To what extent are Latino ethnic enclaves in Los Angeles beneficial or harmful to immigrant assimilation rates?
Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States and population numbers have been increasing for almost a century. After the Immigration and Control Act of 1986 signed by President Ronald Reagan, the Latino population has been booming, especially in cities with an existing high population of Latinos like Miami, New York and Los Angeles. What many considered “amnesty” seemed to encourage even more immigration in the 1990s under President Bill Clinton and early 2000s under President George W. Bush. However, more recently under President Barack Obama, in an effort to appease the more conservative segments of the American Population, the border has become less permeable and deportations are at an unprecedented rate, leading to zero net immigration. …show more content…
Historically, the primary driving force has been the need for cheap labor, especially in agricultural and construction sectors and for most of the last 35 years, it has been relatively easy to get here. Once here, immigrants find it easier to live in a community with which they already share common history and values. Once here, linguistic barriers keep people from leaving ethnic enclaves and from moving up the socioeconomic ladder. A common tongue and a shared sense of racial animosity from other segments of the American population bind people to share a common identity though they may be from various national origins and races. Whites often also move out of areas with high concentrations of Latinos (or other minorities for that matter), thus further concentrating neighborhoods with large Latino
Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States and population numbers have been increasing for almost a century. After the Immigration and Control Act of 1986 signed by President Ronald Reagan, the Latino population has been booming, especially in cities with an existing high population of Latinos like Miami, New York and Los Angeles. What many considered “amnesty” seemed to encourage even more immigration in the 1990s under President Bill Clinton and early 2000s under President George W. Bush. However, more recently under President Barack Obama, in an effort to appease the more conservative segments of the American Population, the border has become less permeable and deportations are at an unprecedented rate, leading to zero net immigration. …show more content…
Historically, the primary driving force has been the need for cheap labor, especially in agricultural and construction sectors and for most of the last 35 years, it has been relatively easy to get here. Once here, immigrants find it easier to live in a community with which they already share common history and values. Once here, linguistic barriers keep people from leaving ethnic enclaves and from moving up the socioeconomic ladder. A common tongue and a shared sense of racial animosity from other segments of the American population bind people to share a common identity though they may be from various national origins and races. Whites often also move out of areas with high concentrations of Latinos (or other minorities for that matter), thus further concentrating neighborhoods with large Latino