ABSTRACT
The suburbs of metropolitan areas are where most Americans live. Yet the social, economic, and political implications of immigrant and ethnic minority suburbanization remain severely marginalized in the political science discipline. Recent immigrant and ethnic minority suburbanization trends must be understood within the historical and social context of the racial exclusion and subsequent economic and place inequalities. Historically, government action and private sector power have been important influences in accelerating suburbanization (Danielson 1976; Drier, Mollenkopf, and Swanstrom 2001; Fishman 1987; Jackson 1985; Kleinberg 1995; Ross and Levine 200l; Williams 2003). The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), established by Congress in 1934, provided federal assistance to provide middle-and working-class families a means to buy suburban homes by providing loan insurance for up to 80 percent of the value of an approved property. By reducing the risk of making a home loan, banks were more willing to finance homes for millions of Americans-lowering down payment requirements and interest rates (Jackson 1985; Drier, Mollenkopf, and Swanstrom 2001; Williams 2003). The federal government also provided such assistance to millions of veterans returning home following World War II. Under the GI bill of 1944, the Veterans Administration was authorized to insure home mortgages to veterans.
