Ethnic Residential Concentrations with Above-Average Incomes

Abstract

Are residents of ethnic concentrations necessarily poor? We tested this notion with Census 2000 data for Asian and Latino households in the New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco CMSAs. Ethnic concentrations included all census tracts in which the group comprised over 40% of the population. While many residential concentrations had low incomes, 11% of concentrated Latinos and 57% of concentrated Asians had incomes above their metropolitan medians for all households. Moreover, 18% of concentrated Asians lived in tracts with incomes at least 50% higher than the metropolitan medians. Higher-income residents within concentrations were more likely to be U.S.-born and proficient in English. Thus scholars need to revise the widespread view that people living in ethnic concentrations are poor. Many Asians and Latinos who can afford homes in mostly White neighborhoods prefer to live where both Whites and their group are well represented.

Ethnicity, cultural disparity and residential mobility: Empirical analysis of Hong Kong

“…Due to better socioeconomic status, ethnic minorities who reside outside ethnic concentrations tend to have higher educational levels, and thus better jobs, and/or higher incomes than those living inside these concentrations (Allan & Turner, 2009). From another perspective, residents within ethnic concentrations are generally less culturally-acculturated to the host nation than those outside, which has been a consistent theme in the literature.…”

“…It is apparent that South Asians, without the help of PRH, tend to move around and cluster within urban (Allan & Turner, 2009). And similar to Chinese immigrants in the U.S. (Yu & Myers, 2006), they show no noticeable signs of acculturation with the local Hong Kong community.…”

“…According to Allan and Turner (2009), after a certain level of acculturation and economic success, some of the dwellers in these enclaves proceed to move into suburbs in which ethnic residential concentrations do not exist.…”

Impact of Victimization on Residential Mobility: Explaining Racial and Ethnic Patterns Using the National Crime Victimization Survey

“…Because the formation of Hispanic communities (or enclaves) can facilitate the economic and social adaptation of their residents, the segregation of Hispanics may reflect, at least in part, the outcome of voluntary housing choices rather than overt discrimination (Allen and Turner, ; Charles, ). Such patterns may create differences in the role of segregation in moving, and the more thoroughly discriminatory nature of Black segregation may be a bigger barrier for mobility than is segregation among Hispanics.…”

Research In Ethnic Segregation III: Segregation Outcomes

“…Indeed, the opportunities for economic development within concentrated ethnic communities may be enhanced as we find more such concentrations that fit squarely into the middle and upper-middle income categories (Allen and Turner, 2009). Some of this may be seen in Miami's Cuban community (Alberts, 2006), which has long boasted a more affluent profile.…”