Kenyan Female Immigrants’ Creation of a Virtual Enclave: The Influence of Age and Immigration Status

ABSTRACT Much of the research on ethnic enclaves in the United States has focussed on physical, geographic spaces or brick‐and‐mortar establishments that foster community building and provide shared resources for immigrant groups, such as those from Latin America, Asia and Europe. These studies often highlight the benefits and challenges enclaves provide, with only a limited discussion of how immigrant women use these spaces. Using survey data drawn from Kenyan women residing in the United States, this study aimed to answer two research questions: (1) Does membership in social media groups comprised of Kenyan female immigrants vary (e.g. by age, immigration status)? (2) Do age and immigration/citizenship status influence Kenyan female immigrants' reasons for joining social media groups? The bivariate results show that older women and those who migrated to the United States for school or through the Green Card lottery programme were likelier to join Tumaini and other immigrant‐specific social media groups. Regarding factors influencing their reasons for joining these groups, the regression results revealed that US citizens and permanent residents were less likely to join the group for solidarity/support. Furthermore, those who migrated for school or to join family members were likelier to join the Tumaini group for support/solidarity. This finding suggests that older women, being more likely to belong to physical social groups, have a relatively stronger attachment to such groups. Consequently, their willingness to join the Tumaini group, despite it being an online community, may be stronger than that of their younger counterparts.