ABSTRACT
In the last few decades, most major cities of key receiving countries have witnessed a growing visible presence of ethnic businesses. Today, when one enters a store located in these cities, it is not surprising, in fact it is quite common, to find it is owned or operated by ethnic members. Anchoring this dramatic growth have been changes in the nature of these businesses. First of all, these businesses are no longer located in the ethnic community, but are scattered through almost every part of the major cities. At the same time, ethnic malls that have emerged in suburban areas become centrifugal forces to attract a concentration of ethnic businesses, and centripetal forces to pull ethnic businesses out from the central city ethnic neighborhoods. Second, clear evidence has shown that today ethnic businesses represent a diverse array of industries. They are not limited to the traditional image of ethnic businesses as neighborhood convenience or ethnic grocery stores. Today, large numbers of computer retail shops, high-class fashion boutiques, or even financial institutions are owned by ethnic members. These changes in ethnic businesses not only highlight developments in the social processes and structures of ethnic businesses in response to larger societal changes, but also show the limitations of the conventional approach to understanding ethnic businesses.
