Grassroots refugee community organizations: In search of participatory urban governance

Abstract

ABSTRACT Grassroots refugee community organizations (RCOs)—run by and for resettled refugees—are often small, informal, and financially unstable, and thus commonly forgotten in urban governance networks. Nevertheless, RCOs facilitate the integration of refugee communities in urban settings. We interviewed 42 leaders of 35 RCOs in 35 U.S. cities and conducted four focus groups with community leaders of Bhutanese RCOs. Findings suggest that federally contracted NGOs and local governments have frequently denied RCOs’ requests to participate in governance. Notably, only one RCO reported successful insertion in an urban governance network. Phase two of the study identified and conceptualized the inclusive practices that a Midwestern city adopted, such as hiring a cultural planner and building a consortium to support refugees in urban governance. This article provides a roadmap toward the successful integration of RCOs in urban governance. Even small and midsize cities can develop strategies for the inclusion of RCOs in the urban planning process.