Place Matters: Filipinos and Asian Indians in Jersey City, New Jersey

Abstract

ABSTRACTFilipinos and Asian Indians became two of the largest Asian ethnic groups in the United States after the passage of the 1965 Hart-Cellar Act that abolished the 1924 Immigration and Naturalization Act's quota system and eventually encouraged a large influx of Asian migrants to enter the United States. These groups have high socioeconomic status compared to other U.S. immigrant groups. Jersey City, New Jersey, is home to a significant number of both groups, which makes it unique compared to other U.S. cities. Social institutions are utilized by every immigrant group but differently. Year of entry, income, and ethnicity can influence the type and function of social institutions for each group. Therefore, analyzing social institutions helps shed light on each group's experiences, and assists in determining the role that social institutions play in each group's community, which permits individual or collaborative policy recommendations for institutions.