Beyond Chinatown,beyond Enclave: Reconceptualizing Contemporary Chinese Settlements in the United States

Profound changes in international geopolitics and national policies, as well as global economic restructuring, and technological and communicational development have occurred since Chinatown first emerged. With the rapid pace of globalizing economy, increasing flows of population, commodities, information, and financial resources across the Pacific Rim – particularly in the last two decades – it is imperative that we reexamine the international migration patterns of Chinese population and reconceptualize the resulting Chinese settlement forms in the globalization era. This article attempts to serve such purposes by briefly reviewing the debate centered around historical and contemporary Chinatowns; discussing the impacts of societal and structural factors on Chinese immigration and settlement; presenting a spectrum of contemporary Chinese settlement forms in the United States, and highlighting some key characteristics. The article ends with brief discussion and conclusion sections that summarize some issues in contemporary Chinese community studies.