The spatial assimilation model reexamined: An assessment by Canadian data

Abstract

Given the theoretical importance and policy implications of the spatial assimilation model, it is surprising that few studies have carefully and empirically examined the relationship of the three key variables in the model that has been used to explain the process of neighborhood attainment among immigrants, i.e., neighborhood environments, socioeconomic resources, and duration of residence in the host country. Few studies have delineated separate models to analyze the relationship between neighborhood environments and socioeconomic resources to the length of time spent in the host country. Using data from 1991 Canadian Census 2B profile and a special requested table from Statistics Canada, we evaluate how much the relationships of the three key variables mentioned in the spatial assimilation model apply to the spatial attainment of various racial/ethnic groups in Canada. The results reveal that the model explains the spatial attainment experiences of European groups. However, for Asians and blacks, the results suggest that their neighborhood attainments are not strongly related to their socioeconomic statuses. The study calls for a cautious approach in applying the spatial assimilation model.