Author(s):
Su-Yeul Chung* - Western Illinois University
Abstract:
Moderate decline in racial/ethnic residential segregation during the last two decades in U.S. cities has called our attention to minorities' re-clustering even after moving to suburbs. However, many scholarly researches develop at the basis of the four major racial/ethnic categories - White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic -, lacking investigation of potential variance within each categorical group and, more importantly, processes of their re-clustering in suburbs. In response, the research attempts to understand variance in clustering/segregation across nationality groups by comparing residential patterns of the four major Asian nationality groups in Chicago IL PMSA, 1990 and 2000. Concerning the processes of minorities' re-clustering in suburbs, at least three factors have been pointed out: 'segmented path of assimilation', 'racial/ethnic preference in residential choice', and 'discriminatory practices in housing market'. The research also attempts to estimate relative roles of each factor through investigating Korean homebuyers and co-ethnic home sales agents in the study area. This research is expected to unveil underpinning processes of decentralized clustering of minorities by highlighting the roles of co-ethnic home sale agents in geography of race/ethnicity in U.S. cities.
