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Title: Ethnic Enclaves and the Earnings of Immigrants

Citation Type: Working Paper

Publication Year: 2009

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Abstract: A large literature in sociology concerns the implications of immigrants participation in ethnicenclaves for their economic and social well-being. In particular, the enclave thesis speculatesthat immigrants benefit from working in ethnic enclaves. Previous research concerning theeffects of enclave participation for immigrants economic outcomes has come to mixedconclusions as to whether enclave effects are positive or negative. In this paper, we seek toextend and improve upon previous work by formulating testable hypotheses based on the enclavethesis and testing them with data from the 2003 New Immigrant Survey, employing bothresidence-based and workplace-based measures of the ethnic enclave. We examine the economicoutcomes of immigrants working in ethnic enclaves as compared to those working in themainstream economy. Our research yields minimal support for the enclave thesis. Our resultsfurther indicate that for some immigrant groups, ethnic enclave participation actually has anegative effect on economic outcomes.

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Authors: Xie, Yu; Gough, MArgaret

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Publication Number: 09-685

Institution: University of Michigan Institute for Social Research

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Publisher Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS

Topics: Migration and Immigration

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