Desmond Ang - The Causes and Consequences of Discrimination: Lessons from (and for) Economics

Abstract

A robust economics literature demonstrates the on-going existence of
racial discrimination across a range of domains – from labor and
housing markets to the criminal justice system. Yet, we know little about
the causes of racial prejudice, and even less about its consequences for
marginalized groups. How do experiences of discrimination – or
perceptions thereof - affect the beliefs, behaviors, and aspirations of
racial minorities? Drawing on recent empirical research, this talk
explores how discrimination shapes the minority experience in America.
Understanding these dynamics is essential not only for diagnosing
persistent racial inequalities, but also for imagining policies that disrupt
their reproduction.

Biography

Desmond Ang is an applied economist and associate professor at the
Harvard Kennedy School. His research examines the causes and
consequences of racial discrimination and has been published in leading
journals including American Economic Review, American Political
Science Review, and Quarterly Journal of Economics. Desmond received
his PhD in economics from University of California, San Diego and his
B.A. from Dartmouth College.