The Geography Of Immigrant Labor Markets: Space, Networks, And Gender (the New Americans: Recent Immigration And American Society)

Drawing primarily on data from the Los Angeles region, Parks (geography, U. of Chicago) analyzes the spatial characteristics of immigrant labor markets in light of gendered differences, ethnic networks, residential context, and the location of immigrant neighborhoods in relation to the location of immigrant employment. A central question to the study is whether spatial accessibility matters for immigrant employment at the intraurban scale, or whether ethnic networks (social accessibility) override intraurban geographic constraints on job search and commuting. The text also examines the impact of spatial job accessibility on immigrant women's decisions to enter the labor market, and whether location matters more for those with children and stronger ties to home. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Parks finds that both spatial and social accessibility matter in connecting immigrants to jobs and that gender saliently shapes immigrant labor markets.Parks finds that both spatial and social accessibility matter in connecting immigrants to jobs and that gender saliently shapes immigrant labor markets. She shows how geography sustains labor market segregation among immigrants and points to a reciprocal and reinforcing relationship between ethnic residential segregation and ethnic labor market segregation. This relationship is particularly acute for some immigrant women, possibly stemming from their gendered domestic roles and reliance upon neighborhood- and household-based social networks. The collective results of this study illustrate the importance of household, neighborhood, and geography in shaping the gendered immigrant labor markets of Los Angeles.