Strangers Next Door: Eastern European Immigrants` Community Engagement and Interaction in Residential Neighborhoods in the United States

• In Event: Residential Segregation and Inequality II

Abstract

Despite the rapid growth of new Eastern European immigrants in the United States, little is known about their adaptation experiences. Limited previous research examined their cultural and socioeconomic adaptation, but their structural adaptation (e.g., integration into economic, social, political, legal, and educational institutions) has never been systematically studied before. Extending previous research, this paper examined how post-1991 Eastern European immigrants adapt structurally in the United States, focusing on their memberships in community-based organizations and frequency of interaction with neighbors in residential neighborhoods. The 2006-2010 American Community Survey and logistic regression were used to test the hypotheses.
The results indicate that one in five Eastern European immigrants were members of a civic organization in the U.S., with the highest percentage of immigrants participating in religious and school organizations. In addition, over 80 percent of respondents talked to their neighbors at least once a month, and 55 percent exchanged favors with their neighbors on a monthly basis. Among the three largest Eastern European groups – Polish, Ukrainians, and Russians – Ukrainian immigrants were the most likely to participate in civic organizations and Polish immigrants the least likely. Immigrants from Russia were less likely to interact with their neighbors than Ukrainian and Polish immigrants.
Both measures of structural adaptation indicate limited community involvement among Russian immigrants and challenge the assumption that successful socioeconomic adaptation precedes structural adaptation. Prior research found that Russian immigrants tended to adapt better socioeconomically than other Eastern European groups, but they lagged behind in their structural adaptation. Similarly, while immigrants from Ukraine tended to fare worse socioeconomically than Russian immigrants, they adapted better structurally. These diverse experiences indicate that some Eastern European groups integrated successfully into their communities, while others resisted structural incorporation or faced challenges in overcoming the barriers of learning a new language, traditions, and value systems.

Author

• Nina Michalikova, University of Central Oklahoma