Neighborhood opportunit structures of immigrant populations, 1980 and 1990

Several emergent theories assert that neighborhood affects immigrants' socioeconomic advancement. A range of demographic and socioeconomic indicators for immigrants' census tracts is analyzed, summarized as exposure indices. Indicators are based on 1980 and 1990 census tract information fo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Housing policy debate 1999-04, Vol.10 (2), p.395
Main Authors: Galster, George C, Metzger, Kurt, Waite, Ruth
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Censuses
Demographics
Metropolitan areas
Minority & ethnic groups
Neighborhoods
Noncitizens
Statistical analysis
Studies
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Several emergent theories assert that neighborhood affects immigrants' socioeconomic advancement. A range of demographic and socioeconomic indicators for immigrants' census tracts is analyzed, summarized as exposure indices. Indicators are based on 1980 and 1990 census tract information for five major metropolitan areas. Seventeen immigrant groups are examined and contrasted with general populations distinguished by race/ethnicity. Few general conclusions can be made about the typical immigrant neighborhood. Most immigrants (especially whites) are highly spatially assimilated. Different immigrant groups often share the same census tracts in substantial numbers. There is considerable diversity among groups in their propensity to reside in central cities. White immigrant groups evince advantageous neighborhood socioeconomic indicators. These findings dispel any vestiges of the myth of the immigrant ghetto that might be generalized across immigrant groups or metropolitan areas.
ISSN:1051-1482
2152-050X