The choice of migration destinations: cultural diversity versus cultural distance

Zhiling Wang (), Thomas Graaff () and Peter Nijkamp

ERSA conference papers from European Regional Science Association

Abstract: This study analyses the impact of cultural composition on regional attractiveness from the perspective of migrant sorting behaviour. We use an attitudinal survey to quantify cultural distances between natives and immigrants in the area concerned, and estimate the migrants' varying preferences for both cultural diversity and cultural distance. To account for regional unobserved heterogeneity, our econometric analysis employs artificial instrumental variables, as developed by Bayer et al. (2004a). The main conclusions are twofold. On the one hand, cultural diversity increases regional attractiveness. On the other hand, average cultural distance greatly weakens regional attractiveness, even when the presence of network effect is controlled for.

Keywords: migration; cultural diversity; cultural distance; destination choice; sorting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: R23 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cul, nep-geo and nep-mig
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p1147

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