title: Havens of risks or resources? A study of two Latino neighborhoods in New York City.
abstract: Research has been mixed on the potential risks and resources that ethnic enclaves may confer upon residents: whereas some authors characterize racial and ethnic minority neighborhoods through the lens of segregation and risk, others argue that these minority neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves that can improve the availability of resources to residents. In this study, we sought to assess two predominantly Latino New York City neighborhoods (one enclave neighborhood and one comparison) in the areas of structural resources (e.g., grocers, parks), cultural resources (e.g., botanicas, hair salons), and risks (e.g., empty lots, bars) by street-level coding in 20 census tracts (streets N = 202). We used Poisson generalized linear models to assess whether enclave status of a neighborhood predicted the numbers of risks and resources on streets within those neighborhoods. Enclave status did not predict the number of risks (Rate ratio = 1.08(0.83, 1.42), χ (2)(1, N = 202) = 0.35, p = n. s.) or cultural resources (Rate ratio = 0.87(0.54, 1.40), χ (2)(1, N = 202) = 0.34, p = n. s.), yet it was associated with a higher number of structural resources (Rate ratio = 1.90(1.48, 2.43), χ (2)(1, N = 202) = 25.74, p < 0.001). The results suggest that while living in an ethnic enclave may not reduce risks, it may help residents cope with those risks through an increased number of structural resources. These findings support theories that conceptualize ethnic enclaves as neighborhoods where greater resources are available to residents. The focus on resources within this work was instrumental, as no difference would have been found if a solely risk-focused approach had been employed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, mcm2203@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Mariana C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: José E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Raziel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valiño
authors.forename: Naa Oyo A
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Kwate
authors.forename: Ana F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Abraido-Lanza
mesh_terms: D003469:Culture; D004293:Dominican Republic / Q000208:ethnology; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 2009 Jul;69(1):110-20
references.pmid: 19427731
references.citation: Eur J Epidemiol. 1995 Aug;11(4):365-71
references.pmid: 8549701
references.citation: J Urban Health. 2007 Jan;84(1):21-31
references.pmid: 17146710
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 2005 Jul;61(1):53-63
references.pmid: 15847961
references.citation: J Immigr Minor Health. 2010 Oct;12(5):626-33
references.pmid: 19936923
references.citation: Health Place. 2010 Nov;16(6):1113-23
references.pmid: 20705500
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2010 Feb;1186:125-45
references.pmid: 20201871
references.citation: Public Health Rep. 2001 Sep-Oct;116(5):404-16
references.pmid: 12042604
references.citation: Am J Community Psychol. 2011 Sep;48(1-2):43-55
references.pmid: 21279433
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 2012 Dec;102(12):2240-2
references.pmid: 23078490
references.citation: Soc Sci Res. 2013 Jan;42(1):140-54
references.pmid: 23146603
references.citation: Epidemiol Rev. 2009;31:99-112
references.pmid: 19713270
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 2001 Sep;91(9):1424-30
references.pmid: 11527775
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 2010 Aug;71(3):541-550
references.pmid: 20541303