And so for many of the city's immigrant communities, making it in Cambridge today often means leaving it.
But for the people who stay and build or try to perpetuate their immigrant enclave, the most important part of the American dream is not necessarily upward mobility, but rather community.
A Place To Call Their Own?
But as soon as they find a job and no longer have to share an apartment with friends or relatives, Jeune says, Haitian immigrants move out of Cambridge.
While there were once upwards of 7,000 Haitian immigrants in the area, Jeune says the number is closer to 5,000 today. He estimates that in the next five years, Cambridge will only have half the Haitian population it does today.
"The first generation will stay, because many of them bought places already," Jeune says. "But the younger people leave as soon as they get a job."
Cambridge, because of its strong educational background, plentiful economic opportunities and welcoming atmosphere, has historically been a mecca for immigrants.
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