Full Citation
Title: The Circular Flow: Return Migration from the United States in the Early 1900s
Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis
Publication Year: 2014
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Abstract: Many migrants return back to their home country after a short period of stay. Often these migrants are returning to poorer countries, which is at odds with a simple economic model where individuals maximize lifetime earnings. In this dissertation, I explore the motivations for return migration in the early 1900s, the only time in United States history when the government recorded those leaving the country. In the first paper, we estimate the effect of the 1920s immigration quotas on (1) out-migration rates, (2) emigration across skill groups, and (3) the duration of temporary migrants’ stays in the U.S. Higher quota restrictions reduced emigration rates, mostly for unskilled laborers and farmers. Higher quota restrictions also increased duration of stay, as the share of migrants staying less than 5 years fell and the share staying 5 to 10 years rose. In the second paper, I turn to the self-selection of return migrants. In addition to observing migrants who actually leave, I also have a dataset on migrants’ intentions to leave at arrival. At least 45% more migrants returned home than had initially planned. While those who planned to return . . .
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Authors: Ward, Zachary, A
Institution: University of Colorado
Department: Economics
Advisor: Ann Carlos
Degree: PhD
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Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Migration and Immigration, Other
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