Document Type

Working Paper

Publication Date

7-30-1991

Abstract

The effects on the earnings of Mexican American workers who speak English with an accent. In this study we find that, independent of English proficiency, Mexican Americans speaking English with an accent tend to earn significantly lower wages than their non-accented peers. This result is of interest to social scientists and policy makers for at least two reasons. First, antidiscrimination laws prevent employers from discriminating against workers on the basis of accent or manner of speaking. Second, immigration reform may have the unintended effect of depressing the wages of Mexican Americans and other Hispanics because the risk-averse employer may incorrectly assume that these workers are undocumented. Additional findings presented here, which suggest that Hispanic groups are uniquely penalized for speaking with an accent, lend support to the latter explanation for the inverse relationship between accent and the earnings of Mexican American men.

Comments

Working Paper Series 118

Sponsors

Southwest Hispanic Research Institute

Publisher

SW Hispanic Research Institute

Language

English

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