Author(s):
Siyoung Park* - Western Illinois University
Jongnam Choi - Western Illinois University
Abstract:
Recent Korean immigrants to the United States have similar inter-city migration patterns as the U.S.main stream population: shifting to the Sunbelt cities such as Atlanta or Phoenix. This study analyzes the evolution of Korean business and their residential concentrations and evaluates their spatial relationship with other Asian groups in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The data used were from the U.S. Census of population in 1980, 1990, and 2000 and the annual Korean Business Directories of Arizona, and Asian American Business Directories of Arizona. Earlier Korean residential concentrations were in the north of downtown Phoenix and the northwestern suburbs of Peoria and Glendale areas. Today Koreans are scattered throughout the entire metropolitan region. Tempe with Arizona State University and Chandler with many high technology companies are the major magnetic forces to attract the recent Korean population to the Phoenix metropolitan area. This study reveals the reasons for the residential distribution of Korean immigrants, their spatial relationships with other Asian groups, and the unique spatial patterns of the Korean businesses in this highly Hispanic concentrated metropolitan area.
