Migrating for the good? A comparative assessment of educational achievements of Bolivian-origin youths in Argentina, Bolivians in Bolivia, and Argentine natives

Studies on migrant integration has long dominated the agenda of sociologists and economists around the world. But as one becomes acquainted with such literature, it is easy to see that is dominated by two types of approaches. First, there is a predominance of studies comparing how migrants and their children compare to natives in destination countries. Second, most research on migrant integration is centred on South-North moves. Using large-scale census microdata (2001-2012), this study addresses both concerns by studying educational outcomes and patterns of educational reproduction among the children of Bolivian migrants in Argentina, and how these compare to those of native Argentine children and those of non-migrants at origin. Findings show that while, on average, Bolivian-origin children in Argentina get higher educational outcomes than Argentine natives, the opposite is observed when compared to non-migrants in Bolivia. These results are further examined in relation to parental education and year.