Introduction: Immigrant entrepreneurship research from a comparative perspective

Abstract

As cities around the world continue to attract both international migrants and domestic migrants into their bustling metropolises, immigrant entrepreneurship emerges as an important urban phenomenon that calls for careful examination. This book assembles 12 chapters that represent case studies from 16 cities, which represent 14 countries and five continents: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. It seeks to advance the literature in several ways. First, a comparative approach is taken to include perspectives from both the Global North and South, West and East, to broaden the theoretical framework in this area, especially pertinent to the emerging economies. Second, it covers multiple scales from local community placemaking to urban contexts of reception, to transnational networks and connections. Third, it engages in numerous disciplinary approaches, research methods, and topical areas including the entry dynamics, trends and patterns, business performance, challenges, and impact of immigrant entrepreneurship in urban areas. Finally, it pays particular attention to federal and urban policies toward immigrant entrepreneurship. Potential future research directions are also identified.