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Havens of Risks or Resources? A Study of Two Latino Neighborhoods in New York City

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Abstract

Research has been mixed on the potential risks and resources that ethnic enclaves may confer upon residents: whereas some authors characterize racial and ethnic minority neighborhoods through the lens of segregation and risk, others argue that these minority neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves that can improve the availability of resources to residents. In this study, we sought to assess two predominantly Latino New York City neighborhoods (one enclave neighborhood and one comparison) in the areas of structural resources (e.g., grocers, parks), cultural resources (e.g., botanicas, hair salons), and risks (e.g., empty lots, bars) by street-level coding in 20 census tracts (streets N = 202). We used Poisson generalized linear models to assess whether enclave status of a neighborhood predicted the numbers of risks and resources on streets within those neighborhoods. Enclave status did not predict the number of risks (Rate ratio = 1.08(0.83, 1.42), χ 2(1, N = 202) = 0.35, p = n. s.) or cultural resources (Rate ratio = 0.87(0.54, 1.40), χ 2(1, N = 202) = 0.34, p = n. s.), yet it was associated with a higher number of structural resources (Rate ratio = 1.90(1.48, 2.43), χ 2(1, N = 202) = 25.74, p < 0.001). The results suggest that while living in an ethnic enclave may not reduce risks, it may help residents cope with those risks through an increased number of structural resources. These findings support theories that conceptualize ethnic enclaves as neighborhoods where greater resources are available to residents. The focus on resources within this work was instrumental, as no difference would have been found if a solely risk-focused approach had been employed.

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Notes

  1. The vast majority of coded elements are features of the built environment that would not be affected by weather changes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant no. R21CA134247 from the NCI/NIH. The work was also supported in part by the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health grant no. R25GM062454 from the NIGMS/NIH, and by Columbia University’s Clinical and Translational Science Award grant no. UL1TR000040 from the NCATS/NIH. We are grateful to Dr. Niall Bolger for providing extensive guidance on the data analytic plan and to Jose Colon and Analisa Wills for their assistance with the coding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Mariana C. Martins, José E. Diaz, Raziel Valiño & Ana F. Abraido-Lanza

  2. Department of Human Ecology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Naa Oyo A. Kwate

Authors
  1. Mariana C. Martins
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  2. José E. Diaz
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  3. Raziel Valiño
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  4. Naa Oyo A. Kwate
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  5. Ana F. Abraido-Lanza
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Correspondence to Mariana C. Martins.

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Martins, M.C., Diaz, J.E., Valiño, R. et al. Havens of Risks or Resources? A Study of Two Latino Neighborhoods in New York City. J Urban Health 91, 477–488 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-014-9868-5

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