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Following your lead: Migration networks and immigrants' education decisions

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  • Contreras, Ivette

Abstract

This paper estimates the effect of immigrant networks on the education of school-age Salvadoran immigrants in the United States. I construct an instrument for the network size in the U.S. using previous settlement patterns and municipality-level push factors in El Salvador such as crime, agricultural land use, and economic development. I find that Salvadoran immigrants lose half a year of education when their network size exogenously increases by 1 standard deviation (4.7% decrease). Causal links between the education decisions of immigrants and their network may partly explain the low level of education attained by new young immigrants. Immigrants with more education may assimilate better into their host countries and contribute to their economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Contreras, Ivette, 2023. "Following your lead: Migration networks and immigrants' education decisions," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:170:y:2023:i:c:s0305750x23001389
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106320
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    Cited by:

    1. Aleksy Kwilinski & Oleksii Lyulyov & Tetyana Pimonenko, 2025. "Population Literacy and ICT Skills: Drivers of Net Migration Growth," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2025(3), pages 45-63.
    2. Ambrosius, Christian & Quigua, Juliana & Velasquez, Andrea, 2025. "Beyond the Border: Labor Market Effects of U.S. Immigration Enforcement Policies in El Salvador," IZA Discussion Papers 18135, IZA Network @ LISER.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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