Immigrants - United States, United States - Ethnic & Race Relations, Immigration & Emigration - United States, Demography - United States, Human Geography

California Cauldron

Name: California Cauldron
Author: William A. V. Clark
ISBN: 9781572304031

by William A. V. Clark, W. A. Clark

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Overview

How has the demographic structure of California changed in the past 15 years? What are the social and spatial consequences of this transformation? Where are the new immigrants living, and how successfully are they realizing their versions of the American dream? Examining the impact of large-scale immigration on local communities, this book presents an in-depth geographical case study of the most active "melting pot" in the United States today. Examining the aggregate consequences of immigration upon California neighborhoods, cities, and counties, Clark traces the impact of migration on levels of fertility, poverty, and educational goals and attainment in different localities. Detailed findings are presented on patterns of skills, earnings, and public assistance, both for recent immigrants as a whole and for Mexican and Central American, Asian, and Middle Eastern immigrants as discrete groups. Additional topics covered include pathways to home ownership, challenges facing California's educational system, and political issues and trends.

"...explores how the demographic structure of California has changed in the past 15 years, where the new immigrants are living, how large-scale immigration affects local communities, and much more."

Synopsis

Once the prime destination for westward-moving young Americans, California has become a magnet for a new wave of migration in recent years. Changes in immigration law and the ebbs and flows of the increasingly global economy have led to an unprecedented influx of newcomers from every continent and every cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic group. How has the demographic structure of California changed in the past 15 years? What are the social and spatial consequences of this transformation? Where are the new immigrants living, and how successfully are they realizing their versions of the American dream? Examining the impact of large-scale immigration on local communities, this book presents an in-depth geographical case study of the most active "melting pot" in the United States today.

Booknews

Clark (geography, U. of California-Los Angeles) examines the impact of immigration by analyzing statistics on education, wages, and home ownership among Hispanics, Asians, and Middle Easterners. He recommends a skill-based restriction of immigrants to protect the state's geography, economy, and environment. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

About the Author, William A. V. Clark

William A. V. Clark, PhD, DSc, is Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of California, Los Angeles, where for the last three decades he also has been associated with the Survey Research Center and the Institute for Social Science Research. He has lectured and taught internationally and has published 7 previous books as well as more than 200 articles, abstracts, and research reports. Among his recent awards, he was the recipient of a John Simon Guggenhim Fellowship in 1994-95 and was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1997. He currently teaches undergraduate courses on population and the environment and resources, and graduate courses on international migration and the impact of immigration on regions and cities.