Both in their choice to settle in predominantly noncoethnic neighborhoods and in their economic development, recent Taiwanese immigrants in Los Angeles represent a fundamental break with the past. It is this new type of economic development that brings an unprecedented impact on the society at large. However, these unique features of Taiwanese immigrant business and their implications to the host society remain understudied.
Quantitative as well as qualitative methods were employed in this study. The data were obtained from document files, field observations, in-depth interviews, U.S. census data, and a telephone survey of 310 Taiwanese business owners in the greater Los Angeles area. The data analysis closely examined entrepreneurial process, ethnic integration, and industrial diversity among Taiwanese immigrant businesses. Provided with entrepreneurial capacity, Taiwanese enterprises grow rapidly within the context of Los Angeles's economic restructuring and dependency on Asian Pacific trade.
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