Previous studies on health effects of migration at the international level have seldom been directed to those concentrated in segregated enclaves. This study hypothesizes that in spite of the known deviations in certain demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of Chinatown (San Francisco-N.Y.C.) residents from the U.S. Chinese population, no consistent relationship seems to exist between these attributes and health risks, as reflected in the mortality levels of the two populations. A convergence in mortality was observed for a noticeable number of causes of deaths, with but a few disease-cause sets of non-convergence with statistical significance. The study results were interpreted in terms of varying degree of acculturation experience.
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