I am a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at the University of Houston. My research interest is in Applied Microeconomics primarily in labor economics. I research topics on discrimination, race, identity, mental health, and immigration.
In my free time, I enjoy running with my two dogs, watching college and professional sports, and trying new restaurants in the Houston area.
Download my curriculum vitae.
Economics PhD Candidate, 2023 (expected)
University of Houston
M.A. Economics, 2020
University of Houston
B.S. in Economics (Summa Cum Laude), 2017
Arizona State University
In this paper, I study the determinants of the choice to identify as Hispanic among those who could—those whose parents, grandparents, or selves were born in a Spanish-speaking country. I find that individuals with Hispanic ancestry are significantly less likely to self-identify as Hispanic if they live in states with high levels of implicit ethnic bias. A one standard deviation increase in bias decreases self-reported Hispanic identity by seven and 13 percentage points for first and second-generation Hispanics, respectively. These effects are more prominent among second-generation immigrants whose mothers and fathers were born in a Spanish-speaking country than among children of inter-ethnic parents.
In this paper, I compare the children of inter-ethnic marriages to study the impact of having a Hispanic last name. While males born to Hispanic father-White mothers earn less than those born to White father-Hispanic mothers, the gap could be completely explained by educational differences. I also study the effect of identifying as Hispanic on earnings. I find that men that identify as Hispanic earn significantly less than those that do not, even after controlling for educational differences.
What is the effect of democracy on ethnic favoritism? I estimate the relationship between co-ethnicity and five outcomes of public good provision – education, infant health, wealth, access to clean drinking water and access to electricity – using data from twenty-one African countries. Following previous research, I use variation in co-ethnicity across ethnic groups and over time. I first estimate the relationship between these five outcomes and co-ethnicity in the full sample and then split the analysis between anocracies and democracies. I find mixed evidence of ethnic favoritism in the full sample. I find more evidence of co-ethnic targeting when comparing within democracies only and within anocracies only.
“Endogenous Hispanic Identity and Ethnic Gaps in the U.S”
“Discrimination and the Black-White Arrests Gap”, with Vikram Maheshri
“Effects of Gun Control Laws on Suicide”, with Gael Compta
“The Spillover Effect of Mental Illness on Risk, Academic Achievement and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from a Longitudinal Dataset”