Associate Professor Yunju Nam, PhD student Sarah Richards-Desai and colleague publish article, "Household language barriers, community language resources, and asset ownership among immigrants and refugees in Western New York: A mixed-methods study"

Kudos to Associate Professor Yunju Nam, PhD student Sarah Richards-Desai and their colleague on the publication of their article, "Household language barriers, community language resources, and asset ownership among immigrants and refugees in Western New York: A mixed-methods study" in Families in Society.

Nam, Y., Richards-Desai, S., & Zeng, Y. (2021). Household language barriers, community language resources, and asset ownership among immigrants and refugees in Western New York: A mixed-methods study. Families in Society.

While English proficiency is recognized as a main determinant of immigrants’ and refugees’ economic success, the role of community language resources is rarely examined. This mixed-methods study investigates how community language resources, defined as the percentage of adults fluent in English among those speaking the same language, affect asset ownership among immigrants and refugees. Using American Community Survey data, quantitative analyses suggest community language resources facilitate homeownership among immigrant households with a language barrier. Neither the household- nor community-level language variable is significantly associated with vehicle or income-generating asset ownership. Qualitative interviews reveal language-related challenges to buying a house and roles of community resources. Findings call for policies and programs that mobilize community resources for those with limited English proficiency.