Abstract
The present study examines the spatial assimilation patterns of immigrants who arrived as children. The main objective is to predict the likelihood of living in ethnic areas for decimal generation immigrants (1.25, 1.5, and 1.75) among Asian Indians, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, and Vietnamese. Using 2013–2017 5-Year ACS Estimates and IPUMS, it applies the measure of local spatial clustering (the Local Moran’s I statistic) to identify ethnic areas and the logistic regression model to assess the effects of immigrant generational status, cultural, and socioeconomic assimilation on the probability of living in ethnic areas. The findings show that the 1.25 and 1.5 decimal generation immigrants of Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, and Koreans demonstrate higher propensities of living in ethnic areas compared to the first generation of each ethnic group, respectively. Meanwhile, their Asian Indians and Vietnamese counterparts show spatial assimilation. Regardless of generational effects, English language ability positively relates to the probability of living in nonethnic areas, whereas economic assimilation indicators reveal mixed results. We found substantial evidence for resurgent ethnicity theory and some support of spatial assimilation model, indicating the ethnic disparity in spatial assimilation patterns among Asian immigrants. Our paper highlights the nonlinear assimilation patterns among Asian decimal generations. Results suggest that, for Asian immigrants in the U.S., age-at-arrival and ethnicity are both significant predictors of residential preference.
Highlights
Published: 10 June 2021In the past few decades, immigrants from Asia have seen a phenomenal increase in the United States, comprising 65.7% of the total Asian population as of 2019, according to the Census American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates (U.S Census Bureau ACS Survey 2019a).The pool of Asian immigrants comprises those who migrated to America in their early adolescent years, and 5.5% of Asian Americans under 18 were foreign-born (U.S CensusBureau ACS Survey)
The number of PUMAs identified as ethnic areas varies across different Asian groups, with the lowest number (N = 117) being Japanese ethnic areas
The findings provide some support for the spatial assimilation theory and argue that this model cannot stand alone for understanding the locational attainment of
Summary
In the past few decades, immigrants from Asia have seen a phenomenal increase in the United States, comprising 65.7% of the total Asian population as of 2019, according to the Census American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates (U.S Census Bureau ACS Survey 2019a). The assimilation literature holds divergent opinions on how to define the immigrant generations that arrived as children (Oropesa and Landale 1997; Rumbaut 1994; Thernstrom 1973). As argued in this line of literature, age-at-arrival during immigration is critically related to varied assimilation outcomes. In later studies, Oropesa and Landale (1997) refer to them as decimal generations, and Rumbaut (1994, 2004) argues that the immigrants who arrived as children have dual characteristics as foreign-born status (as with first generation) and have experienced some of their developmental years (as with second generation) in the United States. How does the probability of living in ethnic areas vary by decimal generations and ethnicities?
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