Essay On Ethnic Enclaves

A traditional ethnic enclave consists of an immigrant group concentrated in a specific geographic location where they make-up the labor market while working for enterprises operated by fellow immigrants and sometimes they also reside in the area. These specific groups are often unassimilated to the dominant society and the skills acquired from their country of origin allow them to work, serve, and survive in the area. This area produces their own economic activity typically low wages are earned through the ethnic enclave avoiding integration towards the mainstream economy.

According to Portes these enclaves are helpful due to the idea of ethnic solidarity. Immigrants that run the enterprises return human capital by facilitating the teaching of low wage immigrant workers in order for the workers to climb the ladder and eventually go into managerial positions offering higher pay. Although these groups of immigrants are low skilled and many times paid less than they deserve, higher positioned people attempt to recompense for low wages by offering the workers human capital or any other guidance in regards to problems they may be encountering including
Both groups although in different places provide support for immigrants by allowing them to interact and socialize with people who share a common culture, language, ideas and aspirations. These groups both produce ethnic solidarity as the people who constitute the groups are usually people that come from the same country. The leaders of both of these groups are paternalistic figures that often times encompass a lifestyle that the immigrants are working towards, serving as role models because many of these people’s parents may be first generation. In both enclaves the immigrant workers are typically led by people who occupy positions higher positions with better