Asian segregation and scholastic achievement : evidence from primary schools in New York City

This paper examines the effects of Asian segregation on academic performance of non-Asian students in New York City public primary schools. We use plausibly exogenous variation in the share of Asian students stemming from a fertility shock among the Asian population in the year of the Dragon, which depends on the historical share of the local Asian population. A one-percentage-point increase in the share of Asian students reduces non-Asian students' math and ELA scores by 0.03 and 0.05 standard deviations. Effects on math scores are driven by a sharp increase in the share of students who are well below proficiency.