Dreamscapes and Monsters, from “Little Boxes” to “Multicultural Suburbs”

Abstract

In a departure from historic understandings of immigrant settlement in North America, and the traditional Global City, a cluster of suburban immigrant enclaves in metropolitan Atlanta are highly representative of immigration and migration trends, worldwide. While a post-Trump and authentically “purple” Georgia continues to debate anti-immigrant measures, Asian and Latino households and businesses array themselves in linear fashion along metro Atlanta's ubiquitous highway corridors, and local politics in Atlanta suburbs like Norcross, Doraville, and Clarkston advertise efforts to welcome and integrate immigrant populations. However, each city is also primarily interested in generating higher property taxes and offering increased units of upper-class to luxury housing for a select few. The immigrant suburb still wants boxes, upon boxes, in yellow, pink, and blue.