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From past to present: ancestry and student achievement in Brazil

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel Lopes

    (CNI)

  • Geraldo Silva Filho

    (Ministry of Planning and Budget)

  • Leonardo Monasterio

    (Institute for Applied Economic Research-IPEA
    Brazilian Institute of Education, Development and Research-IDP)

Abstract

This paper estimates the impact of family ancestry on the educational outcomes of a cohort of Brazilian students. Based on longitudinal data with student identification, we apply an algorithm of surname classification that assigns the student, based on the surnames of his/her parents and grandparents, to one of the following ancestry groups: Iberian, Japanese, Italian, German, Eastern European and Syrian-Lebanese. Our identification strategy relies on the epidemiological approach, controlling for individual trajectory since birth and the persistence of local institutions established during the Era of Mass Immigration to Brazil in the 19th and 20th centuries. We show that, despite slight or absent differences in preschool attendance rate, students with non-Iberian ancestry obtain statistically and substantively higher promotion rates and scores on 3rd and 5th grade nationwide standardized tests.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Lopes & Geraldo Silva Filho & Leonardo Monasterio, 2025. "From past to present: ancestry and student achievement in Brazil," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 68(1), pages 165-212, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:68:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s00181-024-02638-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-024-02638-4
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration

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