One-Stop Shop vs. Pick Identity: How Middle-Class Immigrant Parents Respond to Different Distributions of Ethnic Capital

• In Event: 20862 - Section on International Migration Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 17: Immigration Integration (2)

Abstract

The “immigrant paradox” refers to the finding that second-generation immigrants often achieve higher levels of education despite facing disadvantages upon arrival. One explanation for their higher achievement is “ethnic capital.” Ethnic capital can be categorized into two forms: resources and values. These financial, economic, and cultural capitals help immigrants achieve social mobility. Previous researchers have indicated that while most Asian ethnic enclaves possess both resource form and value form ethnic capital, Latino ethnic enclaves primarily generate value form ethnic capital. However, little is known about what shapes the varying distribution and accessibility of ethnic capital across different enclaves. Furthermore, how do migrants respond to these differences in ethnic capital distribution?

Through 30 in-depth interviews with middle-class Asian and Latino parents in the DMV area, this article isolates the effect of ethnic enclaves by focusing on a middle-class population, which has greater mobility capacity. Pre-migration trajectories and racial stereotypes influence the uneven distribution of ethnic capital within ethnic enclaves. In response, this study finds that middle-class Asian immigrant parents benefit from “one-stop shop” ethnic capital, whereas middle-class Latino immigrant parents must “pick identity” across different spaces. Middle-class Latino parents often reside in majority-white or mixed neighborhoods to find middle-class peers and access resources through selective educational environments. To compensate for the distance with their community, middle-class Latino parents carefully choose the families they interact with, maintaining their ethnic identity while supporting their social mobility goals.

This study enhances our understanding of ethnic capital and addresses the knowledge gap regarding how immigrants respond to its uneven distribution. It sheds light on how ethnic capital functions and influences parents’ strategies for achieving social mobility. Ultimately, the study demonstrates how the distribution of ethnic capital potentially contributes to unequal proximity among racial groups in shaping identity and attaining social mobility.

Author

• Yiching Huang, University of Maryland-College Park