Neighborhood Ethnic Density as an Explanation for the Academic Achievement of Ethnic Minority Youth Placed in Neighborhood Disadvantage

Oct 15, 2026

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The underachievement of ethnic minority youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods is a pervasive educational issue. Using an ecological perspective, the study examines how neighborhood ethnic density and neighborhood disadvantage shape the academic achievement of Hmong immigrant youths. Hierarchical linear modeling analyzes 3,185 Hmong and White students across 79 neighborhoods. Controlling for student demographics, Hmong students in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods outperform peers in safer, more affluent areas, and also exceed White counterparts under the same neighborhood conditions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Theoretical Background

Neighborhood Disadvantage Stemming from Social Disorganization Factors

UC Berkeley Berkeley Review of Education Title Neighborhood Ethnic Density as an Explanation for the Academic Achievement of Ethnic Minority Youth Placed in Neighborhood Disadvantage Permalink [https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9bc8v1g6](https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9bc8v1g6) Journal Berkeley Review of Education, 1(1) ISSN 1947-5578 Authors Madyun, Na'im, Dr. Lee, Moosung, Dr. Publication Date 2010-02-01 Peer reviewed [eScholarship.org](eScholarship.org) Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Available online at [http://escholarship.org/uc/ucbgse_bre](http://escholarship.org/uc/ucbgse_bre) Neighborhood Ethnic Density as an Explanation for the Academic Achievement of Ethnic Minority Youth Placed in Neighborhood Disadvantage Na’im Madyuna and Moosung Leeb 1 a University of Minnesota b Hong Kong Institute of Education Abstract The underachievement of ethnic minority youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods is a pervasive educational issue this nation is facing. Based on an ecological perspective, we examined the contextual effects of neighborhood ethnic density and neighborhood disadvantage on the academic achievement of Hmong immigrant youths. Utilizing hierarchical linear modeling techniques in analyzing 3,185 Hmong and White students (for comparisons) across 79 neighborhoods, we found when we controlled for student demographics, Hmong students in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods (high-crime and high-poverty) performed better academically than their ethnically identical peers in the more safe and affluent neighborhoods. Further, with student demographics held constant, Hmong adolescents in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods academically outperformed their White counterparts with the same neighborhood conditions. These intriguing findings resulted from ethnic density in that the predictor of the Hmong population percentage in each neighborhood appeared to absorb the significant effect of neighborhood types. Hmong students would be more likely to achieve highly when they were surrounded by more Hmong residents in their neighborhoods. The logic behind ethnic density functioning as a positive factor for Hmong students within neighborhoods high in disadvantage is discussed along with the implications of this finding for policy. Keywords: Neighborhood Ethnic Density, Neighborhood Disadvantage, Hmong Immigrant Youth, Academic Achievement, Social Mobilization, HLM Introduction Serious neighborhood disadvantage impacting individual development is often identified from large urban areas (Shaw & McKay, 1942; Wilson, 1987) that are becoming more multiracial or multiethnic (Charles, 2000) . In those areas, some ethnic minority groups are more likely to collectively reside in ethnic enclaves2 rather than into 1 Corresponding author: Department of Educational Policy and Leadership, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, 10 Lo Ping Rd. Tai Po, NT, Hong Kong; Tel: +852-2948-7333; Fax: +852-2948-7619; Email: [mslee@ied.edu.hk](mslee@ied.edu.hk) 2 In this study we prefer the term “neighborhood ethnic density” rather than “ethnic enclave” to be consistent with the characteristic of the variable, which represents the proportion of Hmong population in a particular neighborhood. Alejandro Portes and Leif Jensen (1987) pointed out that the term “ethnic enclave” does not merely mean ethnic concentration in a particular area. It is a concept, more associated with enclave participation by place of work rather than by place of ethnic residence. Berkeley Review of Education Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 87-112 88 Madyun & Lee Black and White groups. Given these observations, it is important to uncover the neighborhood influences on recently-immigrated ethnic minority youths that are not explored by extant research. Research addressing both neighborhood ethnic density and neighborhood disadvantage as it influences educational outcomes is relatively unexplored in the litera

FAQs

What variables does the study focus on to explain academic achievement?

It examines neighborhood ethnic density and neighborhood disadvantage as contextual factors affecting academic achievement.

How is the analysis conducted?

The study uses hierarchical linear modeling to analyze 3,185 Hmong and White students across 79 neighborhoods.

What key finding relates ethnic density to academic performance in disadvantaged areas?

When student demographics are held constant, Hmong students in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods perform better than ethnically identical peers in safer and more affluent neighborhoods, and they also outperform White counterparts under the same neighborhood conditions.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Ben