PUBLICATION
Can Social Media Rhetoric Incite Hate Incidents? Evidence from Trump’s “Chinese Virus” Tweets
Journal of Urban Economics, 2023. Corresponding Author, Joint with Andy Cao and Jason M. Lindo.
Abstract: We investigate whether Donald Trump’s “Chinese Virus” tweets contributed to the rise of anti-Asian incidents. We find that the number of incidents spiked following Trump’s initial “Chinese Virus” tweets and the subsequent dramatic rise in internet search activity for the phrase. Difference-in-differences and event-study analyses leveraging spatial variation indicate that this spike in anti-Asian incidents was significantly more pronounced in counties that supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election relative to those that supported Hillary Clinton. We estimate that anti-Asian incidents spiked by approximately 4200% in Trump-supported counties compared to an increase of approximately 200% in Clinton-supported counties.
WORKING PAPERS
Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings
Conditional acceptance at the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
Abstract: This paper provides new causal evidence on the effects of grade retention on educational attainment, behavioral outcomes, and labor market performance by analyzing Texas’s reading test-based retention policy. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, I find that third-grade retention significantly reduces annual earnings at age 26 by $3,477 (19%). While temporarily improving test scores, retention increases absenteeism, violent behavior, and juvenile crime, and reduces the likelihood of high school graduation. Moreover, retained students exhibit higher community college enrollment but lower public university attendance, though neither estimate is statistically significant.
Grade Retention (Joint with Kendall J. Kennedy and Simon ter Meulen. Invited for inclusion in Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics, ed. Klaus F. Zimmermann.) (Under Review)
The Effect of Access to Pre-Kindergarten on Long-Term Educational and Labor Market Outcomes (Joint with Maya Mikdash)
Abstract: This paper provides new causal evidence on the long-term effects of free prekindergarten access on educational attainment and labor market outcomes. We exploit quasi-random variation from the phased rollout of a 1985 Texas policy that mandated free prekindergarten for disadvantaged children, conditional on the presence of at least 15 eligible students. Using longitudinal administrative data from the Texas ERC, we find precise null effects of access to free Pre-K on labor market outcomes, such as employment and earnings until 23 years after Pre-K. Similarly, we show that access to free Pre-K does not affect the likelihood of graduating high-school or attending college. The null effects are in line with the lack of effects on short term educational and behavioral outcomes.
Lead in the Air: New Evidence from Piston-Engine Aircraft Emissions (Joint with Thao Duong)
Abstract: Does lead pollution from piston engine aircraft (PEA) pose risks to children’s development? This paper provides the first causal evidence on the impact of lead emissions from PEA on both short- and long-term educational and labor market outcomes. We implement a difference-in-differences strategy that leverages a sharp increase in PEA activity in Texas after 2007 and cross-school variation in proximity to lead exposure. Our results indicate that an increase of 80,000 PEA flights leads to a 0.03 standard deviation decline in standardized test scores and a 0.07 percentage point reduction in school attendance. In contrast, we find no statistically significant effects on high school graduation, college enrollment, or early-career earnings.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Motivation or Stigma? Evaluating the Incentive Effects of Grade Retention Policy (Joint with Kendall J. Kennedy and Simon ter Meulen)
The Impacts of Grade Retention Policy: Evidence on Peer Composition, Tracking, and Educator Preferences (Joint with Kendall J. Kennedy, Simon ter Meulen, and Umut Özek)
Access to Family Planning Services and Inequalities in Education and Labor Market Outcomes (Join with Riley Acton, James Flynn, Daniel Marthey, and Maranna Yoder)
The Hidden Costs of Low-Level Lead Exposure: Evidence on Infant Health (Joint with Tengda Gong)
The Impacts of Light and Noise Exposure on Human Capital Formation: Evidence from Wind Farm Operation (Joint with Thao Duong)
The Effects of Reclassifying English Learners as Proficient on Long-Term Educational and Earnings Outcomes (Joint with Yayun Chen and Sijia Zhang)