IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/osf/socarx/srbmg.html

In or Out? Xenophobic Violence and Foreigner Integration. Evidence from 19th century France

Author

Listed:
  • Emeriau, Mathilde
  • Wolton, Stephane

Abstract

How do foreigners respond to xenophobic violence? Do they move out, leaving their home, or do they buy in, assimilating further? We develop a stylized theoretical framework to explain why exposure to violence can yield both more exits and more assimilation. We use an exogenous spike in xenophobic violence in 19th-century France and fine-grained individual data to provide causal evidence of this dual effect. We also study how foreigners’ response varies with the degree of exposure to violence and their prior level of integration in the host country, highlighting the importance of thinking of foreigners as a heterogeneous group.

Suggested Citation

  • Emeriau, Mathilde & Wolton, Stephane, 2024. "In or Out? Xenophobic Violence and Foreigner Integration. Evidence from 19th century France," SocArXiv srbmg, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:srbmg
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/srbmg
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://osf.io/download/665465376b6c8e1b8204cad1/
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.31219/osf.io/srbmg?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Roland G. Fryer & Steven D. Levitt, 2004. "The Causes and Consequences of Distinctively Black Names," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 119(3), pages 767-805.
    2. Yajna Govind, 2021. "Is naturalization a passport for better labor market integration? Evidence from a quasi-experimental setting," PSE Working Papers halshs-03265055, HAL.
    3. Steinhardt, Max F., 2018. "The Impact of Xenophobic Violence on the Integration of Immigrants," IZA Discussion Papers 11781, IZA Network @ LISER.
    4. Fouka, Vasiliki, 2019. "How Do Immigrants Respond to Discrimination? The Case of Germans in the US During World War I," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 113(2), pages 405-422, May.
    5. Moser, Petra, 2012. "Taste-based discrimination evidence from a shift in ethnic preferences after WWI," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 167-188.
    6. Jaschke Philipp & Sulin Sardoschau & Marco Tabellini, 2021. "Scared Straight? Threat and Assimilation of Refugees in Germany," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 2136, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    7. Christian Dustmann, 1996. "The social assimilation of immigrants," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 37-54, February.
    8. Gordon B Dahl & Christina Felfe & Paul Frijters & Helmut Rainer, 2022. "Caught between Cultures: Unintended Consequences of Improving Opportunity for Immigrant Girls," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 89(5), pages 2491-2528.
    9. David McKenzie & Hillel Rapoport, 2010. "Self-Selection Patterns in Mexico-U.S. Migration: The Role of Migration Networks," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 92(4), pages 811-821, November.
    10. Saavedra, Martin, 2021. "Kenji or Kenneth? Pearl Harbor and Japanese-American assimilation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 602-624.
    11. Mariya Aleksynska & Yann Algan, 2010. "Economic and Cultural Assimilation and Integration of Immigration in Europe," Working Papers 2010-29, CEPII research center.
    12. Sascha O. Becker & Irena Grosfeld & Pauline Grosjean & Nico Voigtländer & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, 2020. "Forced Migration and Human Capital: Evidence from Post-WWII Population Transfers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(5), pages 1430-1463, May.
    13. Chen, Shuo & Xie, Bin, 2020. "Institutional Discrimination and Assimilation: Evidence from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882," IZA Discussion Papers 13647, IZA Network @ LISER.
    14. Ran Abramitzky & Leah Platt Boustan & Katherine Eriksson, 2014. "A Nation of Immigrants: Assimilation and Economic Outcomes in the Age of Mass Migration," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 122(3), pages 467-506.
    15. Becker, Sascha O. & Ferrara, Andreas, 2019. "Consequences of forced migration: A survey of recent findings," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 1-16.
    16. Abdelgadir, Aala & Fouka, Vasiliki, 2020. "Political Secularism and Muslim Integration in the West: Assessing the Effects of the French Headscarf Ban," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 114(3), pages 707-723, August.
    17. Eric D. Gould & Esteban F. Klor, 2016. "The Long‐run Effect of 9/11: Terrorism, Backlash, and the Assimilation of Muslim Immigrants in the West," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 126(597), pages 2064-2114, November.
    18. Victor Gay, 2021. "Mapping the Third Republic: A Geographic Information System of France (1870–1940)," Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(4), pages 189-207, November.
    19. Vasiliki Fouka, 2020. "Backlash: The Unintended Effects of Language Prohibition in U.S. Schools after World War I," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 87(1), pages 204-239.
    20. Eric D. Gould & Esteban F. Klor, 2016. "The Long‐run Effect of 9/11: Terrorism, Backlash, and the Assimilation of Muslim Immigrants in the West," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 126(597), pages 2064-2114, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Saavedra, Martin, 2021. "Kenji or Kenneth? Pearl Harbor and Japanese-American assimilation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 602-624.
    2. Chen, Shuo & Xie, Bin, 2024. "Institutional discrimination and assimilation: Evidence from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    3. Philipp Jaschke & Sulin Sardoschau & Marco Tabellini, 2023. "Scared Straight? Threat and Assimilation of Refugees in Germany," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 384, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    4. Lanzara, Gianandrea & Lazzaroni, Sara & Masella, Paolo & Squicciarini, Mara P., 2025. "Discrimination and assimilation: Evidence from anti-Chinese sentiments in the United States," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    5. Chen, Shuo & Xie, Bin, 2020. "Institutional Discrimination and Assimilation: Evidence from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882," IZA Discussion Papers 13647, IZA Network @ LISER.
    6. Jaschke Philipp & Sulin Sardoschau & Marco Tabellini, 2021. "Scared Straight? Threat and Assimilation of Refugees in Germany," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 2136, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    7. Schilling, Pia & Stillman, Steven, 2024. "The impact of natives’ attitudes on refugee integration," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    8. Gagliarducci, Stefano & Tabellini, Marco, 2021. "Faith and Assimilation: Italian Immigrants in the US," IZA Discussion Papers 14567, IZA Network @ LISER.
    9. Jaschke, Philipp & Sardoschau, Sulin & Tabellini, Marco, 2021. "Scared Straight? Threat and Assimilation of Refugees in Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 14962, IZA Network @ LISER.
    10. Maria Rosaria Carillo & Tiziana Venittelli & Alberto Zazzaro, 2024. "Immigrants’ Social Identity, Racial Hate Crimes and Public Backlash: Evidence from The "San Gennaro Massacre"," CSEF Working Papers 727, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    11. Sardoschau, Sulin & Gulino, Giorgio & Masera, Federico, 2025. "Identity Under Scrutiny: Media Attention and Rule Compliance," IZA Discussion Papers 17888, IZA Network @ LISER.
    12. Jakub Grossmann & Štĕpán Jurajda & Felix Roesel, 2021. "Forced Migration, Staying Minorities, and New Societies: Evidence from Post-War Czechoslovakia," CESifo Working Paper Series 8950, CESifo.
    13. Hu, Zhi-An & Luo, Wei, 2026. "The national-integration effect of compulsory education: Evidence from Chinese minorities," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    14. Andreas Ferrara & Price Fishback, 2024. "Discrimination, Migration, and Economic Outcomes: Evidence from World War I," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(5), pages 1201-1219, September.
    15. Michael Bailey & Drew M. Johnston & Martin Koenen & Theresa Kuchler & Dominic Russel & Johannes Stroebel, 2022. "The Social Integration of International Migrants: Evidence from the Networks of Syrians in Germany," NBER Working Papers 29925, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Prömel, Christopher, 2023. "Belonging or estrangement—The European Refugee Crisis and its effects on immigrant identity," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    17. Endrich, Marek, 2020. "The good tourist, the bad refugee and the ugly German: Xenophobic activities and tourism," VfS Annual Conference 2020 (Virtual Conference): Gender Economics 224604, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    18. Luke Barber & Michael Jetter & Tim Krieger, 2023. "Foreshadowing Mars: Religiosity and Pre-Enlightenment Warfare," CESifo Working Paper Series 10806, CESifo.
    19. Entorf, Horst & Lange, Martin, 2023. "Refugees welcome? Understanding the regional heterogeneity of anti-refugee hate crime," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    20. Christina Diaz & Jennifer Lee, 2023. "Segmented assimilation and mobility among men in the early 20th century," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 48(5), pages 107-152.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:srbmg. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: OSF (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://arabixiv.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.