Growing Up in Ethnic Enclaves

Danzer, Alexander M.; Feuerbaum, Carsten; Piopiunik, Marc and Wößmann, Ludger (2018): Growing Up in Ethnic Enclaves. Language Proficiency and Educational Attainment of Immigrant Children. Collaborative Research Center Transregio 190, Discussion Paper No. 104

Abstract

Does a high regional concentration of immigrants of the same ethnicity affect immigrant children's acquisition of host-country language skills and educational attainment? We exploit the exogenous placement of guest workers from five ethnicities across German regions during the 1960s and 1970s in a model with region and ethnicity fixed effects. Our results indicate that exposure to a higher own-ethnic concentration impairs immigrant children's host-country language proficiency and increases school dropout. A key mediating factor for this effect is parents' lower speaking proficiency in the host-country language, whereas inter-ethnic contacts with natives and economic conditions do not play a role.

• Item Type: Paper
• Keywords: immigrant children; ethnic concentration; language; education; guest workers
• Faculties: Economics > Collaborative Research Center Transregio "Rationality and Competition"
• Subjects: 300 Social sciences > 330 Economics
• JEL Classification: J15, I20, R23, J61
• Language: English