Search

As immigrants adapt to their new country, they experience both increased access to homeownership and an increase in independent household formation. This paper examines residential assimilation, as measured by homeownership and household formation, among five young immigrant cohorts in Los Angeles and Toronto over a five-year period in the early 2000s. Results show that while differences between groups are evident already at the beginning of the study period, residential assimilation occurs for all groups over time, relative to the native-born. This assimilation, however, seems to occur differently by group; the Chinese, for example, attain high homeownership rates by creating relatively few households, whereas black immigrants form many more households but much lower homeownership rates, over time. Comparing across countries, immigrants consistently have lower rates of household formation and mostly higher homeownership levels in Toronto than they do in Los Angeles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper uses census microdata to examine five aspects of residential assimilation in the greater Los Angeles area. A double cohort method is used to separate the effect of duration in the US from the effect of aging. We track a single arrival cohort that came in 1970–79, and analyze the processes and determinants of their residential assimilation between 1990 and 2000. Groups compared are Mexican, Korean, and Chinese immigrants, along with a common reference group of native-born, non-Hispanic whites. We find that while the Mexicans follow the traditional path of residential assimilation, they are more likely to reside in ethnic districts once they become homeowners. The Chinese are most unusual, locating in the suburbs and attaining very high homeownership soon after arrival, but moving into areas of co-ethnics over time. The Koreans exhibit a strong preference for urban lifestyle, often remaining in the city and renting in districts with whites and Latinos. Residential assimilation is a multifaceted process and the dynamics of residential adjustment are much more complex than previously revealed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Taiwanese immigrants in Los Angeles stand in contrast to the well-documented homeownership deficit among immigrants. Despite the tremendous growth in Taiwanese immigrants during the 1980s, the Taiwanese homeownership rate was not only among the highest of all ethnic groups in 1990, but also recorded a phenomenal increase of 16 percentage points between 1980 and 1990. This paper examines this trend and assesses the contributing factors. It reveals that (1) education and wealth were contributors to Taiwanese high homeownership; (2) Chinese immigrants in general and Taiwanese immigrants in particular had endowment-adjusted homeownership rates well above that of non-Hispanic whites, while the ways in which ethnic Chinese immigrants achieve high homeownership were reflective of their distinctive paths of immigration; (3) surprisingly, higher English proficiency, an indicator of acculturation, was negatively associated with Taiwanese homeownership; (4) the large rise in Taiwanese homeownership in the 1980s was largely contributed to by young, highly educated, newly arrived Taiwanese with a low level of income and a high level of wealth. Findings refute the hypothesis that immigrants are always plagued by homeownership deficits. Well-off immigrants, such as the Taiwanese, may have followed a path of assimilation not yet documented in the literature; acculturation and social adaptation may no longer be preconditions for their economic integration. The arrival of well-off immigrants has a significant potential to bolster regional demand for owner-occupied housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]