In the article “Flushing 2000: Geographic Explorations in Asian New York” by Christopher J. Smith and John R. Logan, much of the focus is on Asian immigration in the neighborhood of Flushing, Queens. The article shows us both the positive and negative impacts of the large influx of Asian immigrants. In “Beyond Chinatown, beyond Enclave: Reconceptualizing contemporary Chinese settlements in the United States”, Wei Li reports that Chinatowns established in various cities were not always viewed as a thriving immigrant enclave. They were considered to be a ghetto and were similar to the ones that Peter Marcuse described in his article. Therefore, it was interesting to read about how Chinatowns and other areas with a large Chinese population (such as Flushing, Queens) went from outcast communities to thriving immigrant enclaves.
Like we read and discussed in class, these immigrant enclaves promote the upward mobility of their residents. According to Logan & Smith’s observations, these enclaves are thriving because many immigrants bring entrepreneurship skills and establish small businesses. So, they help themselves and also play a key role in the revitalization of their community’s economy. This is clearly evident in Smith & Logan’s study of Flushing where the influx of Asians helped revive the area, which was experiencing a long period of economic decline. Unlike Manhattan’s overcrowded Chinatown, the area of Flushing provided jobs, housing and peaceful lifestyle for its inhabitants, thereby making it attractive for future immigrants. This could probably one of the reasons why many Chinese people (immigrants or non immigrants) choose to move out of Manhattan’s Chinatown (a fact pointed out by Joe Salvo in his presentation at The John Jay School of Criminal Justice).
On the other side of the spectrum, the Logan & Smith’s article reports that the Hispanic population is on the sidelines. Instead of the predicted increase in population, the Hispanic population in Flushing actually leveled off at 20%. Because of the Asian dominance, the Hispanic population instead settled in nearby neighborhoods but they still worked in Flushing. The Hispanic community was described as an “enclave within a enclave”. This characterization was interesting because even though there is a clear Asian dominance, the Hispanic community has still maintained its foothold in the community instead of being completely wiped out. Another very interesting phenomenon discussed in Wei Li’s article is the influx of affluent Asian immigrants into white suburban neighborhoods. In our previous class, we discussed that Whites preferred to live with Asians and Hispanics who were very assimilated into the American culture and were well established in US (refer to the “buffer theory” in the article “Global Neighborhoods: New Pathways to Diversity and Separation” by Logan & Zhang). Although I am not too familiar with the movement of other Asian groups, I am aware that there is a quite large Indian population residing in the suburban Eastern Queens and part of Nassau county. This could be partly related to their income levels and preference to settle a little further away from heavily crowded urban areas (but still close to major enclaves). This move of well established Asians into suburban towns is highlighted by Wei Li in her article and it shows that other minority groups are integrating with previously all-white communities and are not subject to isolation anymore.
