Spatial Segregation and the Impact of Linguistic Multicultural Policies Within the USA

In this article, we examine the impact of multicultural linguistic policy on the residential outcomes of Hispanic and Asian groups in the USA. Arguments linking multiculturalism to residential segregation outcomes are a hotly contested political issue. While spatial segregation is one form of social integration for immigrants, scholars are particularly concerned with residential outcomes because it is theorized to strongly facilitate a wide variety of other forms of integration including language acquisition, the convergence of socio-cultural gender and sexual norms, employment, friendship ties, and intermarriage. From data drawn from the 2010 U.S. Census, we calculate the dissimilarity index for these two groups. We find multicultural linguistic policies increase segregation levels between Asians and non-Hispanic whites, but not between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. The results are robust to a host of alternative explanations and model specifications. However, the estimated positive effect of linguistic policy is modest at best and run contrary to fears that multiculturalist policies drastically alter residential outcomes. We close by questioning normative accounts that problematize rising levels of segregation within ethnic communities, which are a far cry from the minority ghettos that are politically portrayed.