• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.876-891
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• 2014

Previous studies of ethnic enclaves did not provide an adequate explanation of the geographical contexts and spatial implications of industrial production systems, as a result of emphasizing ethnic networks with stagnant participation from geographers. The objective of this study was to identify and examine the formation mechanism of Korean ethnic enclaves through the case of Bom Retiro's Korean garment industrial district in Brazil, specifically by performing an integrated review of the development path of Bom Retiro, the garment industry's production systems, and ethnic networks. The research findings indicated that the formation of this region's ethnic enclave was indeed highly influenced by ethnic networks; however, it was also affected by the development path of the region as a migrant garment industrial district and spatial convergence pertaining to the production systems of garment industries. Moreover, the formation of Bom Retiro's ethnic enclave also involved active participation of non-ethnic immigrant communities and local Brazilians.