Custom «Min Zhou’s work on Chinese Immigrants in the United States» Essay Paper Sample

The focal point of the paper is to provide a summarized insight into chapter 5 (Immigration Entrepreneurship and the Enclave Economy: The Case of New York City’s Chinatown) of Min Zhou’s (2009) research based text, Contemporary Chinese America: Immigration, Ethnicity, and Community Transformation, on Chinese immigration and settlement in the United States. The author's main argument is very clear from the heading itself that manifests the Zhou’s belief that the first generation Chinese immigrants into United States fundamentally operate their business within their own ethnic boundaries. This is evident from a case study performed in New York and it was found that the first generation Chinese immigrants into United States are all owners and managers of their small business at the same time. However, Zhou points out that in the contemporary era, these businesses go beyond the parameters of conventional businesses and immigrant Chinese are often found to be founder of new age businesses like computers and pharmaceuticals. This is another indication of enclave economy that is a fundamental aspect of immigrant economy.

Zhou (2009) backs his argument fundamentally with the help of two businesses. One is Computer Associates International and the other is Watson Pharmaceuticals (p.99). He also indicates the aspect of ethnic enclaves that are group based and socially mobile (p.103). However, his main support comes from the case study of New York’s Chinatown and shows how “enclave economy develops to generate tangible and intangible resources……as a whole” (p.103). The author specifically mentions the 800 plus restaurants and tea houses in New York to provide support for his argument (p.105).

On a personal note, it should be mentioned that the arguments presented by the author Min Zhou is not futile at all. However, it should be noted that entrepreneurship in an immigrated land is not unique only among Chinese population and enclave economy is not restricted to the Chinese alone. Other immigrated populations, like the Indians or Jews, operate in the same manner. Both these communities operate under enclave economy and entrepreneurship arises from this facet. Thus, though the answer provided by the author is satisfactory it is not unique in nature even though the author believes that the Chinese immigrants in the United States are different from others. Thus, though the text is very informative it is not entirely without the error of narrow views.