Urban Tapestries
An exploration of concentrated ethnic communities, their formation, function, and societal impact.
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What is an Ethnic Enclave?
Defining the Space
In sociology, an ethnic enclave is a geographic area characterized by a high concentration of a particular ethnic group, a distinct cultural identity, and significant economic activity.[2] These areas are often recognized by their unique cultural markers and the prevalence of businesses owned and operated by members of the ethnic group.
Migrant Networks and Social Capital
Sociologist Douglas Massey highlights the role of migrant networks within enclaves. These networks provide immigrants with crucial social capital—information about employment, affordable housing, and social services—which can be converted into tangible resources, thereby lowering the costs and risks associated with migration.[4][5]
Economic Self-Sufficiency
The success of ethnic enclaves is often linked to their degree of self-sufficiency and economic prosperity.[3] By fostering a concentration of ethnic firms and providing employment opportunities within the community, enclaves can facilitate the economic incorporation and upward mobility of their members, offering an alternative pathway to integration.
Historical Roots
Ancient and Medieval Origins
Ethnic enclaves have been prominent urban features for centuries. Early examples include Roman colonies established to manage provinces and specific urban quarters in cities like Jerusalem, which historically housed distinct ethnic or sectarian groups.[17] The concept of segregated or distinct community areas predates modern migration patterns.
Global Manifestations
Throughout history, various factors have led to the formation of ethnic enclaves. These include military conquests (e.g., Catalans in Alghero, Sardinia), deliberate repopulation efforts (e.g., Croatian settlers in Schandorf, Austria), or groups remaining in their territory while being surrounded by a larger majority.[44][45]
Modern Urban Formations
In more recent history, large-scale immigration has led to the proliferation of ethnic enclaves in cities worldwide. Examples include the historic Chinatown in Manila, the Korean enclave in Palisades Park, New Jersey, and India Square in Jersey City, reflecting diverse cultural groups establishing distinct community spaces.[1][15]
Sociological Theories
Enclave Economy Hypothesis
Pioneered by Alejandro Portes and Kenneth Wilson, this hypothesis suggests that immigrants participating in an enclave economy—characterized by co-ethnic employers and employees—can achieve economic mobility more rapidly than those in the host society's secondary labor market.[3][20] Social capital is central to this model.
Cumulative Causation
Douglas Massey's theory of cumulative causation posits that immigration patterns create self-perpetuating momentum. As immigrants establish themselves and form networks within enclaves, they lower the costs and barriers for subsequent waves of immigrants from the same origin, fostering continued migration.[4]
Segmented Assimilation
This perspective examines how immigrants integrate into different segments of the host society. The presence of strong kinship networks and enclave resources can influence whether immigrants assimilate into the dominant culture, maintain their ethnic identity, or form a distinct subculture, impacting their overall socio-economic trajectory.[21]
Modes of Incorporation
Social Integration
Immigrants navigate assimilation and integration through various social channels. Kinship networks provide vital support, but their quality can vary based on economic stability and the duration of need.[23] Ethnic identity development is also influenced by parental involvement and available social networks.[21]
Economic Integration
Enclave economies offer immediate opportunities through co-ethnic businesses, often operating within the informal sector to bypass regulations. These firms can provide higher wages than the secondary labor market and offer pathways to entrepreneurship, though they may also present risks of exploitation.[18][25]
Political & Civic Engagement
Government policies significantly shape immigrant reception and integration. Factors like visa status and social service provision influence incorporation. Irene Bloemraad's work emphasizes how migrant networks, community organizations, and government settlement policies mobilize immigrants towards citizenship and political participation.[33]
Policy and Governance
Policy Gaps and Convergence
Wayne Cornelius's gap hypothesis describes the divergence between official immigration policies and their actual outcomes, often due to unintended consequences or weak enforcement. The convergence hypothesis suggests a growing similarity in how countries manage immigration, including control measures, integration services, and public attitudes.[30][32]
Public Opinion and Advocacy
Government responses to immigration are influenced by public opinion and the lobbying efforts of various special interest groups, including employer associations, advocacy organizations, and labor unions. These dynamics can shape immigration policies even amidst shifting economic conditions or public sentiment.[31]
Integration and Citizenship
The process of political incorporation, including the acquisition of citizenship, is deeply social. It is shaped by mobilization efforts from friends, family, and community organizations, embedded within a governmental framework that supports or hinders diversity and newcomer settlement.[33] Enclaves can facilitate this process by providing structured support.
The Enclave Debate
Long-Term Implications
While enclaves offer immediate economic and social advantages, their long-term effects on assimilation and upward mobility are debated. The ability to function within the host society without significant cultural or linguistic adjustment can be both a facilitator of integration and a barrier to deeper engagement with the broader economy.[34]
Economic Viability Critiques
Scholars like Sanders and Nee critique the enclave economy hypothesis, arguing for a distinction between immigrant entrepreneurs and workers. They suggest that segregation and low-wage jobs within enclaves may hinder overall economic progress and that enclave membership can exacerbate segregation.[8][36]
Niche Domination and Exclusion
Jennifer Lee's research points out that immigrants often occupy specific niches, particularly in retail, which require less host-country language proficiency. While beneficial for co-ethnics, this domination can lead to the exclusion of other groups from these networks, highlighting potential negative externalities.[37]
Ethnic Enclaves in the US
Waves of Immigration
The United States has a long history of immigration, with successive waves establishing ethnic enclaves in various cities. Early 19th-century Irish immigrants were among the first to form such neighborhoods, followed by numerous other groups throughout the 20th century.[38]
Residential Patterns
Immigrants often cluster in specific states like California, New York, and Texas. Housing discrimination has historically played a role in maintaining racial and ethnic segregation. While many ethnic neighborhoods tend to dissolve within a decade or two as immigrants gain resources, their prevalence has increased in recent decades.[40][43]
Chain Migration Dynamics
Chain migration, where existing immigrants facilitate the migration of relatives and friends, is a key factor in the establishment and persistence of ethnic enclaves. This process creates social structures that lower migration costs and promote economic mobility for newcomers.[5]
Notable Historical Enclaves
European Examples
Historically, ethnic enclaves emerged for various reasons. Schandorf, now in Austria, was a Croatian enclave for centuries, established by settlers invited to repopulate lands after Turkish attacks.[44] Alghero in Sardinia retains a Catalan enclave dating back to its 14th-century conquest by Catalans.[45]
Asian Examples
In Southern Thailand, Hat Yai has served as an ethnic enclave for Malay Muslims and Chinese immigrants since the 19th century. These examples demonstrate the diverse geographical and historical contexts in which ethnic enclaves have formed and persisted.
Surrounded Communities
Ethnic enclaves can also form when a group remains in its ancestral territory but becomes surrounded by a larger, dominant majority population. The Vepsians in Russia provide an example of such a situation, where the group maintains its identity within a broader national context.
References
Source Citations
The following references were used in the creation of this content:
- ^ Prime Sarmiento (May 21, 2018). "Exploring world's 'oldest' Chinatown". China Daily. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ Abrahamson, Mark . "Urban Enclaves: Identity and Place in America." Review by: David M. Hummon. Contemporary Sociology. American Sociological Association. Vol. 25 No. 6 (Nov. 1996): pp. 781-782.
- ^ a b c d e f Portes, Alejandro, and Leif Jensen. "Disproving the Enclave Hypothesis: Reply." American Sociological Review. Vol. 57. no. 3 (1992): 418-420.
- ^ a b Massey, Douglas S. (1990). The Social and Economic Origins of Immigration. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 510(1), 60–72. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716290510001005: pp. 60.
- ^ a b c Massey, Douglas S. "Why Does Immigration Occur? A Theoretical Synthesis." The Handbook of International Migration: The American Experience, Charles Hirschman, Philip Kasinitz, and Josh DeWind, editors. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1999.
- ^ Edin, Per-Anders, Peter Fredriksson, and Olof Aslund. "ETHNIC ENCLAVES AND THE ECONOMIC SUCCESS OF IMMIGRANTS—EVIDENCE FROM A NATURAL EXPERIMENT." The Quarterly Journal of Economics. no. 1 (2003): 329-357.
- ^ Abramitzky, Ran; Boustan, Leah; Connor, Dylan Shane (2024). "Leaving the Enclave: Historical Evidence on Immigrant Mobility from the Industrial Removal Office". The Journal of Economic History. 84 (2): 352–394. doi:10.1017/S0022050724000159. ISSN 0022-0507.
- ^ a b c Sanders, Jimy M. and Nee, Victor. "Limits of Ethnic Solidarity in the Enclave Economy." American Sociological Review. 52. no. 6 (1987): 745-773.
- ^ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2012 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
- ^ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2011 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
- ^ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2010 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
- ^ John Marzulli (May 9, 2011). "Malaysian man smuggled illegal Chinese immigrants into Brooklyn using Queen Mary 2: authorities". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
- ^ "Chinese New Year 2012 in Flushing". QueensBuzz.com. January 25, 2012. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
- ^ Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues Second Edition, Edited by Pyong Gap Min. Pine Forge Press – An Imprint of Sage Publications, Inc. 2006. ISBN 9781412905565. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
- ^ Karen Sudol; Dave Sheingold (October 12, 2011). "Korean language ballots coming to Bergen County". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
- ^ "Bucharest Armenian Neighbourhood". Interesting Times Bureau. 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
- ^ Deyirmenjian, Sevan (6 May 2013). "Հայկ. մեր դրուագ Երուսաղեմ Ք.Հովհաննիսյանի անունով:". Jamanak (in Armenian). Istanbul. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Portes, Alejandro (1995). "Chapter 1: Economic Sociology and the Sociology of Immigration: A conceptual Overview". In Portes, Alejandro (ed.). The Economic Sociology of Immigration. Russel Sage Foundation. pp. 1–41.
- ^ Waldinger, Roger. "The Ethnic Enclave Debate Revisited."International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. 17. no. 3 (1993): 428-436.
- ^ Portes, Alejandro, and Kenneth Wilson. "Immigrant Enclaves: An Analysis of the Labor Market Experiences of Cubans in Miami." American Journal of Sociology. 86. no. 2 (1980): 295-319.
- ^ a b Waters, Mary C. "Ethnic and Racial Identities of Second-Generation Black Immigrants in New York City." International Migration Review. 28. no. 4 (1994): 795-820.
- ^ Waters, p. 799.
- ^ a b c Menj\u00edvar, Cecilia. "Immigrant Kinship Networks and the Impact of the Receiving Context: Salvadorans in San Francisco in the Early 1990s." Social Problems. 44. no. 1 (1997): 104-123.
- ^ a b c Inkpen, C. Andrew and Tsang, W. K. Eric. "Social Capital, Networks, and Knowledge Transfer" The Academy of Management Review. Vol 30. No. 1 (1992): 146-165.
- ^ Light, Ivan; Sabagh, Georges; Bozorgmehr, Mehdi; Der-Martirosian, Claudia (1994). "Beyond the Ethnic Enclave Economy". Social Problems. 41 (1): 65–80. doi:10.2307/3096842. ISSN 0037-7791. JSTOR 3096842.
- ^ Light, Ivan; Sabagh, Georges; Bozorgmehr, Mehdi; Der-Martirosian, Claudia (1994). "Beyond the Ethnic Enclave Economy". Social Problems. 41 (1): 65–80. doi:10.2307/3096842. ISSN 0037-7791. JSTOR 3096842.
- ^ Sanders, Jimy M.; Nee, Victor (1996). "Immigrant Self-Employment: The Family as Social Capital and the Value of Human Capital". American Sociological Review. 61 (2): 231–249. doi:10.2307/2096333. ISSN 0003-1224. JSTOR 2096333.
- ^ Damm, Anna Piil (2009). "Ethnic Enclaves and Immigrant Labor Market Outcomes: Quasi-Experimental Evidence". Journal of Labor Economics. 27 (2): 281–314. doi:10.1086/599336. ISSN 0734-306X. JSTOR 10.1086/599336. S2CID 17521852.
- ^ Hondagneu-Sotelo, Pierrette. "Blowups and Other Unhappy Endings" in Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy by Barbara Enrehnreich and Arlie Hochschild. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2002.
- ^ Cornelius, Wayne A. Controlling Immigration: A Global Perspective. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2004. 3-42. Print.
- ^ Cornelius, p.11-12.
- ^ Cornelius, p.4.
- ^ a b Bloemraad, Irene. "Social Forces." Social Forces. Vol. 85. No. 2 (Dec. 2006): pp. 667-695. Print.
- ^ Duncan, Natasha T. and Waldorf, Brigitte S." Becoming a U.S. Citizen: The Role of Immigrant Enclaves" Cityscape. 11. No. 3 (2009): 5-28.
- ^ Sanders and Nee, pp. 746.
- ^ Sanders and Nee, pp. 745.
- ^ a b Lee, Jennifer. Civility in the City: Blacks, Jews, and Koreans in Urban America. Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, England: Harvard University Press, 2002.
- ^ Caves, R. W. (2004). Encyclopedia of the City. Routledge. p. 241.
- ^ Vigdor, Jacob L. (2009). From immigrants to Americans : the rise and fall of fitting in. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 978-1-4422-0138-5. OCLC 578648211.
- ^ Borjas, George J. Heaven's Door: Immigration Policy and the American Economy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999. p.8-11.
- ^ The Racial Structuring of the Housing Market and Segregation in Suburban Areas Linda Brewster Stearns, John R. Logan Social Forces, Vol. 65, No. 1 (Sep., 1986), pp. 28–42
- ^ Stephen R Holloway (1998) Exploring the Neighborhood Contingency of Race Discrimination in Mortgage Lending in Columbus, Ohio Annals of the Association of American Geographers 88 (2), 252–276.
- ^ a b Dai, Tianran; Schiff, Nathan (2023-09-01). "The structure and growth of ethnic neighborhoods". Journal of Urban Economics. 137 103570. doi:10.1016/j.jue.2023.103570. ISSN 0094-1190. S2CID 259281489.
- ^ See [1].
- ^ See [2].
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References
References
- Abrahamson, Mark . "Urban Enclaves: Identity and Place in America." Review by: David M. Hummon. Contemporary Sociology. American Sociological Association. Vol. 25 No. 6 (Nov. 1996): pp. 781-782.
- Portes, Alejandro, and Leif Jensen. "Disproving the Enclave Hypothesis: Reply." American Sociological Review. Vol. 57. no. 3 (1992): 418-420.
- Massey, Douglas S. "Why Does Immigration Occur? A Theoretical Synthesis." The Handbook of International Migration: The American Experience, Charles Hirschman, Philip Kasinitz, and Josh DeWind, editors. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1999.
- Edin, Per-Anders, Peter Fredriksson, and Olof Aslund. "ETHNIC ENCLAVES AND THE ECONOMIC SUCCESS OF IMMIGRANTSâEVIDENCE FROM A NATURAL EXPERIMENT." The Quarterly Journal of Economics. no. 1 (2003): 329-357.
- Sanders, Jimy M. and Nee, Victor. "Limits of Ethnic Solidarity in the Enclave Economy." American Sociological Review. 52. no. 6 (1987): 745-773.
- Waldinger, Roger. "The Ethnic Enclave Debate Revisited."International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. 17. no. 3 (1993): 428-436.
- Portes, Alejandro, and Kenneth Wilson. "Immigrant Enclaves: An Analysis of the Labor Market Experiences of Cubans in Miami." American Journal of Sociology. 86. no. 2 (1980): 295-319.
- Waters, Mary C. "Ethnic and Racial Identities of Second-Generation Black Immigrants in New York City." International Migration Review. 28. no. 4 (1994): 795-820.
- MenjÃvar, Cecilia. "Immigrant Kinship Networks and the Impact of the Receiving Context: Salvadorans in San Francisco in the Early 1990s." Social Problems. 44. no. 1 (1997): 104-123.
- Inkpen, C. Andrew and Tsang, W. K. Eric. "Social Capital, Networks, and Knowledge Transfer" The Academy of Management Review. Vol 30. No. 1 (1992): 146-165.
- Hondagneu-Sotelo, Pierrette. "Blowups and Other Unhappy Endings" in Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy by Barbara Enrehnreich and Arlie Hochschild. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2002.
- Cornelius, Wayne A. Controlling Immigration: A Global Perspective. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2004. 3-42. Print.
- Duncan, Natasha T. and Waldorf, Brigitte S." Becoming a U.S. Citizen: The Role of Immigrant Enclaves" Cityscape. 11. No. 3 (2009): 5-28.
- Lee, Jennifer. Civility in the City: Blacks, Jews, and Koreans in Urban America. Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, England: Harvard University Press, 2002.
- Borjas, George J. Heaven's Door: Immigration Policy and the American Economy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999. p.8-11.
- The Racial Structuring of the Housing Market and Segregation in Suburban Areas Linda Brewster Stearns, John R. Logan Social Forces, Vol. 65, No. 1 (Sep., 1986), pp. 28–42
- Stephen R Holloway (1998) Exploring the Neighborhood Contingency of Race Discrimination in Mortgage Lending in Columbus, Ohio Annals of the Association of American Geographers 88 (2), 252â276.
- See [1].
- See [2].
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