Racial/Ethnic Transition and Hierarchy Among Ascending Neighborhoods

This article examines the racial/ethnic population dynamics of ascending neighborhoods—those experiencing socioeconomic growth. Drawing on Census and American Community Survey data from 1990 to 2010, we first explore whether changes in racial/ethnic composition occur alongside ascent. We find that,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Urban affairs review (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) Calif.), 2019-11, Vol.55 (6), p.1550-1578
Main Authors: Owens, Ann, Candipan, Jennifer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ascent
Black people
Censuses
Composition
Ethnic factors
Ethnic groups
Ethnic neighborhoods
Ethnicity
Hierarchies
Hispanic Americans
Households
Migration
Minority & ethnic groups
Multiracial people
Neighborhoods
Race
Residents
Socioeconomic factors
Socioeconomic status
Socioeconomics
Succession
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Summary:This article examines the racial/ethnic population dynamics of ascending neighborhoods—those experiencing socioeconomic growth. Drawing on Census and American Community Survey data from 1990 to 2010, we first explore whether changes in racial/ethnic composition occur alongside ascent. We find that, while most neighborhoods’ racial/ethnic composition does not dramatically change during this period, neighborhoods that experienced ascent are much more likely to transition from majority-minority to mixed race or predominantly White than nonascending neighborhoods. Then, we use microdata to analyze whether two potential drivers of ascent, the in-migration of higher-socioeconomic status (SES) households and changes in the fortunes of long-term residents, are racially/ethnically stratified. We argue that the process of neighborhood socioeconomic ascent perpetuates neighborhood racial/ethnic hierarchy. While most Black and Hispanic neighborhoods remain majority-minority, those that ascend are more likely to experience a succession of high-SES White residents replacing minority residents.
ISSN:1078-0874
1552-8332
DOI:10.1177/1078087418770810