Peoples and Spaces in a Multicultural Nation: cultural Group Segregation in Metropolitan Australia

Abstract

The spatial assimilation of ethnic minority groups based on ancestry data is an important issue in a major immigrant receiving, multicultural society like Australia. Using a new approach focusing on degree of ethnic ancestry group and host society mixing, we find levels of spatial assimilation in five metropolitan and three major industrial cities consistent with the concept of segmented assimilation based on time of arrival in Australia, refugee or skilled entry status, and opportunities for entry into the workforce dependent on national and local economic, not social circumstances. Evidence of the spatial assimilation of ethnic minorities who arrived in different periods suggests that the presence of enclaves is a temporary phenomenon, more so for skilled immigrants, less so for refugees.

Keywords

• Australia
• enclaves
• segmented assimilation
• segregation