Ethnicity & Urban

Geography
Professor Baylis
Week 7, Monday
Reminders/Announcements

(1) Read “When do cultures change?” (under “Environment and cultural change”)
(2) Assignment 3 is due this week
(3) Quiz 3 on Friday (if you cannot take the quiz during lecture time, please let me and
your TA know by Tues eve at the latest along with a time when you can take it
before Fri at 11).
(4) This week: Baylis office hrs Thurs 9-10
(5) There will be no sections next week (there will be lecture on Wednesday before
Thanksgiving which will largely be review/discussion)
Ethnicity & Spatial Patterns
A. Ethnicity
Seeing White
Ethnic Group: Group of individuals
who share social and cultural traits or
characteristics (language, religion,
national origin, customs, history).
Group “ethnic identity” is recognized
by “insiders” and “outsiders.”
Race: Social construction that
categorizes humans, theoretically
based on phenotypical (physical)
characteristics such as skin color, hair
https://www.sceneonradio.org/seeing-white/
texture, or eye color or shape
Ethnicity
National Origin (self, parents, Ethnic Group
grandparents, or ancestors) (U.S.)
Mexico Hispanic/
El Salvador Latino/a/x
Guatemala
Puerto Rico
Cuba
(Other Latin American countries)
China Asian
India
Japan
Singapore
(Other Asian countries)

Hispanic: Refers to Spanish-speaking people and those from Spanish-speaking

countries (includes Spain, but not Brazil).
Latino/a/x: Refers to people from Latin America (includes Brazil but not Spain).
B. Ethnic Islands, Enclaves, and Ghettos
Ethnic island: Areas of ethnic concentration
that are dispersed from major cities/ rural.

Ethnic enclave: Areas of ethnic

concentration in cities; ethnic cluster
preserved through internal cohesiveness of
group (“self-segregation”).

Ethnic ghetto: Ethnic cluster perpetuated by

external constraints and/or discrimination.
Separation mainly “involuntary”; difficult to
move out of the ghetto.
Ethnic Islands
Areas of ethnic concentration
that are dispersed from major
cities/ rural.
 Ethnic Enclaves
Areas of ethnic concentration in cities; ethnic cluster
preserved through internal cohesiveness of group
(“self-segregation”).

Benefits of Ethnic Enclaves:

• Defense – can help defend against discrimination and
define “territory”
• Support – eases transition to a new country; can help
secure jobs, ease language stress, provide religious
community, etc.
• Preservation of culture, language, religion; reinforces
positive ethnic identity
• Group Assertion – as a group, ethnic enclaves are better
able to secure political representation and promote group
interests at government/policy levels
Ghettos
Ethnic cluster perpetuated by external constraints – such as laws & policies (e.g.,
redlining), and/or discrimination. Separation is “involuntary” in that it can be very
difficult to move out of the ghetto.

1939 Housing Map of LA showing loan discrimination

https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/segregation-in-the-city-of-angels-a-1939-map-of-housing-inequality-in-l-a
Assimilation

Assimilation – to become similar; “a process by which a minority

population reduces or completely loses its identifying cultural
characteristics and blends into the host society. One component is spatial
assimilation.”
• Full assimilation: No distinction between ethnic group and wider society
• Partial, segmented assimilation: Assimilation is not full; may not be linear.
• Assimilation facilitated by, but not the same as acculturation (when an individual or
group maintain the primary aspects of their identity while integrating aspects of
another culture, they develop cultural pluralism)

Alternate Views
• Immigrants remake the ”mainstream” host society through their presence (Richard
Alba)
• “Assimilation is a two-way street” (Tomás Jiménez)
(https://think.kera.org/2019/08/27/assimilation-is-a-two-way-street/)
Assimilation

Markers of assimilation:
• Intermarriage
• Absorption of cultural values and practices; ”symbolic ethnicity”
• Geographic dispersion from ethnic island or enclave;
• Spatial integration in communities and neighborhoods
• Socioeconomic upward mobility (education, income, etc.)
• Employment in a full range of occupations
Groups that may have “assimilated” in the past
Immigrants arriving between 1880 and 1920, mainly Italians, Irish, Germans, &
Scandinavians

Assimilation meant:
• Loss of language of country of origin/acquisition of English
• Gaining higher levels of education than immigrant parents and grandparents
• Moving out of ethnic enclaves & inter-marrying with other racial/ethnic groups

Assimilation happened over many generations, taking time (which also included
the immigration hiatus between 1920-1965.)

Assimilation was also facilitated by:

• Service in the military, especially during the World Wars, and through the benefits
provided to (white) veterans in the GI Bill.
• This included government support for professional training at universities or trade
schools, and for home loans which fueled the move into the suburbs.
• Immigrants “remaking” what was considered mainstream
Barriers to assimilation of modern immigrant groups

Assimilation was likely not smooth and linear, but rather a “bumpy” process with many
barriers, including:
• Immigration policy/ undocumented status
• Spatial segregation
• Lack of federal and state funding for services that can help immigrants (non-profits do
much of the work)
• Racial/ethnic discrimination (e.g. the legacy of “one drop” rule and discrimination
against Mexican Americans)

The future of assimilation is an open question

D. Spatial Assimilation

Spatial assimilation: degree of residential

separation (segregation) of a racial/ethnic group
from the larger community.

Measures:
• Dissimilarity: How evenly spread are two groups
across neighborhoods in an area?
• Isolation/Exposure: How many members of the
“in group” (i.e. one’s own group) or “out
group” (i.e. other group) live within a group’s
typical neighborhood? Dissimilarity Isolation

= 1 neighborhood
 Residential Dissimilarity

Dissimilarity Index is a measure of residential

segregation that measures evenness versus
clustering. (Group size doesn’t matter)

Looks at how evenly dispersed (or clustered) are

two groups across neighborhoods in a city, with
values ranging from 0-100, with 0 indicating no
segregation and 100 indicating total segregation.
• 0-30: Low
• 31-59: Moderate
• 60-100: High

Source: https://s4.ad.brown.edu/Projects/Diversity/Data/Report/report2.pdf
iii. Isolation and Exposure

Isolation index: For the average

resident, percentage of members of
one’s own group in the neighborhood.
Exposure index: For the average
resident, percentage of members of a
different group in the neighborhood.
(Also ranges from 0-100).
Neighborhood racial/ethnic make-up

The typical Latino/a lives in a The typical Asian person lives in a

neighborhood that is… neighborhood that is…
• 46% Hispanic • 49% White
• 35% White • 22% Asian
• 11% Black • 19% Hispanic
• 7% Asian • 9% Black
Geographic variation in isolation

Latinx Asian
iv. Spatial Assimilation Summary

Spatial assimilation: degree of residential separation of a racial/ethnic group from the

larger community.

Latinx spatial assimilation:

• Moderate residential segregation from Whites
• Most likely neighbors are also Latinx.
• Variation by place of residence.

Asian spatial assimilation:

• Moderate residential segregation from Whites (lower dissimilarity than Latinx).
• Most likely neighbors are Whites.
• Variation by place of residence.
Urban Geography
Urban Geography I – Outline
BIG QUESTIONS
What makes something a city? How did cities develop over time? What are current
urbanization trends?

Part 1. Defining a City Part 2. City Origins and Trends

A. Characteristics of urban areas A. Agriculture
i. Aggregated settlement
ii. Internally structured
B. Theories of City Origins
iii. Multiple functions C. Urbanization Over Time
B. City size terms and concepts D. World’s Largest Cities
i. Primate city E. Worldwide Urbanization Trends
ii. Rank-size rule
C. US Census Definitions
i. Urbanized areas
ii. Urban clusters
Iii. Metropolitan Statistical Area
iv. Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas
1. Defining Cities

Characteristics of urban
areas:
• Aggregated settlement
of relatively high
population size &
density
• Internally structured
(nucleated)
• Serves multiple
functions for own
people & the
surrounding area
B. City Size Terms

• Hamlet
• Village
• Town
• City
• City center
• Suburb
• Metropolitan area
• City + Suburbs
• Megacity (>10 million people)
B. City Size Concepts
B. City Size Concepts

i. Primate city: one very dominant city within a country, where the largest city
is more than twice the size of the 2nd biggest city
B. City Size Concepts

ii. Rank Size Rule: a city’s population = 1/nth of the largest city’s population,
where N = the rank of the city’s population
• 2nd largest city (n = 2) = 1/2 largest city’s population
• 3rd largest city (n=3) = 1/3 largest city’s population
 C. U.S. Census Definition
Two types of urban areas:
i. Urbanized Areas
(UA): 50,000 or more
people (disregards
city, county, or state
boundaries)
ii. Urban Cluster (UC):
At least 2,500 and
less than 50,000
people
iii. (Rural areas): Not a
UA or UC
Urban Areas
iii. Metropolitan Statistical Area
Austin, TX
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA): *
• Central county plus adjacent outlying counties that have a high
degree of social and economic integration
• Must contain at least one urbanized area with 50,000 + people
• Central county contains the “core”

Micropolitan Statistical Area:

• Central county plus adjacent outlying counties that have a high
degree of social and economic integration
• Must contain at least one urban cluster with 10,000-50,000 people
• Central county contains the “core”

This is a functional definition; commuting as a key

metric
Core-Based
Statistical
Areas
US Largest MSAs- 2022
MSAs with the highest growth rate
E. Consolidated Metropolitan
Statistical Areas

Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area:

Adjacent metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical areas that are connected by social
and economic ties, including commuting
patterns.

Conurbation: Fused urban centers

• “Megalopolis" - North of Boston to South of D.C.
• Tokaido corridor (Japan)
Other U.S. Conurbations
Part 2. City Origins & Trends
Why did cities start where they did?

Historyshistory.com
 A. Agriculture

i. Cultivation of constant food supplies at a fixed location

ii. Accumulation of material artifacts and possessions
iii. Stratified societies
iv. Control of water for irrigation

Historyshistory.com
B. Carter’s Theories of Urban Origins

i. Agricultural Surplus
ii. Religion
iii. Defense
iv. Trading

Sumeria: 4750 BC
Egypt: 3000 BC
Peru: 2600 BC
Indus Valley: 2200 BC
China: 1500 BC
West Africa: 250 BC
Mesoamerica: 1 AD
 The History of Urbanization http://metrocosm.com/history-of-cities/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKJYXujJ7sU
Urbanization over time by city size

https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/urbanization/the_worlds_cities_in_2016_data_booklet.pdf
What is the world’s largest city? (2022)
Rank City Population

1. Tokyo, Japan 37,274,000,

2. Delhi, India 32,065,760

3. Shanghai, China 28,516,904

4. Dhaka, Bangladesh 22,478,116

5. São Paulo, Brazil 22,429,800

6. Mexico City, Mexico 22,085,140

7. Cairo, Egypt 21,750,020

8. Beijing, China 21,333,332

9. Mumbai, India 20,961,472

10. Osaka, Japan 19,059,856

D.
World’s
Largest
Cities
World’s 10 Largest Metropolitan Areas
E. Worldwide Urbanization Trends

United Nations Population Division (2012) World Urbanization Prospects: The 2011 Revision:
Highlights. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Population Division. New York
E.
Worldwide
Urbanization
Patterns
Developed countries are most urbanized…
…but developing countries are the fastest urbanizing
with the fastest growing large cities