Once Welcomed, Then Scapegoated: The Enduring Consequences of Assimilation Policies in the Wake of Mass Migration

Vinicius Schuabb

Papers from arXiv.org

Abstract: This paper examines the short- and long-term effects of immigrant assimilation policies in Brazil following the Mass Migration period. I focus on the Nationalization Campaign, launched by the federal government amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment during the Great Depression and the two World Wars. Using newly assembled archival data spanning the twentieth century, I assess the impact of these policies on the educational outcomes of immigrants and their descendants, following the forced closure of hundreds of immigrant-community schools. In the short term, the campaign significantly reduced educational attainment among targeted immigrant groups across state, municipal, and individual levels. In the long term, immigrants who were school-age during the campaign attained less education over their lifetimes, with adverse effects extending into the second generation. The magnitude of these effects was mediated by the degree of cultural proximity between immigrant groups and native Brazilians. These findings underscore the enduring consequences of assimilationist policies and offer insights for contemporary debates on immigration and education policy.

Date: 2025-09
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:arx:papers:2509.02836

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