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 (Job Market Paper)
Revised and Resubmitted to the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
Abstract: This paper presents the first causal evidence of the effects of grade retention on labor market outcomes and post-secondary educational attainment, analyzing a reading test-based retention policy in Texas. Employing a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, the study finds that third-grade retention significantly reduces the average earnings between ages 23 and 25 by $3,512 (22%). While retention initially increases test scores, these gains diminish over time. Moreover, retention increases school absence, violence, and crime. It further reduces the likelihood of high school graduation but does not affect college enrollment, graduation, the timing of these outcomes, or the selectivity of college attended.
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)
Lead in the Air: Unraveling the Long-Term Impacts of Lead Exposure (Joint with Thao Duong)
Abstract: This paper investigates the short- and long-term effects of lead exposure from kindergarten through third grade, leveraging the unexpected decline in lead emissions following the reduced operation of piston-engine aircraft after the 9/11 attacks as a natural experiment. Using detailed individual-level administrative data from the Texas ERC, we estimate the causal impact of lead exposure on educational achievement, disciplinary incidents, and earnings. Our results show that increased lead exposure during early childhood significantly impairs educational outcomes, as evidenced by lower test scores, reduced high school graduation rates, and decreased college enrollment. Additionally, higher lead exposure leads to an increase in disciplinary incidents, including severe offenses such as violence and crime. Finally, we find that lead exposure has a lasting negative impact on labor market outcomes, leading to diminished earnings in adulthood.
WORK IN PROGRESS
The Impact of Principal, Teacher, and Student Race Match: Evidence from Grade Promotion Decisions (Joint with Kendall J. Kennedy and Simon ter Meulen)
The Effects of Free Pre-Kindergarten Education (Joint with Maya Mikdash)
Abortion Access and Inequalities in Education and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Texas Policy Changes (Joint with Riley Acton and James Flynn)
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)