ABSTRACT
The vast majority of the academic literature concerning residential segregation has been based on one of two models: the spatial assimilation model or the place stratification model (charts 2003). The spatial assimilation model is generally based on the experiences of SEC European immigrants between 1880-1910. The spatial assimilation model recognizes the phenomenon of SEC European immigrants initially concentrating themselves in ethnic neighborhoods or enclaves for social and economic reasons. Over time, these immigrants learned English and became more familiar with American society. This allowed immigrants to gain employment and housing opportunities beyond their ethnic neighborhoods and to become integrated into American society. This model is rooted in the concept of the American dream defined as the opportunity for immigrants to work hard, earn a family supporting wage, buy a home and offer their children a better quality of life. The spatial assimilation model is also linked to the process of wealth building through increased housing equity related to suburbanization. In this research, the spatial assimilation model is referred to as the ethnic enclave model.
