Residential Tipping in a Multiethnic World

Elizabeth E. Bruch, University of California at Los Angeles
Robert D. Mare, University of California at Los Angeles

Researchers documenting regional variation in segregation among large, American cities show that black/non-black segregation is lower and mixed neighborhoods are more numerous in multiethnic areas of the country. This paper uses a computational model to examine the relationship between individuals' tolerance for integrated neighborhoods, the race/ethnic context in which mobility occurs, and emergent patterns of spatial inequality. In particular, we consider whether and how neighborhood tipping occurs in a multiethnic context. First, we describe our model and how it is implemented. Next, we determine what residential patterns emerge when we hold individuals' preferences constant, but change the race/ethnic composition of the metropolitan area. Should mixed neighborhoods in multiethnic cities remain stable over time, this would suggest that tipping operates differently in multiethnic cities. It would also suggest that empirical research that tries to explain variation in overall levels of segregation across urban areas must explicitly consider the demographic context in which mobility behavior occurs.