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Ethnic Enclosure and Perception of Discrimination Among Korean and Polish Immigrants

Journal of International Migration and Integration volume 23, pages 85–104 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives

This study examined the impact of social and economic enclosure on Korean and Polish immigrants’ perceptions of discrimination.

Methods

The study was based on a survey of 403 first-generation Korean and Polish immigrants residing in Chicago, Illinois (IL) and its suburban communities. Using multiple regression analyses, we tested associations between social and economic enclosure and the perception of discrimination.

Results

Social enclosure was significantly associated with the perception of discrimination among both Korean and Polish immigrants. Compared to their less socially enclosed counterparts, immigrants who were more socially enclosed perceived higher levels of discrimination. Economic enclosure significantly predicted perception of discrimination among Korean immigrants only.

Conclusion

The study suggested that ethnic enclosure is not a protective factor from discrimination among these two groups of immigrants; instead, some forms of ethnic enclosure may intensify perception of discrimination from mainstream society.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bath, Department of Social and Policy Sciences, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    Venera Bekteshi

  2. Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 219 Huff Hall, 1206 South 4th Str., Champaign, IL, 217-244-5644, USA

    Monika Stodolska

  3. School of Social Work, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA

    Sung-Wan Kang

Authors
  1. Venera Bekteshi
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  2. Monika Stodolska
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  3. Sung-Wan Kang
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Correspondence to Monika Stodolska.

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Bekteshi, V., Stodolska, M. & Kang, SW. Ethnic Enclosure and Perception of Discrimination Among Korean and Polish Immigrants. Int. Migration & Integration 23, 85–104 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-021-00822-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-021-00822-4

Keywords

  • Discrimination
  • Social enclosure
  • Economic enclosure
  • Polish
  • Korean
  • Immigration