As a major world power, the United States occupies many resources resulting in great economic success. Economic prosperity, better quality of life, and a hopeful future are key aspects that migrant individuals seek when coming to America. Migrants who find work in the U.S. often times send money and resources back to their native countries in hopes of improving the lives of their families. Indeed, research has shown that migrant remittances can bring prosperity to developing countries by increasing overall income and boosting key outcomes such as health, entrepreneurship, and education. This study examines migrant remittances and its welfare implications by conducting eye-tracking experiments and surveys with a sample of almost 400 Central American migrants. In pursuance of further understanding these migrants’ remittance decisions, I primarily aided in the cleaning, coding, merging and analysis of survey and webpage clicks data. This research presentation will focus on (a) preliminary results from the research, (b) lessons learned through this research experience (e.g. data analysis and econometric methodology), and (c) how these fit with my future career goals.
