research
Uncovering Conspciuous Consumption in Consumer Expenditure Data
This paper structurally estimates a utility function including a term relating to society's belief about an individual's wealth level.
A Search and Learning Model of Export Dynamics with Jonathan Eaton, Marcela Eslava, C.J. Krizan, Maurice Kugler, and Jim Tybout.
Explicitly modeling the discovery process of exporters learning about demand for their products explains several stylized facts uncovered in Colombian transactions-level trade data. This paper structurally estimates the learning process in a continuous-time framework.
Social Networks, Migrant Stocks, and Trade with Gary Lyn
Many studies have emphasized the importance of social networks in business relationships. Gary and I contribute to the literature estimating the effect of social networks on trade by using migrant populations as a proxy. We use a complete bilateral migrant stock matrix to estimate the marginal effect on trade of an additional migrant. We find a robust positive effect similar in magnitude to that found in previous studies. This was my second-year empirical methods project.
Welfare Gains from Migration in a New New Trade Framework
This project is at a very early stage. So far, I have replicated Alvarez Lucas (2007), and compared their benchmark results about welfare gains from tariff-reduction to welfare gains from a stark opening of borders. Of course, the welfare gains from migration dwarf those from tariff reduction. On the other hand, everyone gains from tariff reduction, while opening borders hurts residents of very high technology countries (like Japan).
A Bridge Goes Both Ways: A Two-Way Migration Model with Social Capital and Incomplete Information
This was the thesis for my master's degree at National Taiwan University. The idea is that migrants cannot fully predict the impact of future migration on wages, so that when many people migrate and wages fall, some migrants prefer to return home.
