Neighborhood Opportunity Structures of Immigrant Populations, 1980 and 1990

Abstract

Several emergent theories assert that neighborhood affects immigrants’ socioeco‐nomic advancement. This study analyzes a range of demographic and socioeco‐nomic indicators for immigrants’ census tracts, 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. With one exception, no immigrant group in any metropolitan area studied has such disadvantageous neighborhood indicators as black households, on average. These findings dispel any vestiges of the myth of the “immigrant ghetto” that might be generalized across immigrant groups or metropolitan areas.

Keywords:

• Demographics
• Neighborhood
• Minorities