No large city is complete without a bustling array of culturally diverse businesses. Immigrant entrepreneurship rose dramatically in the last decade of the twentieth century and has, inevitably, had a huge impact on urban life. Not only has immigrant business revitalized derelict shopping streets, but it has also introduced 'exotic' products and fostered new forms of social cohesion. In spite of this, we rarely consider how migrants made the trek abroad, what role they play in their country of settlement, and what effect they have on the global economic climate.

Through a comparative...