Diversity in Chinese Auckland: Hypothesising Multiple Ethnoburbs

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn relation to its population, New Zealand has a high rate of immigration, and these immigrants are concentrated in the primate city of Auckland. This study considers the settlement of Chinese migrants in Auckland and considers their spatial distribution using the concept of ‘ethnoburb’. The location of Chinese residents and businesses is mapped and analysed to consider whether the concept of ethnoburb is useful in this context, which has similarities and differences from the Los Angeles context in which the concept was originally proposed. The areas where Chinese clustering is greatest are identified, and the characteristics of the residents of these clusters are compared. Distinctive differences in terms of age, ethnic diversity, migrant origin, education, occupation, and Chinese business concentration are apparent between different areas, and this has lead us to hypothesise that these areas can be described as distinctive ethnoburbs, rather than a single homogeneous ethnoburb. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.