Eric Fong

Determinants of friendship choices in multiethnic Society

This paper examines the determinants of interethnic friendship patterns with the majority group and coethnic friendship ties. The analysis is based on a specially constructed data set from three separate sources. Our analysis indicates that (1) participation in ethnic business tends to substantially lower chances of developing friendship with the majority group; (2) individual socioeconomic characteristics strongly affects coethnic friendship; (3) previous experiences of friendship with the majority group are related to the level of friendship ties with the majority group; and (4) neighborhood qualities do not related to friendship choices of minority groups. Implications of the results are discussed.

The spatial assimilation model reexamined : An assessment by Canadian data

Given the theoretical importance and policy implications of the spatial assimilation model, it is surprising that few studies have carefully and empirically examined the relationship of the three key variables in the model that has been used to explain the process of neighborhood attainment among immigrants, i.e., neighborhood environments, socioeconomic resources, and duration of residence in the host country. Few studies have delineated separate models to analyze the relationship between neighborhood environments and socioeconomic resources to the length of time spent in the host country. Using data from 1991 Canadian Census 2B profile and a special requested table from Statistics Canada, we evaluate how much the relationships of the three key variables mentioned in the spatial assimilation model apply to the spatial attainment of various racial/ethnic groups in Canada. The results reveal that the model explains the spatial attainment experiences of European groups. However, for Asians and blacks, the results suggest that their neighborhood attainments are not strongly related to their socioeconomic statuses. The study calls for a cautious approach in applying the spatial assimilation model.

The Social Consequences of Participating in the Ethnic Economy1

This study examines the effects of working in ethnic economy on social integration of immigrants. The analysis is based on a recently completed survey of the Chinese ethnic economy in Toronto. Our findings show that working in ethnic economies hampers participation in the social activities of the wider society. Results also suggest that those who gave a favorable evaluation of their own group, those who are independent class and family class immigrants have a higher likelihood of participation in social activities in the wider society. However, if those immigrants participate in an ethnic economy, they have significantly less participation in social activities in the wider society. Although previous research has documented that employment in ethnic economy is an “alternative avenue” for immigrants to achieve economic advancement in a new country, our study suggests that the social cost is substantial.

The Spatial Separation of the Poor in Canadian Cities

We used the 1991 Canadian census to examine the extent of spatial separation of the poor in Canadian cities. Although there were no extensive areas of blight, decay, or housing abandonment, we found high spatial separation of poor visible minorities in the selected cities. The index of dissimilarity indicates high segregation of poor blacks and moderate separation of poor Asians from the nonpoor population. We tested the effects of three major structural factors—racial and ethnic segregation, income segregation, and urban redevelopment—and found that racial and ethnic residential patterns are related strongly to the spatial separation of poor persons. The relationship between income segregation and spatial separation of the poor is not significant, however. We also found that the relationship between urban redevelopment and spatial separation of the poor pertains only to blacks. These findings suggest that blacks are vulnerable in the process of urban redevelopment.

The segregation of Asian-origin groups in the United States and Canada

Abstract We examine the comparative residential segregation of Asian-origin groups in the United States and Canada. For over 100 years immigrants have made their way from Asia to North America. This stream of immigrants has varied in composition by nationality and demographic structure. Moreover, the two host countries have varied in the composition of arriving immigrants and in the policies afforded various ethnic minorities. We use 1990 (and 1991) census data from the two countries to examine the determinants of metropolitan segregation for several Asian-origin groups. We employ regression analysis on pooled group-specific data, and in so doing, help identify the structural, national, and ethnic predictors of segregation. Our results show that the process of segregation differs in the two nations, although we do find that in both counties, Asian-origin persons are more segregated in larger cities with older demographic and industrial structure. We find moderate differences (versus a reference group of blacks) across Asian groups, although these differences are more pronounced in Canada than the United States. At the same time, overall segregation is somewhat lower in Canada. Notably, recent housing construction and relative incomes are less important in predicting segregation in Canada. The results suggest caution in extrapolating US-based models to other settings.

The Effect of Economic Standing, Individual Preferences, and Co-ethnic Resources on Immigrant Residential Clustering.

Our study examines how immigrants cluster in co-ethnic neighborhoods. We systematically explore the effects of three factors on the co-ethnic clustering of immigrants: economic resources, co-ethnic preferences, and the use of co-ethnic information sources. The study is based on a unique data set that provides rarely available rich information on housing search collected in Toronto in 2006. Focusing on Asian Indians and Chinese immigrants, the results clearly suggest that of all preferences, only co-ethnic preference is related to co-ethnic clustering of the two groups when income and use of co-ethnic resources are taken into consideration, and that levels of co-ethnic clustering are not related to the economic resources of immigrants. The findings also reveal that some effects are distinctive to specific groups. Although immigrants use various co-ethnic resources to obtain housing information, only the use of co-ethnic real estate agents is significant, and that only for the clustering of Chinese, not for Asian Indians.

Controversy and complexity : Canadian immigration policy during the 1980s

After describing the context that prompted the changes enacted in the 1976 Immigration Act, Dirks turns to contemporary immigration: he examines such controversial and complex issues as establishing annual arrivals targets, setting and managing refugee policy, and developing regulatory procedures for handling applicants. Costs and benefits of a universal visa policy, the distinction between refugees and immigrants, the role of the provinces, and the relationship between immigration and demographic issues are considered in depth. Dirks also pays particular attention to the structure of the organization. Bringing his study into this decade, he concludes by focusing on 1993 amendments to the Immigration Act. Throughout Dirks demonstrates that economic factors, while playing a major role in immigration policy, have not always been the most important consideration. He argues convincingly that social and political factors, as well as structural, organizational and bureaucratic considerations, have had a pivotal impact on both the content and the implementation of policy.

Patterns of Participation in Informal Social Activities among Chinese Immigrants in Toronto

This study addresses two questions. First, among the three major perspectives on integration (i.e., zero-sum, pluralist, and selective integration) suggested in the literature, which is the dominant pattern of the participation level in informal social activities in the ethnic community and in the wider society among new immigrant groups? Second, how well do the factors suggested by these three perspectives explain these patterns? Based on recently collected data about Chinese immigrants in Toronto, Canada, the analyses suggest that nearly half the respondents claim a low level of social participation. Among those who do participate, the pluralist integration pattern is the dominant pattern of participation in informal social activities among todays Chinese immigrants. Though the analysis shows the consistent effect of human capital resources on the pluralist integration patterns, there is no significant effect of either human capital resources or duration in the country on the zero-sum and selective patterns. Implications of the results are discussed.

A Comparison of Ethnic Businesses in Suburbs and City

We extend research on ethnic businesses by comparing the distribution of ethnic businesses in suburbs and city. The study is drawn from a recently compiled data set of Chinese businesses in Toronto. Drawing from four diverse and different sets of literature on ethnic businesses and urban forms, we identify factors that may affect the geographic distribution of ethnic business. The results clearly indicate a substantial presence of ethnic businesses in the suburban areas. They also suggest that Chinese businesses are more clustered in suburban neighborhoods. The multivariate analyses further show that the distribution of Chinese businesses in suburban and city neighborhoods is affected by different sets of factors, which possibly reflect the different effects of suburban and city spatial forms.

Neighborhood change within the Canadian ethnic mosaic, 1986–1991

This paper examines the neighborhoodpatterns in three major Canadian metropolitan areasbetween 1986 and 1991. Data are obtained from 1986 and1991 profile census files and two Special Tabulationsof 1986 and 1991 Canadian census. The data indicatethat the first pathway of neighborhood change is thediversification that takes place among charter-onlyneighborhoods with the introduction of a sizableEuropean presence, followed by Asians and then blacks. The second pathway featuring racial uniformityprimarily takes place in multi-ethnic neighborhoodscontaining one or more visible minority groups. Multivariate analysis suggests that the increase inracial and ethnic diversity in neighborhoods isrelated to the efforts of visible minorities,especially Asians, seeking out neighborhoods withEuropeans.