Ethnoburb - Community Dynamics

Community Dynamics

Ethnoburbs present interesting benefits and disadvantages to those within the community. Because of the high degree of ethnic similarities, communities can be shaped to meet the specific cultural and social needs of those who live there. This can be seen as a benefit as it aids in the adaptation of immigrants to a new environment in terms of language, culture, education, and job training. Also, through the sharing of common cultural traditions as well as new experiences encountered, a greater sense of community can be developed. An ethnoburb not only contributes to the fostering of cultural preservation particularly amongst immigrants, it can also play an important role in the larger cultural tapestry of a greater regional area or country as a whole.

On the other hand, ethnoburbs are sometimes viewed in a negative light because it is thought that they can inhibit cultural assimilation due to the belief that those living in these regions will become comfortable within the community and will not expand to incorporate social elements from outside their community. One way that this can be mitigated is through educational programs and the completion of public or private schooling. Because the dominate culture within an ethnoburb does not always constitute the majority of the population due to the fact that other ethnicities are also present, it can be helpful if these other cultures are also integrated into the regional identity to lessen the degree of severe representation and catering towards one ethnic group.

White flight can also be a result of ethnoburbs. Min Zhou, Yen-fen Tseng, and Rebecca Y. Kim claim

In the past, the movement of ethnic minorities of lower SES into urban neighborhoods triggered white flight into the suburbs. The current movement of immigrants of higher SES into the suburbs has ushered in a similar trend because newcomers have settled without going through the time-honored process of acculturation. They pose a new threat to the established white middle-class residents, who fear being “un-Americanized” by the newcomers. The Chinese ethnoburb shows that affluent immigrants from Asia, no less than blacks and Hispanics, can be perceived as a threat to white middle-class communities when they achieve a substantial presence.

Within Canada, the presence of ethnic communities are often favoured. This is a result of the country's belief in supporting a cultural mosaic through individuals maintaining their unique cultural identity following immigration. Ethnoburbs are often viewed as an "expression of preferences, common interests, social networks and the cultural and/or religious residents... as the basis for their integration into the Canadian economy and society." This view may not be shared by all geographical regions and is still an issue of contention within some areas of Canada as ethnoburbs can present both beneficial and negative elements that may either provide a pathway for the adaptation into a new society or the hindering of assimilation through cultural division. In comparison, historically the United States has oftentimes discouraged the maintenance of cultural identity following immigration through their melting pot policies and encouragement to adopt the "American" way of life. However, despite this, there has been an increasing trend in the United States for ethnic minority groups to maintain their cultural identity and individuality from the general American identity following their immigration.