arXiv · 2509.02836
Once Welcomed, Then Scapegoated: The Enduring Consequences of Assimilation Policies in the Wake of Mass Migration
Abstract
This paper examines the short- and long-term effects of immigrant assimilation policies in Brazil after the Mass Migration period. It focuses on the Nationalization Campaign, launched amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment during the Great Depression and the World Wars. Using newly assembled archival data spanning the twentieth century, I assess the campaign's impact on education among immigrants and their descendants following the closure of immigrant-community schools. In the short term, the policy sharply reduced educational attainment among targeted groups; in the long term, school-age immigrants during the campaign completed less education over their lifetimes, with adverse effects persisting into the second generation. The magnitude of these impacts varied with cultural proximity to native Brazilians.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Vinicius Schuabb. 2025-09-02. Once Welcomed, Then Scapegoated: The Enduring Consequences of Assimilation Policies in the Wake of Mass Migration. https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.02836
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.