The Long-Run Impacts of Mexican American School Desegregation
Journal of Economic Literature
vol. 61,
no. 3, September 2023
(pp. 888-905)
Abstract
We present the first quantitative analysis of the impact of ending de jure segregation of Mexican American schoolchildren in the United States by examining the effects of the 1947 Mendez v. Westminster court decision on long-run educational attainment for Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites in California. Our identification strategy relies on comparing individuals across California counties that vary in their likelihood of segregating and across birth cohorts that vary in their exposure to the Mendez court ruling based on school start age. Results point to a significant increase in educational attainment for Hispanics who were fully exposed to school desegregation.Citation
Antman, Francisca M., and Kalena E. Cortes. 2023. "The Long-Run Impacts of Mexican American School Desegregation." Journal of Economic Literature, 61 (3): 888-905. DOI: 10.1257/jel.20221704Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- H75 State and Local Government: Health; Education; Welfare; Public Pensions
- I24 Education and Inequality
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
- K10 Basic Areas of Law: General (Constitutional Law)
- N32 Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: U.S.; Canada: 1913-
- R23 Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics: Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population; Neighborhood Characteristics