Essays on the effects of immigration on education and crime
Author(s)
Liu, Samuel T. (Samuel Tah-teh), 1973-
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Economics.
Advisor
Joshua D. Angrist and Jörn-Steffen Pischke.
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This thesis estimates the effects of immigration on education and crime. In Chapter I, I use a reform in immigration policy as a natural experiment to estimate the effects of immigration on native-born student outcomes in Texas. OLS estimates suggest a negative association between immigration and the passing rates of native students on a state-wide basic skills exam. However, these estimates are potentially biased by omitted variables or endogeneity. Differences-in-differences and IV estimates suggest that immigrants have a small positive effect on the outcomes of native Hispanic students and no effect on native White students. I provide evidence that resources provided for immigrants benefit native Hispanic students. In Chapter 2, I use the reform in immigration policy to estimate the effects of immigration on crime rates in Texas. OLS estimates indicate a positive correlation between immigration and crime. However, differences-in-differences and IV estimates suggest that immigrants have no effect on juvenile crime rates. In Chapter 3, I use a federal initiative to curtail illegal immigration to California as a natural experiment to estimate the effects of immigration on native student dropout rates. The operation created exogenous variation in immigration between different areas of the state. OLS estimates show a positive correlation between immigration and native dropout rates. However, differences-in-differences and IV estimates suggest that immigrants have no effect on native dropout rates.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Economics, 2000. Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-110).
Date issued
2000Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of EconomicsPublisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Economics.