Ethnoburb
An ethnoburb is a suburban residential and business area with a notable cluster of a particular ethnic minority population, which may or may not be a local majority. That can greatly influence the social geography within the area because of distinct cultural and religious values. Ethnoburbs allow for ethnic minority groups to maintain their traditional identity, forestalling cultural assimilation.
According to Dr. Wei Li, the author of many writings on the subject, the ethnoburb has resulted from "the influence of international geopolitical and global economic restructuring, changing national immigration and trade policies, and local demographic, economic and political contexts."
Although many assume that an ethnoburb is composed of immigrants with a lower economic status, that may not always be the case, as many ethnoburbs are made up of wealthy and high economic status individuals in more expensive neighbourhoods and communities.
History of term
The term was first coined in 1997 by Dr. Wei Li, then assistant professor of geography and Asian American studies at the University of Connecticut, in a paper examining the suburban Chinese population in Los Angeles. She further examines and delineates the difference between "Chinatowns" and "ethnoburbs" in "Ethnoburb versus Chinatown: Two Types of Urban Ethnic Communities in Los Angeles."Ethnoburbs emerge in combination or as separate entities for reasons like significant changes in world politics and the world economy, policy changes in the US, and demographic shifts in individual or in local connecting neighborhoods. Such communities have substantial external connections to the globalised mainstream economy, leading to higher socioeconomic levels in its residents. An ethnoburb functions as a social hub and a place in which immigrants may work and do business within their own networks. That definition of an ethnoburb closely resembles that of the ethnic enclave as defined and studied by sociologists Wilson and Portes. Though the terms are different, the types and functions of these hubs are nearly identical. The formation of ethnoburbs also have an effect on the cultural and political characteristics of a city. In cities like San Francisco, Vancouver, and Toronto; in the New York City-Philadelphia and Washington, DC areas; and in the San Gabriel Valley, for example, Chinese immigrants have built large houses and malls catering to Chinese businesses, changing the landscape of the communities and a significant number of smaller ones throughout Canada and the US.
Ethnoburb: The New Ethnic Community in Urban America explores in depth the phenomenon of ethnoburbs scattered through the United States. The book used the term "ethnoburb" for the first time, in 1997, to describe the new formation of contemporary suburban Asian settlements, and the author continues her studies in larger metropolitan areas in the US and in Canada.
The term has become widely used in academia and is slowly gaining usage in the popular vernacular.
Community dynamics
Ethnoburbs present interesting benefits and disadvantages to those within the community. They can be shaped to meet the specific cultural and social needs of those who live there because of the high degree of ethnic similarities. That can be seen as a benefit as it aids in the adaptation of immigrants to a new environment in terms of language, culture, education, and job training. Also, the sharing of common cultural traditions and new experiences encountered allows a greater sense of community to be developed. An ethnoburb not only contributes to the fostering of cultural preservation particularly amongst immigrants but also can play an important role in the larger cultural tapestry of a greater regional area or country as a whole.On the other hand, ethnoburbs are sometimes viewed in a negative. It is thought that they can inhibit cultural assimilation because those living in these regions will become comfortable within the community and not expand to incorporate social elements from outside their community. One way that can be mitigated is educational programs and the completion of public or private schooling. Because the dominant culture within an ethnoburb is not always the majority of the population since other ethnicities are also present, it can be helpful if the other cultures are also integrated into the regional identity to lessen the degree of severe representation and catering towards one ethnic group.
White flight can also be a result of ethnoburbs. Min Zhou, Yen-fen Tseng, and Rebecca Y. Kim claim:
Within Canada, the presence of ethnic communities is often favoured. That is a result of the country's belief in supporting a cultural mosaic in which individuals maintain their unique cultural identity after their immigration. Ethnoburbs are often viewed as an "expression of preferences, common interests, social networks and the cultural and/or religious residents... as the basis for their integration into the Canadian economy and society."
That view may not be shared by all geographical regions and is still an issue of contention in some areas of Canada, as ethnoburbs can present both beneficial and negative elements that may either provide a pathway for the adaptation into a new society or the hindering of assimilation by cultural division.
In comparison, the United States has historically often discouraged the maintenance of cultural identity after immigration by melting pot policies and encouragement to adopt the "American" way of life. However, there has still been an increasing trend in the United States for ethnic minority groups to maintain their cultural identity and individuality from the general American identity after immigration.
Contrasting concepts
The ethnoburb concept was developed in reference to the United States, and mainly applies there and in countries with similar immigration and urban planning contexts, such as Australia and Canada. Suburban ethnic enclaves in other counties are described with other concepts.Banlieue
In the French-speaking world, the word for a suburb, banlieue, has taken on a connotation of racial and economic segregation and deprivation. In the inverse of the "white flight" phenomenon seen in the United States in the twentieth century, immigrants to France—primarily from former French colonies, notably Francophone Africa—often moved to Habitations à Loyer Modéré building in suburban areas around Paris and other large cities, rather than to older neighbourhoods in the "inner city". Of course immigrants moved to the city proper as well, but rents in Paris are generally too high for the newly-arrived; therefore the banlieues became increasingly identified as immigrant neighbourhoods, even as new generations of Black- and Arab-descended French citizens were born there.Examples
Vancouver, British Columbia
The Greater Vancouver Regional District is home to a number of ethnic suburbs, each with its own unique characteristics. In recent years, changes to immigration policies have made the municipalities magnets for immigrants. Here, members of the community find acceptance, security and comfort in the presence of common cultural practices. However, in some situations, increasing segregation has led to tension.In the past 40 years, the Canadian immigration policy has adopted a multicultural model, with immigrants being granted equal rights in all facets of society Prior to 1962, the Canadian federal government used a country of origin preference system to grant immigration status. The removal of this policy and the introduction of a points system in 1967 caused an influx of immigration to the GVRD. The integration of newly arrived immigrants into the ethnoburbs of Metropolitan Vancouver has increased the diversity of the city but some might argue segregation based on ethnicity has risen in recent years.
This socially constructed segregation has physical ramifications on the landscape. In Vancouver's case, increased immigration of affluent East Asians has also meant a boom in the housing market. The expansion of real estate development in the 1980s and 1990s lead to the transformation of post war suburbs into areas dominated by infamous "Vancouver Specials," monster homes, and megamalls. The extravagant building types have become points of contention in the GVRD. Along with that, a growing fear of longtime Canadians is that increasing immigration means decreased space in "good schools". Such factors feed the argument that spatial segregation based on ethnicity effects the social fabric of communities. Today, nearly 40,000 people immigrate to the GVRD every year, approximately 30,000 from Asia, with China and India as the two major source countries. The result has been the formation of ethnically-distinct municipalities such as Richmond and Surrey.
Richmond and Surrey are not the only ethnic enclaves in the GVRD. Several neighbourhoods in Vancouver proper have formed, based on lines of heritage. Chinatown, Little Italy, Little India and more are examples of such communities. They are on a smaller scale than Richmond or Surrey. Mapping of ethnicity in Greater Vancouver shows that populations, although concentrated in some areas, disperse out on a gradient. Research on the subject depicts the landscapes as places of integration and acceptance. Increasing diversity has increased the liveability of this growing metropolis. There are, of course, challenges to multiculturalism. Nonetheless, they are communities with deep roots, unique traditions, and shared social identities. From May 2013, the Canadian government tightened the language requirements for all immigrants, and reduced the benefits for immigrants who spoke both of Canada's two official languages. Here, there are increased opportunities for immigrants upon arrival in Canada.
Richmond, British Columbia
Large communities of visible minorities have changed the cultural landscape Vancouver's suburbs, adding to the diverse society that the GVRD prides itself on. Massive shopping malls built in the 1980s such as Aberdeen and Yaohan centres, are focused solely on Chinese clientele. Such shopping centres are highly specialized and highly successful. On average, 19.6% of the GVRD's population is Chinese. In some parts of Richmond, British Columbia, 66.9% of the population have Chinese heritage. For many new immigrants and long time residents alike, it is a great comfort to be able buy familiar foods and communicate with shop keepers in their native languages. However, some would argue the absence of English from signage and service creates tension within the Richmond community.However, tensions aside, Richmond's unique blend of culture has added to the mosaic of the city. Some Christians with Hong Kong roots take comfort in Cantonese sermons, being able to connect on personal, congregational, regional and international levels of community. Richmond is also home to many Buddhist temples and societies. The Ling Yen Mountain Temple is an active monastery, and boasts 10,000 members in Greater Vancouver. This micro and macro scale involvement and sense of identity is beneficial in an increasingly global community.
Richmond also hosts many festivals, including the Summer Night Market. which highlights East Asian Canadian culture and celebrate diversity.