LEP Language Disability, Immigration Reform, and English-Language Acquisition
American Economic Review
vol. 106,
no. 5, May 2016
(pp. 478-83)
Abstract
Policy might partly shape the English-language acquisition of Hispanics migrating to the U.S. mainland, particularly policies related to limited-English-language disability benefits and immigration reform. Using data from the American Community Survey, we find that island-born Puerto Ricans on the U.S. mainland, as U.S. citizens, may have lower incentives to learn English than Hispanic immigrants because of their higher participation in LEP disability programs. However, among Mexican immigrants, recent immigration reform aimed at interior enforcement might have increased incentives for Mexican immigrants to learn English to reduce their probability of detection, if speaking English proxies for undocumented status.Citation
Dávila, Alberto, and Marie T. Mora. 2016. "LEP Language Disability, Immigration Reform, and English-Language Acquisition." American Economic Review, 106 (5): 478-83. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20161113Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I28 Education: Government Policy
- J14 Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
- J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity