Abstract
The source of U.S. entrepreneurs and their contributions to the economic and social well-being of American society are issues that are being addressed in many quarters today. One approach emphasizes the role that immigrant and minority entrepreneurs play in this process. The stereotypical enterprises created by ethnic immigrants evoke certain images: the corner retail establishment, predominately coethnic employees and customers, and a geographically bounded and identifiable section of town. Additional assumptions are also often made that the businesses are tied to the ethnic community and benefit from resources distributed through community ties. In fact, these businesses share many of the same characteristics of small enterprises in general. However, some also do share conditions, perceived as advantageous, that are related to the structure of specific ethnic communities. For these groups business enterprise is an important tool that contributes to the incorporation of ethnic immigrants into American society.
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Butler, J.S., Greene, P.G. (1999). “Don’t Call Me Small”: The Contribution of Ethnic Enterprises to the Economic and Social Well-Being of America. In: Acs, Z.J. (eds) Are Small Firms Important? Their Role and Impact. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5173-7_8
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