Spatial Patterns of Boston's Ethnic Populations, 2000

James P. Allen, California State University, Northridge
Eugene Turner, California State University, Northridge

Though immigrants and their descendants have long been important in greater Boston, the distributions of various groups are not well known. We use Census 2000 data to map by census tract 12 specific Asian, Hispanic, Black, and White nationalities or ancestries. Most groups show some degree of both residential concentration in enclaves and dispersed settlement, but the patterns for each group are usually strikingly distinct. Explanation of the details of a specific group's distribution is complex but involves the group's early settlement history, employment niches, average financial resources, social networks, and relative cohesiveness. In addition, members' attitudes toward other groups and discrimination in the housing market may be important factors.