The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 marked a pivotal moment in U.S. immigration policy, effectively prohibiting Chinese immigration while institutionalizing discrimination against Asians within American society. This study investigates the repercussions of such institutional discrimination on the assimilation process of Asian immigrants, leveraging the timing of the enactment of the Act and the regional variation in the intensity of discrimination. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that discrimination posed significant obstacles to the labor market integration of Asian immigrants during the Exclusion Era (1882–1943), and Asian immigrants responded to discriminatory practices by investing in human capital, enhancing English proficiency, and adopting Americanized names. Furthermore, the triple-difference estimates reveal that these effects are more pronounced in regions characterized by heightened discrimination against Asians.

中文翻译：

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制度上的歧视与同化：来自 1882 年排华法案的证据


1882 年的《排华法案》标志着美国移民政策的关键时刻，它有效地禁止了华人移民，同时将美国社会对亚裔的歧视制度化。本研究利用该法案颁布的时间和歧视强度的地区差异，调查了这种制度性歧视对亚洲移民同化过程的影响。采用双重差异的方法，我们发现，在排斥时代（1882-1943），歧视对亚洲移民融入劳动力市场构成了重大障碍，而亚洲移民通过投资人力资本、提高英语水平来应对歧视做法。 ，并采用美国化的名字。此外，三重差异估计表明，这些影响在对亚洲人歧视加剧的地区更为明显。