Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/245590 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 14539
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This study demonstrates a series of links between minority language skills, their economic return and their transmission across generations. Using a detailed matching procedure and different data sources, we estimate the likelihood of being employed for bilingual versus monolingual men for a large number of Mexican indigenous groups. We find that for indigenous groups, retaining the minority language along with Spanish increases employment opportunities. Furthermore, we show that the languages that are associated with larger labour market benefits are more likely to be passed on from parents to children, controlling for other factors. Overall, this study shows that the continuity of minority languages across generations is linked to concrete economic benefits, labour market specialisation, and insurance value, along with the usual social factors within the family and the community.
Subjects: 
intergenerational transmission
language skills
bilingualism
return to skills
minority languages
indigenous group
JEL: 
J4
J15
J31
O54
Z1
Z13
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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