Many routes to homeownership: A four‐site ethnographic study of minority and immigrant experiences

Abstract The 1990 census and numerous studies have shown that minorities and immigrants, as a whole, are less likely to be homeowners than native‐born whites, even after controlling for income. This article synthesizes the findings from a four‐site ethnographic study that explored this disparity by investigating homeownership and home‐financing processes in specific minority and immigrant communities. The ethnographic studies highlight the interaction of cultural, social, and economic influences by contrasting the experiences of different ethnic groups in different housing markets. Four major shortfalls were identified, which if corrected might enable more minorities and immigrants to become homeowners: (1) the lack of appropriate, affordable housing; (2) the limitations of existing financial tools; (3) the lack of home‐purchasing knowledge, credit knowledge, and credit judgment; and (4) cultural gaps, misunderstandings, and biases that distance minority and ethnic group members from mainstream real estate and mortgage lending institutions.