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Geographical study of ethnicity: Comparison between downtown and suburban Chinese in Metropolitan Los Angeles

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Abstract

There are two main schools of theory in the history of ethnic study in the US: acculturation/assimilation, and ethnicity/pluralism. The former emphasizes ethnic groups will merge to the host society and lose their entity; the latter indicates the ethnic identity will continue to exist. This paper proposes a now model of ethnic group distribution “multiple cluster” to support ethnicity/pluralism theory by adding the spatial perspective. The model indicates there are both traditional ethnic enclaves in inner city and new relatively concentrated ethnic residential and business districts. Creating a new landscape of their own in suburb will help the persistence of ethnic identity. The situation of Chinese. in Monterey Park becomes a Chinese hub with strong ethnic signature and entities, which attracts more Chinese people and businesses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Southern California, 90089-0255, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Li Wei

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  1. Li Wei
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Li, W. Geographical study of ethnicity: Comparison between downtown and suburban Chinese in Metropolitan Los Angeles. GeoJournal 30, 317–322 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00806723

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00806723

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