Abstract

Literature shows that cross-ethnic contact improves the labor market outcomes of ethnic minorities. As one of the closest forms of such relationships are cross-ethnic marriages, we analyze whether childhood exposure to ethnic out-groups influence cross-ethnic relations later in life. Using information across 39 cities from the 1880 census, we determine the ethnic background of next-door neighbors for approximately 250.000 boys aged 3 to 15 in 1880 and check whether boys from more heterogeneous neighborhoods show a higher probability of a cross-ethnic marriage than boys from more homogenous neighborhoods. Initial results show that for second-generation Americans with a matching radius of 300m, any form of neighborhood increases the odds of later marrying the respective ethnic group. Likewise, there are effects for third-generation Americans if they grow up next to another third-generation American or an Irish household. For Germans, there are only increased odds of marrying Germans, being next door to all other groups reveals no effect. Irish boys have higher odds of marrying Irish as well as 2nd or 3rd generation Americans if they grow up next to them, only German neighbors show no effect on their marrying behavior. Taken together, these findings support conjectures about how “growing up with diversity” can reduce bias not only for major but also for ethnic minority groups.