Spatio-temporal evolution of Chinese migration in Melbourne, Australia

ABSTRACT This paper examines the changing spatial and temporal patterns of residential choices across different waves of migrants from the mainland China between 1941 and 2011. Moran’s I and GetisOrd Indices are computed to validate the spatial assimilation theory to identify the prevalence of spatial clustering of Chinese migrants at a local area level. The spatial autocorrelation indicates the spatial segregation of Chinese migrants during the first three migration waves. This segregation propensity, however, has marginally declined in the recent wave. Getis hotspot analysis nevertheless shows no significant locational shift in the spatial clusters of Chinese migrants. This indicates the existence of path dependency, whereby the recent wave of immigrants from China exhibits spatial segregation behaviour similar to those manifested by earlier waves. Key spatial migrant clustersaresustained over time. The mapped outputs show that Chinese migrants congregate at the higher end of the housing market, particularly in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The analysis, therefore, rejects the conventional wisdom that migrants tend to spatially assimilate over time and they create urban ghettos or refuge for sheltering disadvantaged communities.