Talents and cultures: immigrant inventors and ethnic diversity in the age of mass migration

Campo, Francesco, Mendola, Mariapia, Morrison, Andrea and Ottaviano, Gianmarco (2022) Talents and cultures: immigrant inventors and ethnic diversity in the age of mass migration. Journal of the European Economic Association, 20 (5). 1971 - 2012. ISSN 1542-4766

Text (Talents and Cultures Immigrant Inventors and Ethnic Diversity in the Age of Mass Migration) - Accepted Version Download (6MB)

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Abstract

We investigate the importance of co-ethnic networks and diversity in determining immigrant inventors' settlements in the United States by following the location choices of thousands of them across counties during the Age of Mass Migration. To do so, we combine a unique United States Patent and Trademark Office historical patent dataset on immigrants who arrived as adults with Census data and exploit exogenous variation in both immigration flows and diversity induced by former settlements, WWI, and the 1920s Immigration Acts. We find that co-ethnic networks play an important role in attracting immigrant inventors. Yet, we also find that immigrant diversity acts as an additional significant pull factor. This is mainly due to externalities that foster immigrant inventors' productivity.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://academic.oup.com/jeea
Additional Information:	© 2022 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Centre for Economic Performance
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
JEL classification:	F - International Economics > F2 - International Factor Movements and International Business > F22 - International Migration J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J6 - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies > J61 - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Technological Change; Research and Development > O31 - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
Date Deposited:	01 Jul 2024 11:33
Last Modified:	15 Jul 2024 21:12
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/124052

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