Ethnic Neighborhoods as Places of Leisure and Consumption

Presentation prepared for ISA-RC 21 Tokyo Conference at the International HouseDecember 17-20, 2008

Ching Lin PangIMMRC (Interculturalism, Migration & Minorities Research Centre) Social Sciences, KU LeuvenJan RathIMES, University of Amsterdam

Ethnic enclaves

• Proliferation of ethnic ‘enclaves’, i.e. concentrations of ethnic minorities c.q. ethnic businesses

• Initially in traditional immigration countries, now also in Europe.

• For instance Klein Turkei, Cova de Moura, Banglatown, Chinatown(s)

• Residential concentrations, also business concentrations

What accounts for rise of commercial enclaves?

• This phenomenon was traditionally explained by:– Cultural dynamics– Social networks– Exclusionist practices

Mixed embeddedness approach

• However, (ethnic) entrepreneurs are in the first place business people: they position themselves in a market and seize commercial opportunities. In doing so, they are subject to various forms of regulation

• Mixed embeddedness approach

Mixed embeddedness approach

• This means that:– The rise of ethnic commercial enclaves

can only be understood by addressing the nexus of the entrepreneurs’ characteristics and the wider political and economic context

– Ethnic commercial enclaves that are seemingly similar may actually be very different, resulting in different outcomes

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

2 Case Studies:

Chinatown Antwerp Chinatown Brussels

specific but yet comparable to Chinatowns in other North-Western countries, i.e. UK, the Netherlands and possibly Germany

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Common grounds of Chinese in UK, Benelux and Germany

-Similar Chinese migration flows:‘oldcomers’: onset 20th century until 1990‘newcomers’: from the 1990s onwards-Relatively small size vis-a-vis other immigrants -’Silent’ in discourse multicultural policy-dispersed settlement patters (among oldcomers)

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Emergence & development of Chinatown in European context => restrictive immigration policy

Thus, it differs from Chinatowns in traditional immigration countries (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand)

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and Brussels

Chinatown:concentration of Chinese and other Asian shops, restaurants and services

22 commercial shops: 14 Chinese shops15 restaurants (12 Chinese, 2

Thai, 1 Japanese)

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Chinatown Antwerp: thriving community life

-6 Chinese associations-1 protestant church-1 Buddhist temple-1 Chinese language school-2 martial arts school-1 Nepalese association

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Activities to do in Chinatown:EatingFunshoppingThematic walks Festivals: Chinese New Year, Mid

Autumn, Birthday of the Buddha

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and Brussels

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Factors explaining emergence Chinatown Antwerp

bottom-up development:need for meeting point : eating,

playing, learning and caringChinese businesspeople fulfill

needs 1&2Chinese associations fufill needs

3&4

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Interaction city government and the inhabitants of the multi-ethnic neighborhoods:

Introduction regeneration schemeObjectives:

combat racism and xenophobia

combat povertyfostering social cohesion locals-immigrants

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Outcome of the regeneration scheme for the Chinese:

sinification of the streetscapepromotion and support for

cultural experience-performative activities: Chinatown walks, celebration of festivals, both secular as religious

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Chinatown Brussels

Clustering of Chinese-Asian Businesses in downtown Brussels

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

First Asian business people:Vietnamese-Chinese refugees, who started

small business in the area

Now a wide range of Chinese and Asian entrepreneurs:

settled immigrantsnewly arrived PRC Chinese: students,

intellectuals, medical doctors, international Chinese spouses, etc.

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Chinatown Brussels not a physically marked neighborhoodabsence of Chinese community life

integrated in downtown Brussels, Dansaertneighborhood:a former no go areanow a trendy, upbeat, ‘branche’ area

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and Brussels

Success of Chinese/Asian business people and Chinatown in Brussels contingent on the interaction with the gentrified neighborhood and its further development

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and Brussels

What brings the future?Opportunities:

-Chinatown= strong brandname

-continuous innovation in ethnic economy-integration into the larger economic-social-

cultural environment of the city-breaking out of the ethnic niche for some

individual Chinese entrepreneurs

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and Brussels

Threats from within:-intra-ethnic problems: reliance of ethnic

business on clandestine workers, co-ethnic or other-ethnic

-inter-ethnic competition: resistance of other immigrant entrepreneurs to monocultural representation of the public space

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Threats from the outside:Assimilationist turn in migration and migrant

policies in most European countries:-intolerance towards non-European

language signage and foreign speech in public space

-European cultural heritage versus diversified cultural heritage of the city

Anti-Chinese sentiments among Europeans as reaction to ascendency of China as global power

Commodification of Cultural Diversity. Case study Chinatown, Antwerp and

Brussels

Conclusion:

Commodification of cultural diversity=not a ‘natural’ processnot only agency of entreprising immigrants (social,cultural,human capital)

= outcome of the interface of social, cultural, economic and political developments and conditions (mixed embeddedness approach) and with local specificities.