NOVAFRICA Seminar:
“Migrants and the Making of America”

On Wednesday, March 30th, at 2.30pm, the NOVAFRICA Center welcomes Sandra Sequeira, from the London School of Economics to present her work on the effects of immigration on socioeconomic outcomes in the US.

Author:
Sandra Sequeira

Abstract:
We examine European migration into U.S. counties between 1860 and 1920, during the height of America’s Age of Mass Migration, and estimate the long-term causal impact of immigrants on economic and social outcomes today. Our analysis exploits variation arising from the interaction of the timing of immigrant inflows and the simultaneous expansion of the railway network to identify the causal effect of immigration on socioeconomic outcomes. We find that the impact of historical immigration can still be felt today. More historical immigration is associated with higher incomes, higher rates of urbanization and higher educational attainment, but also with higher inequality and lower social capital. The main historical channels of impact appear to be increased productivity in manufacturing due to an augmented labor force and more innovation during a period of intense industrialization in the U.S.

Please find further information about this seminar here.