Title: Land of plenty? : Vietnamese neighborhoods in Worcester, MA
Author: Donin, Amy
Date: May 2012
Description: Master’s Paper, Clark University, Department of International Development, Community and Environment
This research study of the Vietnamese community in Worcester, Massachusetts examines their neighborhood locations in the city and whether they have the qualities of traditional ethnic enclaves. Driven largely by informant interviews, it then analyzes the social and material benefits available to this population. The author finds that although many in the Vietnamese community in Worcester are upwardly mobile and integrated into the greater Worcester community, a large portion are struggling and in need of services. The paper concludes that a better understanding of the gaps in service, particularly in terms of language, will allow city agencies and local service organizations to better respond to the unmet needs of the growing Vietnamese population so they can more fully adapt to life in the U.S.
Keywords: Vietnamese, communication barriers, social adaptation
Cataloged by: Peter Nelson/ B. J. Perkins