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Recent field work on the origins of the Cuban ethnic economy in South Florida is reviewed in the context of competing theories of minority entrepreneurship. Sociological theories that emphasize contextual characteristics internal to the group itself appear to fit best the empirical evidence. They do not clarify, however, the dynamic aspects of the process—that is, the actual steps through which individual and family business goals become implemented. A typology of minority enterprise on the basis of background characteristics of its founders is developed. Implications of the Miami experience for theory and policies aimed at promoting self-employment among minorities are discussed.
Alejandro Portes (Thu,) studied this question.