1989/08/01 by Douglas S. Massey, Nancy A. Denton · 12 citations
Social Sciences · Health Professions · #Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies #School Choice and Performance #Homelessness and Social Issues
paper · pdf · doi:10.2307/2061599
openalex publication_date 1989/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
Residential segregation has traditionally been measured by using the index of dissimilarity and, more recently, the P* exposure index. These indices, however, measure only two of five potential dimensions of segregation and, by themselves, understate the degree of black segregation in U.S. society. Compared with Hispanics, not only are blacks more segregated on any single dimension of residential segregation, they are also likely to be segregated on all five dimensions simultaneously, which never occurs for Hispanics. Moreover, in a significant subset of large urban areas, blacks experience extreme segregation on all dimensions, a pattern we call hypersegregation. This finding is upheld and reinforced by a multivariate analysis. We conclude that blacks occupy a unique and distinctly disadvantaged position in the U.S. urban environment.