Applied Economics Lunch Seminar

Du 29/11/2022 de 12:30 à 13:30

Salle R1.09

WOO MORA Guillermo (PSE)

On the other side of the creek: The persistence and evolution of colonial ethno-racial segregation

This paper exploits a natural experiment of indigenous zoning in colonial Mexico to show evidence of the long-term effects of ethno-racial segregation on within-city sorting patterns. Guadalajara city was divided into two settlements in its colonial foundation: one for the Spaniards and Indigenous colonists and the second for the region's Indigenous population. Divided by a creek, there were no formal institutions or location fundamentals differences between the settlements. I use a historical census to show that individuals with lower caste and social status agglomerated in the indigenous zoning area, even when the zoning policy was not strictly enforced. Moreover, I use recent block-level data and a Geographic Regression Discontinuity design to show that contemporary blocks in the indigenous zoning area have lower years of schooling and household asset index. The mechanisms are the unequal provision of public goods and amenities.