Immigrant Organizations Research Articles

Intercultural priorities among immigrant organizations in Galicia (Spain): Beyond the offensive and defensive binary

In this article we analyze the situation of immigrant organizations during the European economic crisis. We set out to examine how, during a period of heightened economic insecurity, priorities among these multiples roles might shift when members find themselves in a particularly vulnerable situation. Data was collected in the form of 16 extended semi-structured interviews with group representatives throughout the Galician autonomous community in north-western Spain. Our data provide an empirically-based study that have led us to adapt Schrover and Vermeulen’s (2005) classification of immigrant association approaches as either defensive (responding to social exclusion) or offensive (emphasizing differences with respect to the destination society), extending this scheme to include a third approach, which our data show to be a priority even under conditions of economic insecurity: claims for intercultural relations with receiving society members with the goal of increased social cohesion and mutual understanding.

Local migrant organizations in the periphery: providing healthcare in India

ABSTRACT Local migrant organization is an emerging phenomenon in many emigrant countries, where such an organization is formed and run by current or former migrants and engages in a range of philanthropic activities for community development. Research on migrant organizations tends to focus either on immigrant organizations located in the host countries or on transnational migrant organizations engaged in diaspora philanthropy with origin country. Contrary to mainstream research on migrant organizations, this paper looks at the local migrant organizations and their engagements in emigrant countries through a case study in India. Drawing on selected local migrant organizations that cater to healthcare needs in India, this paper investigates how they evolve and mobilize resources, what sort of healthcare activities they are carrying out, and how such collective efforts are contributing to the healthcare needs for the underserved community. This study reports that local migrant organizations tend to be small and resource-poor, but they reach out to the Indian periphery and serve the underprivileged sections of the society.

The Dynamic Relationship between Immigrant Politics and Urban Policy Making: Protecting the Rights of Undocumented Immigrants in Boston and Amsterdam

With the advancement of comparative studies within the field of immigration and sociopolitical movements, scholars have attempted to understand how politico-institutional contexts influence the mobilization strategies of immigrant rights organizations at the local level. In this article, I make use of a field approach to explain how these organizations face different group-and issue-specific conditions regarding their involvement in local policy-making processes. Empirically, I examine the advocacy work of immigrant rights organizations in their aim to protect the rights of undocumented immigrants in Boston (USA) and Amsterdam (the Netherlands). By approaching power and resistance as relational phenomena, the results indicate that the intersection of distinct institutional and organizational mechanisms has differently impacted the local fields of immigrant politics. Taking different routes, in both cities immigrant rights organizations have found ways to constitute an affirmative institutional and discursive counterpower that challenges the national exclusionary citizenship regimes from the ground.

Local Path Dependency and Scale Shift in Social Movements: The Case of the us Immigrant Rights Movement

This paper examines how social movement organizations shift scale through the case of the immigrant rights movement. This was largely a local movement for the first decades of its existence. However, in the late 1990s, repressive federal policies increased the salience of national politics for many organizations. While recognizing the importance of national politics, many organizations remained mostly engaged in local politics for nearly a decade. The aim of this paper is to examine why immigrant rights organizations stayed local for so long after the threat shifted to the federal level and why they actually shifted to the national scale when they did. It does so by focusing on the case of Los Angeles.

Urban Contexts and Immigrant Organizations: Differences in New York, El Paso, Paris, and Barcelona

This article compares immigrant and ethnic organizations in four major immigrant-receiving cities and reveals substantial variation across these immigrant gateway cities. Using data from ethnographic fieldwork and an original database of relevant organizations in New York City; El Paso, Texas; Paris; and Barcelona, I find differences in organizational type and density, as well as in their legitimacy and funding. This article contributes to a growing literature on immigrant organizations. Although immigrant organizations have a long history in some cities, they may not always operate in ways that enhance refugee and migrant integration. Comparing immigrant organizations is fruitful because it tells us more about city and national political systems and why distinct localities deal with cultural minorities differently. These comparisons can help the readers to understand the barriers and ladders that immigrants encounter in different cities and inform policy-makers in designing better approaches to incorporate immigrants.

Ascriptive Organizational Stigma and the Constraining of Pakistani Immigrant Organizations

Existing research on the incorporation of immigrants generally celebrates immigrant organizations (IOs) as essential conduits for political mobilization, civic integration, and transnational engagement. Less attention, however, has been given to the external contexts or conditions that can constrain IOs. In this article, I introduce the concept of ascriptive organizational stigma (AOS) and examine how domestic and geopolitical contexts contribute to the stigmatization and constraining of Pakistani immigrant organizational capacities. Data come from 59 in-depth interviews conducted with leaders and members of Pakistani IOs in New York City and London. Findings suggest Pakistani IOs in both cities experienced AOS, and that external pressures to prioritize stigma management over core missions, impeded efforts to serve domestic and homeland constituents. Findings also indicate the stigmatization of ascriptive status markers can contribute to the conflation of immigrants’ group and organizational identities. This article contributes to existing scholarship by revealing how external contexts can lead to the constraining of immigrants’ domestic and homeland-oriented organizational capacities.

Desigualdades generacionales y prácticas políticas en las juventudes migrantes paraguayas en Buenos Aires

El objetivo del artículo es analizar la migración paraguaya en Buenos Aires haciendo foco en las relaciones generacionales y su impacto sobre la construcción de agencia entre las juventudes migrantes. A partir de un enfoque etnográfico, abordamos las relaciones genealógicas, etarias y socio-políticas entre las distintas generaciones, tanto en el ámbito de la familia como en el de las organizaciones de migrantes. Así, vislumbramos la existencia de desigualdades inter generacionales que condicionan las prácticas políticas y la construcción de agencia en las y los jóvenes. Frente a ello, observamos la combinación de diversas estrategias y capitales que las juventudes desarrollan para disputar poder con la generación que las precede apelando a un “capital militante”. Por último, avanzamos en la construcción generacional que hacen las juventudes a través de sus propias organizaciones y desde la cual buscan legitimar su agencia política.

“¡Parece que estamos aquí solo para limpiar!”: latinoamericanas denunciando su abocamiento a trabajos domésticos en una radio feminista de Madrid

ABSTRACT Migratory policies, in combination with ethno-racial, gender and class stereotypes, have channeled Latin American women into the domestic sector in Spain. The articulation of these stereotypes with an old colonial ideology associates these women with servitude and docility, which are valued elements for care jobs. Based on ethnographic research that I did with Latin American women of Indigenous backgrounds in a feminist radio station in Madrid called Las Radiantes, I show the existing institutional vulnerability to frequent forms of abuse that they face in domestic jobs and their typecasting in this sector. Far from being passive, they search for solutions in different feminist and immigrant organizations in Madrid, where they face similar vulnerability. Instead, Las Radiantes becomes an instrument of extraordinary value for them to empower and project a protest voice through radio programs and other creative forms of expression.

Participatory practice with queer refugees in Germany

Abstract Evidence shows that queer refugees in Germany neither have equal access to the health system, information, HIV-Testing and treatment, nor are they involved in HIV-Prevention. The community-based participatory health approach provides a valuable tool for building capacity and enabling queer refugees to create knowledge and develop appropriate prevention tools for their communities. “Your health, your rights” (2017-2018) is a 2-year community-based participatory health project, which aims to improve the involvement of queer refugees in HIV-Prevention, as well as to create appropriate prevention media in collaborative way. It is conducted by the National AIDS Organization in collaboration with partners from different immigrant organisations, queer refugees and AIDS service organisations - all based in Berlin. The components of the project include a multilingual participatory need assessment workshop, a series of capacity-building methodological workshops, a community-led art-based project and a participatory evaluation. 12 queer refuges choose to take part in the project and have been supported to document their lived experiences using community and concept mapping. Key topics and needs connected to sexual health have been jointly identified. Based on these results and in the framework of an art-based workshop participants created a design of multilingual website for queer refugees which delivers helpful information in appropriate way (www.queerrefugeeswelcome.de). The involvement of queer refugees in HIV-Prevention is possible, if it is enabled. The usage of participatory visual methods has opened up ways of participation of even highly traumatised refugees who otherwise are not able to verbally express their thoughts and enabled the communication between participants who don’t share the same language. Key messages The resources of queer refugees are identified and mobilised and community building processes are supported. The participants improved their competencies (empowerment). Service providers are able to tailor their services better to the needs of queer refugees.

Attitudes of Polish Immigrants in the United States Towards Diaspora Organizations: A Comparative View

Abstract The aim of the paper is to describe the social participation of Poles living in the United States in Polish immigrant organizations, their opinions concerning the functioning of such organizations and their readiness to become involved in diaspora organizations along with explaining the crucial determinants of the above-mentioned social phenomena. The analysis is based on empirical data collected using an internet survey of Poles living in the USA and incorporates comparative analysis with selected European countries. The results of the empirical analysis will be discussed in the context of the outcomes of a conducted literature review.

Social Involvement of Polish Immigrants in the U.S.: A Research Note

Abstract This article presents the results of the research on the social activity of Polish immigrants in the United States and their involvement in the activities of their community. The analysis is based on empirical data collected from an internet survey among Poles living in the United States and in selected European countries. Based on gathered empirical materials, the authors describe four main areas and contexts of the social activity of Polish immigrants in the United States: a) social participation of Polish immigrants (participation in social networks, cultural participation, as well as political participation); b) participation in nongovernmental organizations; c) participation in Polish immigrant organizations; d) opinions on Polish immigrant organizations’ functioning. The presented research note contains also the information about the crucial determinants of the immigrants’ social activity.

Promoting Health from Outside the State: La Comunidad, Migrants, and Hometown Associations

Migrants and organizational collectives, such as hometown associations (HTAs), have sent remittances to their countries of origin in an attempt to alleviate unmet health care needs. Additionally, migrants will use collective funds to rehabilitating roads; improving sewage systems and water quality; constructing recreational facilities; and refurbishing community buildings. All of these projects contribute to public health. The question explored in this paper is how remittances from abroad potentially contributes to the health of hometown communities. This focus on health and related issues allows for exploring HTA cross-border work as particularly informative in understanding state/society relations. In effect, we bring light to how a migrant transnational social movement can attempt to address health needs in its hometown. The Comparative Immigrant Organization Project (CIOP) is used to answer this question. For this paper, the level of analysis for the CIOP is organizational.

Local governance of immigrant incorporation: how city-based organizational fields shape the cases of undocumented youth in New York City and Paris

City-based organizations and governments play an important role in incorporating undocumented immigrant youth. This article investigates how localities socio-politically incorporate these immigrants by examining the governance constellations and institutional logics of the organizational field that manages undocumented youth. Comparing sets of municipal and civil society organizations in different national settings, I use the two cases of New York City and Paris to ask how the ‘city-based organizational field of immigrant incorporation’ shapes citizenship experiences of undocumented youth. Data come from multi-level longitudinal ethnography over 8 years with two dozen undocumented youth and with organizations in each city as well as interviews with immigrant organization staff and other governance actors in New York and Paris. Organizational field dynamics in Paris provide a stronger possibility of citizenship and rights acquisition, evidence of socio-political incorporation. In contrast, New York’s robust and flexible labor market and ethnic and immigrant legitimacy offer its undocumented youth a marginalized socio-political incorporation. These findings support practice-based understandings of local governance of incorporation of undocumented youth.

A Study on the Function and Role of the Organizations of Turkish Migrants in Germany

The purpose of this study is to understand the function and role of the organizations of Turkish migrants in Germany. Their immigrant organizations have an important influence on the political behavior of immigrants in Germany. The Turkish migrant organizations can be divided into the religious, political, and business associations. But these organizations are not homogeneous and are different in terms of their background, strategy and goals, while participating in politics and negotiating their positions. These organizations are able to play an important role both in integrating Turkish migrants and contributing to solving the sociocultural and economic problems of the Turkish community. They (not incorrect, just a bit repetitive) must cooperate more with each other by overcoming their ideological rivalries to find solutions for their common socio-economic problems, to contribute to integrating Turkish community in Germany.

Exploring Involvement of Immigrant Organizations With the Young 1.5 and 2nd Generations: Latin American Associations in Canada and Israel

This paper explores the extent of involvement of immigrant organizations with young 1.5 and 2nd generation immigrants by comparing two Latin American organizations: CSSP (The Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples) in Canada and OLEI (Organizacion Latinoamericana en Israel) in Israel. By means of qualitative methodology, the findings indicate that while CSSP provides services to such young immigrants this is not the case with OLEI. This difference in the activities of these organizations can be explained by a theoretical schema composed of two key variables: characteristics of the immigrant population (motivation for immigration and the cultural heritage) and characteristics of the host country (immigration and integration policies and the society’s attitude towards immigrants). The paper demonstrates the usefulness of descriptive comparative case studies in unearthing antecedent variables that can help in building theory.

Identifications of Albanian-origin teenagers in Thessaloniki and the role of ethnicity: A multi-scalar perspective

The literature on ‘second-generation migrants’ has widely viewed ethnicity as the key marker of identity formation. This article explores the identification processes of Albanian-origin teenagers in Thessaloniki, investigating whether, when and why ethnicity plays a role in these processes. The paper draws upon data from 28 in-depth interviews and one focus group with teenagers, alongside participant observation involving families, schools and immigrant organisations. The findings show that youth of migrant origin construct their identities within intersecting simultaneous transnational, national and local dynamics and alongside a public–private divide. More specifically, youth culture, a city/urban identity, and emotional ties that bind peer groups and family and kin within and across the national borders provide important sources of identification. These strategies are partly indicative of a weak ethnic agency – the ability of people to change the conditions around them by relying on the belief in a shared common past and common destiny with co-ethnics, and the assertiveness that comes with this belief. Nonetheless, in the local, multi-scalar forms of political and cultural power intersect within people’s daily lives, while this multiplicity of sources of identification calls for a closer look at the linkages between the local, the national and the global.

Local context, network ties, and organisational autonomy: Latino civic life in Barcelona and Madrid compared

ABSTRACT How does local context shape immigrant civic life? This article addresses the question by comparing Latino associations in Madrid and Barcelona, cities in Spain with comparable rates of immigration and civic organising. Drawing on 63 interviews with Latino leaders and stakeholders, I show that three contextual factors – municipal funding priorities, overcrowding, and local political history – promote network configurations that, in turn, influence organisational agenda setting. In Barcelona, these factors encourage ethnic bonding networks that facilitate the implementation of large-scale celebrations, protests, and social service projects, yet render groups vulnerable to political party intrusion. In Madrid, the factors lead associations to instead form bridging ties with mainstream non-profit organisations, while diminishing opportunities for pursuing large, independent projects. The results encourage scholars to understand local context as a field that structures relations between immigrant organisations and influences organisational autonomy.

Ethnic Identity and Immigrant Organizations

Abstract The identities of Chinese immigrants and their organizations are themes widely studied in existing literature but the link between them remains under-researched. This paper seeks to explore the role of Chinese ethnicity in Chinese immigrants’ self-organizing processes by empirically studying Chinese community organizations in South Australia. It finds that Chinese immigrants have deployed ethnic identities together with other social identities to call different organizations into being, which exerts an important influence on the emergence and performance of the five major types of Chinese community organizations active in South Australia. Moreover, the ways in which Chineseness is deployed have been heavily influenced by three factors within and beyond the community. These factors are the transformation of the local ethnic-Chinese community, changing socio-political contexts in Australia, and the rise of China. In short, the deployment of ethnic identities in Chinese immigrants’ organizing processes is instrumental, contextual, and strategic.

The organization of labour immigrants from Czechoslovakia in Frolov district of the Lower-Volga region in the 1920 and 1930s

Based on unpublished archival sources, this article considers the history and development of industrial organizations of labour immigrants from Czechoslovakia on the territory of the Lower Volga region in the 1920 and 1930s. The activities of the “Agricultural commune of Czechoslovak emigres” and the handicraft “Association of Czechoslovak Emigrants” illustrate how Soviet legislation was applied to labour immigration, how party authorities and economic bodies related to the two immigrant units, and how foreign workers adapted to the conditions in the USSR. Despite the many difficulties that labour immigrants had to overcome, their activities on the territory of Stalingrad province constitute a successful example of international workers’ cooperation in the USSR. The authors demonstrate that the production associations of labour immigrants from Czechoslovakia made a significant contribution to the strengthening and development of the economic complex of Frolov district in the Lower Volga region during the period under review. Through the efforts of the Czechoslovak citizens, shoe production and tanning were organized for the first time on industrial level. Later a metal plant emerged on the basis of the “Krasny Vagranschik” artel created by immigrants from Czechoslovakia. The experience of state regulation on labour immigration in the USSR can be successfully used in modern Russia’s practice of international cooperation.

Experiences of Immigrant Women Who Applied for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Self- Petition in the United States: Analysis of Legal Affidavits

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant human rights and public health issue. In particular, immigrant woman may face more challenges than non-immigrant woman when trying to leave an abusive partner. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the United States (U.S.) allows spouse-sponsored immigrant women who have experienced IPV to self-petition for legal status without assistance from their abusive partner. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of abused immigrant women and their interaction with VAWA. Seventy affidavits from the victims’ legal immigration selfpetitions were qualitatively analyzed. Results showed that women who applied for VAWA feared being in a worse position if they did leave and as such often delayed their leaving from an abusive relationship. Some women were unaware of available resources for securing safety and leaving an abusive relationship. Additionally, community resources were not always beneficial for these women. Because of the added complication surrounding their documentation status for immigrant female victims of IPV, this study suggests that more care and resources should be dedicated to this vulnerable population of women. Educational opportunities for immigrant women and community organizations are essential so immigrant women experiencing IPV can escape their harmful situation and achieve positive health outcomes.