The Inflow of Refugees and Educational Attainment of U.S. Natives: Evidence from the Mariel Boatlift

Abstract

In the past decades, the United States had welcomed a large number of foreign-born individuals into its society. At the same time, there is a question of whether the inflow of immigrants affects the educational attainment of U.S. natives. To shed light on the issue, this article examines an episode in American history when approximately 125,000 Cuban refugees entered Florida in the short six-month period between April and September of 1980, later known as the Mariel Boatlift. The results from difference-in-differences analysis show a temporary decline (1.6 pp.) in school enrollment among non-Hispanic white individuals following Mariel Boatlift. This temporary decline is mainly driven by a decrease in college enrollment. Examining how the affected cohorts fared after they have completed their education, about 30 years after the event, the results show that Mariel Boatlift does not have an economically meaningful impact on their educational attainment, suggesting that many individuals leaving schools in the short period after the event re-enroll in the subsequent years. This finding is consistent with recent studies that found that the inflow of Cuban refugees improved the labor market conditions of less-skilled workers in the short period after Mariel Boatlift, increasing the opportunity costs of pursuing higher education.