Neighborhood Attachment in the Multiethnic Metropolis

Abstract

In acknowledging that patterns of neighborhood attachment—a key component in the maintenance of neighborhood vitality—may shift as a result of growing racial and ethnic diversity, this study develops a multiethnic and multilevel framework to examine the link between racial diversity and attachment among Los Angeles residents. the expansion of the Asian and Hispanic populations may affect attachment patterns if group members exhibit different levels of attachment compared with blacks and whites, due to factors such as illegal citizenship and poorer neighborhood resources. Additionally, their presence in neighborhoods may influence other residents’ attachment by triggering racial prejudice or concerns about local resources. Using the 2001 Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (LAFANS), this analysis demonstrates that Asians and Hispanics modestly diverge from blacks and whites in the strength of their attachment, due in part to individual and neighborhood characteristics. Although the neighborhood presence of blacks and Hispanics moderately diminishes some aspects of residents’ attachment, regardless of individual race, in many instances neighborhood racial composition fails to exert a significant impact on neighborhood attachment.