Black immigrants attract white residents to neighborhoods

A new study suggests that black immigrants moving into a neighborhood can help change the overall racial and ethnic character of the area.

An Ohio State University researcher found that when black immigrants move into predominantly black neighborhoods, the white population increases while local black residents move out.

“In today’s America, black people cannot be viewed as a monolith because the black immigrant population in the United States continues to grow,” he said. Nima Dahirstudy author and assistant professor Ohio State University Sociology.

“There’s a lot of complexity within black people and black communities in America.”

The study was recently published online in the journal RSF: Russell Sage Foundation Social Science Magazine.

Dashiell used data from the 2000 U.S. Census and the 2008-2012 and 2016-2020 American Community Surveys to test how the influx of black immigrants changed the racial composition of most census tracts (or neighborhoods) in the United States.

By the end of the study period, 20 percent of blacks in the United States were either immigrants or had at least one foreign-born parent.

Survey results show that in 2000, the majority of black immigrants (60 percent) lived in neighborhoods with a sizable share of native-born black residents (more than 20 percent).

But after black immigrants began moving in, the neighborhood changed.

Research shows that in 2000, for every 100 black immigrants in majority-black communities in the United States in earlier periods, there was a corresponding increase of 110 non-Hispanic whites. At the same time, the number of native black people in these communities dropped by an average of 94 people.

Dashiell gave the example of a community in Minneapolis that in 2000 was more than 70% native-born black residents, with almost no foreign-born blacks.

By 2020, black immigrants made up nearly 10% of the community, the non-Hispanic white population had grown to nearly 20%, and the native-born black population had dropped to 39%. The Asian population accounts for 13%.

“Overall, it’s still largely a black community, but the racial and ethnic characteristics have changed as black immigrants have moved in,” she said.

Why does an influx of black immigrants cause other blacks to leave the community?

Studies have found that as more black immigrants move in, rents and home values ​​in a neighborhood tend to rise. She said that could make it less affordable for other black residents in the area and force them to leave.

Dashiell said the study didn’t directly explore the issue, but native-born black people may also want to maintain their own communities.

“Treating black immigrants and black Americans as one group does not resolve the racial disparities between the two groups,” she said.

“African Americans may want to find communities where they are still more represented.”

Dashiell said black immigrants still serve as a so-called “buffer” that allows for better integration between black and white residents.

Research has found that when black immigrants move into white neighborhoods, it reduces the likelihood of white flight and facilitates the entry of native-born black Americans.

Dashiell said the data can’t show why white Americans are more likely to move into black neighborhoods after an influx of black immigrants, or why fewer whites flee their neighborhoods when black immigrants arrive.

But she believes it has to do with “the deep-rooted racial hierarchy in America.”

Black immigrants may shy away from the anti-Blackness, racism and discrimination that native-born Black people face because of their immigrant status, Dashiell said.

Sociological research shows that the white middle class has developed a taste for diversity and authenticity, often associated with immigration.

“In this case, the race of black immigrants may be more salient than their race,” she said.

Dashiell said her upcoming research will explore this topic in more detail. She is examining a city to see how businesses such as restaurants founded by black immigrants can attract more racial diversity.

“These new businesses may be a signal that the neighborhood is changing its racial identity, even if its racial identity remains the same,” she said.