Immigration, Ethnicity and Housing-Success Hierarchies in Israel

Uzi Rebhun, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

I assess housing hierarchies among immigrants in Israel by investigating homeownership, crowding, and access to housing goods. Census data allow to classify immigrants by 46 countries/areas of origin. Multivariate analyses suggest that membership in approximately half of the groups has a significant effect on homeownership. Representing very different origin groups in Asia and Africa, as well as areas in Western Europe and America, most of the effects are negative relative to the reference group of Polish Jews. The pace of home acquisition is fastest among immigrants from former Soviet republics and slowest among Syrian and Ethiopian Israelis. A better ethnic hierarchy was found for crowding and housing goods, with immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe being at a disadvantage. Many of these gaps close with tenure in Israel. The pace of advancement is not uniform. The discussion addresses broader implications for ethnic and social stratification in immigration countries.