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Faith and Assimilation: Italian Immigrants in the US

Author

Listed:
  • Stefano Gagliarducci
  • Marco Tabellini

Abstract

How do ethnic religious organizations influence immigrants’ assimilation in host societies? This paper offers the first systematic answer to this question by focusing on Italian Catholic churches in the US between 1890 and 1920, when four million Italians moved to America, and anti-Catholic sentiments were widespread. Relying on newly collected data on the presence of Italian Catholic churches across counties over time, we implement a difference-in-differences design. We find that Italian churches reduced the social assimilation of Italian immigrants, lowering intermarriage, residential integration, and naturalization rates. We provide evidence that stronger coordination within the Italian community and natives' backlash and negative stereotyping can explain these effects. Despite the negative effects on Italians' social assimilation, Italian churches had ambiguous effects on immigrants' economic outcomes, and increased children's literacy and ability to speak English.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefano Gagliarducci & Marco Tabellini, 2022. "Faith and Assimilation: Italian Immigrants in the US," NBER Working Papers 30003, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:30003
    Note: DAE POL
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    Cited by:

    1. Zenou, Yves & Biavaschi, Costanza & Giulietti, Corrado, 2021. "Social Networks and (Political) Assimilation in the Age of Mass Migration," CEPR Discussion Papers 16182, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Björn Brey & Joanne Haddad & Lamis Kattan, 2025. "Collective Memory and National Identity Formation: The Role of Family and the State," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 25112, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    3. Jeanet Sinding Bentzen & Nina Boberg-Fazlić & Paul Sharp & Christian Volmar Skovsgaard & Christian Vedel, 2024. "Assimilate for God: The Impact of Religious Divisions on Danish American Communities," Working Papers 0253, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    4. A García-Suaza & J. M. Gallego & J. D. Mayorga & A. Mondrag�n-Mayo & C. Sep�lveda & A. Sarango, 2022. "COVID-19 and assimilation: an analysis of immigration from Venezuelan in Colombia," Documentos de Trabajo 20417, Universidad del Rosario.
    5. Sébastien Willis, 2022. "Workplace Segregation and the Labour Market Performance of Immigrants," CESifo Working Paper Series 9895, CESifo.
    6. Fazio, Andrea & Giaccherini, Matilde, 2024. "Weight, Stigma, and Attitudes toward Immigrants," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1470, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. Alvaro Calderon & Vasiliki Fouka & Marco Tabellini, 2021. "Racial Diversity and Racial Policy Preferences: The Great Migration and Civil Rights," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 2133, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    8. Willis, Sébastien, 2025. "Workplace segregation and the labour market performance of immigrants," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    9. Alberto Alesina & Marco Tabellini, 2024. "The Political Effects of Immigration: Culture or Economics?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 62(1), pages 5-46, March.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • N31 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion

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