The Role of Ethnic Enclaves on the Integration Process of Modern
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The College of Wooster Libraries Open Works Senior Independent Study Theses 2017 The Role of Ethnic Enclaves on the Integration Process of Modern Immigrants: Case Studies in Columbus, Ohio and France Caitlin Ziegert McCombs The College of Wooster, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy Part of the Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, and the Race and Ethnicity Commons Recommended Citation Ziegert McCombs, Caitlin, "The Role of Ethnic Enclaves on the Integration Process of Modern Immigrants: Case Studies in Columbus, Ohio and France" (2017). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 7680. https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/7680 This Senior Independent Study Thesis Exemplar is brought to you by Open Works, a service of The oC llege of Wooster Libraries. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Independent Study Theses by an authorized administrator of Open Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © Copyright 2017 Caitlin Ziegert McCombs The Role of Ethnic Enclaves on the Integration Process of Modern Immigrants: Case Studies in Columbus, Ohio and France by: Caitlin Chongyang Ziegert McCombs Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of Senior Independent Study Thesis Supervised by: Dr. P. Nick Kardulias Department of Sociology and Anthropology 2016-2017 ABSTRACT Today's modern world is experiencing a great exchange of people, which has implications for the immigrant identity as well as the national identity of the countries to which they move. Ethnic enclaves are neighborhoods in urban areas that have a high ethnic population and/or a specific cultural identity. Enclaves are predominately composed of immigrant populations and can provide them with networks of social capital, knowledge, economics, and culture and may impact their integration process into a new host society. This research study explores the influence of ethnic enclaves on the immigrant integration process and immigrants' navigation of personal and national identity through case studies in Columbus, Ohio and France. The research focuses on the degree of immigrants' integration based on six factors of the immigrant life experience: level of language proficiency of the host country, employment status, education level, income level, specific attachment to certain racial and/or ethnic groups, and amount of time spent in the host country. This study seeks to understand the diversity of the immigrant integration process and critically analyzes the differences of this process between the United States and France. By utilizing data collected through seven interviews, the present study indicates that not all immigrants need to rely on ethnic enclaves for such support, specifically those immigrants with high levels of educational attainment or skill as entrepreneurs. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the participants of this research study. Your stories, insights, experiences, and honesty have given this thesis shape, direction, and, most importantly, understanding. Professor Kardulias I have truly appreciated all of your advice, guidance, and conversation throughout this research process. Your patience and composure have kept me grounded and sane. Professor Tierney You brought sociology to life – your intelligence, wit, and sincerity continue to inspire me everyday. Thank you for teaching me how to learn and to be a critical thinker. Being in four of your classes never got old, in fact, it was a true please that I’m going to miss! Gillian Lee Our weekly meetings have been a great joy and honestly don’t think I could’ve written this thesis without your guidance, empathy, and humor. Cheers to us both for finally making it to this crazy due date of I.S. Monday! Mom and Dad Your endless love, support, understanding, humility, and compassion have taught me more than you will ever know. I have the two most wonderful humans to call my parents and for that I am forever thankful, I owe it all to you. I love you more than all the stars in the sky, more than all the blades of grass on the earth, and more than all the grains of sand in the beach – more than just about anything imaginable. Kina To my dearest, Ponton, you will always be my person. Thanks for listening to me ramble endlessly about everything and nothing, for hugging me even when you don’t want to, and for reminding me to enjoy the little things. One day we’ll look back and remember they were the big things, right? All the Friends For the past four years, Wooster has been a place that I can call home because all of you have made it so. Thank you, Toon Squad, for the lit Wednesday bingo in the UG. Thank you, Ladies of Pi Kappa, for all the fun and shenanigans, especially PC ‘14. Thank you, Betty, for all the sweaty hugs and love. And thank you, Tetraclique, for shaking it off with me since day one! iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv I. INTRODUCTION 1 The Question 1 Problem Statement 2 Literature Review 6 A Settler Society – The Brief History of Immigration in the United States 8 The Movement of People – Who, Why, and Where? 10 Important Components of Ethnic Enclaves 13 The Second Generation – Segmented Assimilation 19 The Navigation of Identity 20 The Universalist, French Model 22 Conclusion 25 II. THEORY 26 Introduction 26 World-systems Theory 28 Segmented Assimilation Theory 30 Theoretical Framework for the Present Study 32 Conclusion 36 III. METHODOLOGY 37 Introduction 37 The Participants 37 The Interviews 39 Quantitative Data 41 Conclusion 42 IV. DATA 43 Introduction 43 Findings 44 City of Columbus – Census Data 44 The Participants 48 Historical Movements to Columbus 51 The Role of Ethnic Enclaves 52 Ethnic Shopkeepers 57 Education 59 Importance of Language(s) 60 Nonprofit Affiliations 62 Religious Functions 63 Encounters with Prejudice, Racism, and Xenophobia 64 The American Identity vs. The French Identity 65 iv Current Political Climate 67 Conclusion 69 V. ANALYSIS 70 Introduction 70 Revisiting the Original Hypothesis 71 Analysis Through Theoretical Framework 71 Employing World-systems Theory 72 The Continuum of Incorporation 73 Ethnic Enclaves as Way Stations 75 Critical Importance of Education 77 Role of Entrepreneurship and Ethnic Goods 78 Secondary Migration and the Magnetic Effect of Co-Ethnics 80 Analysis Through Segmented Assimilation Theory 81 A Settler Society in Limbo 83 America, the “Hyphen-Nation” 87 France Without Hyphens 89 Conclusion 91 VI. CONCLUSION 92 The Impact of Ethnic Enclaves 92 The Ever Dynamic Immigrant Identity 93 Limitations of the Present Research Study 94 Insights for Future Research 96 Final Thoughts 96 BIBLIOGRAPHY 98 APPENDICES 101 Appendix A – HSRC Materials 101 Appendix B – Information Sheet (Including Consent Form) 106 Appendix C – Interview Questions 109 Appendix D – Interview Transcripts 110 Participant #1 – NB 110 Participant #2 – BA 116 Participant #3 – PA 118 Participant #4 – S 122 Participant #5 – AA 124 Participant #6 – EA 128 Participant #7 – SA 130 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Theoretical Framework for Present Study 35 Figure 1.1 Continuum of Incorporation into World-System 35 Figure 1.2 Continuum of Integration into Core-State/Host Society 35 Figure 2. Columbus Neighborhood Region Map 46 Figure 3. Foreign Born Population Distribution 1970 to 2005/2009 47 Figure 4. Participant Information for Quick Reference 50 Figure 5. Map of Ethnic Shopkeeper’s Shop Location Compared to Home Location 58 vi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION The Question This research study is motivated by the personal experiences of immigrants, myself included. During my sophomore year at The College of Wooster, I went Lowe’s to get some bolts to fix my futon. I went by myself. I quickly found what I was looking for and went to stand in line at the cash register. Spontaneously, the man in front of me turned around and looked me up and down before asking, "Where are you from?” I told him Granville, Ohio, since this is where I have spent the majority of my life, 17 whole years. "No, no,” he said, waving my answer away with his hand, “Where are you originally from?" Of course, this was not a new question, I have heard it before and I know many others have too. I answered honestly, explaining that I am adopted from China. His eyes seemed to brighten and he exclaimed, "Oh, you're one of them throwaway babies, aren't you?" I was completely, deeply shocked. I just stared back at him while his son continued to load two by fours onto the register. Nobody said a word and it was the most painful thing, I have never felt so alone. It is hard to identify with a place, group of people, or even a nation after such hurtful and disorienting interactions. This moment, although probably less than three minutes in total, has stuck with me for years. Navigating identity is not just the burden of individuals, but whole nations. In an increasingly globalized world, immigration is becoming more common. As nations become more diverse, it becomes imperative for them to be inclusive of such diversity, or risk creating deep inequality and segregation. It is unhealthy and dangerous for members of the same society to be fearful or apprehensive of one another. Ultimately, I hope that someday, when an Asian American girl says she from Granville, Ohio, that such an answer is enough. That we, as a nation, can believe her reality. 1 Problem Statement Recent globalization trends have created an exchange of ideas, culture, language, and people on a scale that the world has never seen before. As humans shuffle from place to place, they bring with them their own heritage and identity, effectively diversifying the new environments in which they settle.