JUE Insight: White flight from Asian immigration: Evidence from California Public Schools

Leah Boustan, Christine Cai and Tammy Tseng

Journal of Urban Economics, 2024, vol. 141, issue C

Abstract: Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the US but we know little about how Asian immigration has affected cities, neighborhoods and schools. This paper studies white flight from Asian arrivals in high-socioeconomic-status suburban Californian school districts from 2000–2016 using initial settlement patterns and national immigrant flows to instrument for entry. We find that, as Asian students arrive, white student enrollment declines in these higher-income suburbs. These patterns cannot be fully explained by racial animus, housing prices, or correlations with Black/Hispanic arrivals. Parental fears of academic competition may play a role.

Keywords: Immigration; White flight; School districts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:juecon:v:141:y:2024:i:c:s0094119023000104

DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2023.103541

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