigrants
with Agustina Laurito and Reem Zaiour