HOME OWNERSHIP AMONG ASIAN ETHNIC GROUPS: California and New York

HOME OWNERSHIP AMONG ASIAN ETHNIC GROUPS: California and New York

The patterns of new immigration differ dramatically from those of earlier immigrations. After the elimination of racially biased quotas in 1965, people from Asia and Latin America have constituted the greatest number of new immigrants. With the new patterns of immigration, the racial composition of immigrants has also changed. Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing minority groups (Butterfield, 1991). Home ownership is one important indicator of the level of structural assimilation among members of minority groups. For minority groups, sociological analyses have focused upon racial segregation and mortgage lending services. Home ownership among Asian ethnic groups varies according to the rates of home buying and immigration history, because Asian ethnic groups have different immigration histories and multi-cultural characteristics, educational and political backgrounds. By using 1990 Census data in California and New York, results indicate, first, that the probability of home ownership among non-citizen Asian ethnic groups, excluding Taiwanese in California, is considerably lower than non-Hispanic whites. Second, unique immigration histories among Asian ethnic groups differently influences home ownership in California and New York. Third, among Asian ethnic groups, in California and New York, the significant variables for home ownership differ between citizens and non-citizens.