Inclusion Of Immigrants Research Articles

Testing the Relationship Between Local Context and Immigrant-Serving Nonprofit Strategies

Abstract Studies at the nexus of immigration, organizations, and migrant mobilizations find that the strategies that immigrant-serving nonprofit organizations (INOs) employ differ in cities with disparate levels of immigrant inclusion. Yet studies yield mixed results abound other shortcomings in the literature. This study draws from disparate literatures and theoretical frameworks to assemble an understanding on the interrelations between local context and strategies. I investigate the following questions: how does the level of citizenry inclusion impact the strategies employed by INOs, and do more inclusive cities facilitate or constrain contentious advocacy? I draw from a national sample of INOs to test the empirical relationship. The results have implications for political opportunity theory and future lines of research drawing from this framework. Research, nonprofit practice, and policy implications are discussed.

Between the inclusion and exclusion of immigrants in a peripheral European country: Housing inequality in Portugal

AbstractThe understanding of immigrants as disadvantaged low‐skilled workers has been widely explored in migration studies. On the opposite end of the social ladder, the number of scientific works about privileged migrants, from highly skilled professionals to retired people and digital nomads, shows a significant increase. However, migration research fails to expose and debate the sharp contrast between immigrants with distinct economic and socio‐professional backgrounds across several dimensions, namely in housing. With the aim to better understand the manifestations and interconnections of immigration within urban transformations, this study analyses the polarities between immigrants in the housing sector in Portugal, a peripheral European nation that recently acquired the status of a country of immigration and where access to housing has been a structural problem. Furthermore, this text discusses the impact of public policies on the generation of those inequalities. With this, we expect to contribute to the debate on the unequal power and positions of distinct groups of immigrants and their constraints in the housing market, taking into consideration processes of inclusion and exclusion.

LANGUAGE BARRIERS IN LEARNING ENGLISH FOR YOUTH ALBANIAN IMMIGRANTS IN ENGLAND

The emigration of Albanians to England has increased significantly in recent years, making the role of using and learning the English language decisive, especially for the Albanian youths who attend school. The purpose of studying the English language encompasses various aspects such as education, economics, social integration, and more. This study explores the language barriers young immigrant Albanians face in England when learning English, as well as the unique factors that influence their experiences in school. The study involved the observation of 75 Albanian youths, 30 males and 45 females. The problems caused by mastering the mother tongue are related to grammar, vocabulary, and articulation. Given the connections between culture, language, and individuality, cultural concerns emphasise how crucial it is to include different cultures in the classroom. The study suggests educational approaches, such as bilingual classes, to address language barriers and promote fluency in Albanian and English. Adding Albanian social aspects to culturally sensitive curriculum and teaching is recommended to improve student interaction and foster a sense of belonging. The study recommends teacher preparation courses that emphasise barriers to linguistic and cultural sensitivity, to improve the capacity of teachers to deal with particular issues. The research suggests a comprehensive, collaborative strategy that combines educators, communities, and legislators to create a welcoming and encouraging atmosphere for successful language learning in English through the skills and social inclusion of Albanian youth immigrants.

Building a wall around the welfare state, or around the country? Preferences for immigrant welfare inclusion and immigration policy openness in Europe

Existing research on welfare chauvinism, which involves preferences about the inclusion or exclusion of immigrants in welfare programmes, often overlooks individual preferences regarding immigration policy openness (the number of immigrants allowed into a country). This article posits that these two dimensions should be considered together. The reason is that the implications of including or excluding migrants in welfare programmes vary significantly depending on whether a country admits few or many immigrants. Utilizing data from two waves of the European Social Survey across 23 European countries, we develop a typology of individual stances that encapsulate attitudes towards both immigration policy openness and immigrant inclusion in the welfare state. Our analysis reveals that the distribution of these stances varies considerably across European nations. We further examine how the probability of endorsing one of these typologies correlates with individual socio-economic characteristics, especially education. We find that higher education levels are linked to a higher likelihood of supporting either a combination of openness and inclusion or, to a lesser extent, openness paired with welfare exclusion. Additionally, more exclusionary attitudes are observed in countries where welfare usage by migrants is higher.

Beyond Borders: A Review of Diaspora and Female Immigrant Experience

This article reviews the conceptualization of the diaspora and the inclusion of female immigrants’ experiences in diaspora studies. It surveys the changing notion of diaspora with the inclusion of varied groups of immigrants, including females. Then, it examines the previous research about female immigrants’ experiences, particularly focusing on South Asian female immigrants. Over time, the conceptualization of the diaspora has evolved from a perspective focused on victimhood to a more socially constructed view of identity formation that transcends the binary distinction between home and host countries. This broader conceptualization of diaspora includes various forms of transborder migration and settlement, allowing for a more inclusive examination of the experiences of female immigrants. In the beginning, women immigrants were often equated with male immigrants. However, as time passed, scholars started linking gender concerns with additional factors like social class, nationality, and ethnicity. In this context, the research on the experience of South Asian female immigrants revolves around changing gender roles and family dynamics, including contradictory aspects of whether migration reinforces domination or provides autonomy to South Asian female immigrants.

Female immigrant entrepreneurship – predicted by women’s empowerment in host country

PurposeThe social inclusion of immigrants has been a central public policy issue in European countries, and entrepreneurship is often promoted as a form of integration. Female immigrants face double discrimination of gender and ethnicity while becoming entrepreneurs. The aim of the paper is to investigate the female empowerment in the host country as a predictor of immigrant women engagement in entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachBased on panel data for European Union countries for years 2006–2021, female immigrant entrepreneurship was modelled by the impact of variables showing the empowerment of women in host countries. Data availability was the determinant regarding the inclusion of 22 countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden were all in the research sample.FindingsAlthough immigrant entrepreneurship is highly context-oriented and locale-specific (as in the physical setting for relationships among people), some universal patterns for a group of countries are found. A stronger political and managerial position of power for the women in host countries encourages female immigrant entrepreneurship, while the gender pay gap is statistically insignificant.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper is due to the multi-country level and female-focused research perspectives in immigrant entrepreneurship. The study refers to the intersectionality of gender and ethnicity, arguing that the empowerment of women in host countries affects female immigrant entrepreneurship at the macro-level.

FINANCIAL CAPABILITY AMONG OLDER ADULT IMMIGRANTS, A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract The Financial Capability approach assesses individuals’ financial knowledge and behaviors within the context of opportunities in the environment. Scholars and practitioners have documented how immigration status can influence individuals’ access to and eligibility for financial products and services, due to federal, state, and community rules and norms. Those who lack immigration status (i.e., undocumented immigrants) often face additional financial hurdles. A separate line of research has shown how financial capability can influence retirement savings, yet this did not focus on immigration status. As such, this systematic review seeks to understand how variations in legal immigration status impact the financial capability and long-term financial wellbeing of older adult immigrants in the United States. The current review utilized standardized procedures and protocols to identify articles related to financial capability, immigration status, and retirement savings, resulting in an initial list of 3,599 articles. Three studies published before May 2023 were included in the final narrative synthesis due to their inclusion of immigrants over 55. Results demonstrate that financial capability studies of older adult immigrants that met eligibility criteria have centralized Asian individuals, particularly Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean populations. Furthermore, studies indicate that increasing financial capability among older immigrants can strengthen their financial security, yet these studies focus less on the impact of immigration status. Programs, services, or products operating on the financial capability paradigm warrant continued research as older immigrants have unique attributes (e.g., language, culture) and require careful design, implementation, and evaluation of efforts seeking to target long-term financial wellbeing.

The micro-foundations of social democratic welfare chauvinism and inclusion: class demand and policy reforms in Western Europe, 1980−2018

Abstract In Western European welfare states, research shows that support for welfare chauvinism, or the notion that welfare benefits for immigrants should be restricted, is highest among white, blue-collar working-class voters. On the other hand, higher-educated, middle-class voters are more likely to reject welfare chauvinism and support the inclusion of immigrants into the welfare state. For social democratic parties, this might pose an electoral dilemma between generous welfare states and open borders: They rely on both middle- and working-class constituencies and are ideologically tied both to a universal welfare state and the protection of (national) workers. To what extent does such an electoral dilemma between classes exist for social democratic parties? How do social democratic parties solve this dilemma when in government? In this paper, we postulate that a class divide around welfare chauvinism exists within the electorate for social democratic parties and that these parties’ policies in government reflect these divides: If the social democratic electorate has a high share of working-class voters, they should act more welfare chauvinist than if their electorate is mostly middle class. We test these hypotheses by combining survey and macro-level policy data in 14 Western European countries from 1980 to 2018. We find consistent evidence of the existence of a working-class/middle-class divide regarding welfare chauvinism, even within social democratic electorates. On the macro-level, we find partial evidence that social democratic parties in power respond to the class demands of their electorate: They are less welfare chauvinist when they have a higher proportion of middle-class voters, whereas their working-class vote share does not significantly condition their policies at all, contrary to assumptions in the literature. We therefore conclude that as social democratic parties become parties of the middle classes, the likelihood that they will retrench immigrant welfare rights reduces.

Managing Diversity and Inclusion in Nursing Homes: Practices and Regulations

Changing demographics and a rising number of immigrants entering the labor market have posed new challenges to managers in work organizations.Within this context, Norway has been noted to have a highly regulated work sector that is considered beneficial for minorities and marginalized groups. Through a case study of three nursing homes in Norway, this paper analyzes how managers engage with diversity-related regulations when addressing their everyday challenges, and how their enacted practices affect the inclusion of immigrants in the workplace. The study applies a practice-theoretical approach and contributes to diversity management research by identifying how managers’ differing enactments of inclusion-related practices are connected to competing institutional logics. The analysis shows how the co-existence of multiple institutional logics in this context represents an arena for political struggle.

The Impact of Migration on Financial Inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Examining the impact of migration on financial inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the focus of this research is on the level of financial inclusion of immigrants, emigrants and residents without a migration background. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses, access to financial services among these groups is investigated, and possible obstacles they face are identified. The current active financial inclusion policies did not treat the migration phenomenon, and in this regard, they were not channeled towards more vulnerable categories, which is of great importance for its improvement. The innovativeness of the explained topic is precisely reflected in the development of awareness of the impact of migration on the level of financial inclusion with the aim of more efficient positive results in the end. The research analyzes the link between migration status and the level of financial inclusion, taking into account demographic characteristics such as gender, age, education, work status and income. The research was conducted on the basis of primary data collection, using the method of written (online) examination. An online survey was used as a data collection form, which was created based on the OECD/INFE (2011, 2015, 2018) standardized questionnaire. The data was collected from a sample of 616 respondents in the first quarter of 2023. The results indicate an unequal level of financial inclusion among different migration groups. Immigrants achieved the highest level of financial inclusion, and emigrants achieved the lowest. Regression models showed statistically significant relationships between migration status and financial inclusion, indicating the complexity of this relationship. Furthermore, socioeconomic characteristics such as education, work status and income have a positive influence on the level of financial inclusion, while gender and age are not significant factors. It is concluded that there is a need to improve financial inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a focus on education, facilitating access to financial services and supporting the integration of migrants into the economic framework of the country. This paper provides the foundations for further research on the impact of migration on financial inclusion, emphasizing the complexity of the connections between these two phenomena.

Reduced health care utilization among young children of immigrants after Donald Trump's election and proposed public charge rule.

Widespread fear among immigrants from hostile 2016 presidential campaign rhetoric decreased social and health care service enrollment (chilling effect). Health care utilization effects among immigrant families with young children are unknown. We examined whether former President Trump's election had chilling effects on well-child visit (WCV) schedule adherence, hospitalizations, and emergency department (ED) visits among children of immigrant vs US-born mothers in 3 US cities. Cross-sectional surveys of children <4 years receiving care in hospitals were linked to 2015-2018 electronic health records. We applied difference-in-difference analysis with a 12-month pre/post-election study period. Trump's election was associated with a 5-percentage-point decrease (-0.05; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.02) in WCV adherence for children of immigrant vs US-born mothers with no difference in hospitalizations or ED visits. Secondary analyses extending the treatment period to a leaked draft of proposed changes to public charge rules also showed significantly decreased WCV adherence among children of immigrant vs US-born mothers. Findings indicate likely missed opportunities for American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended early childhood vaccinations, health and developmental screenings, and family support. Policies and rhetoric promoting immigrant inclusion create a more just and equitable society for all US children.

Beyond borders: A commentary on the benefit of promoting immigrant populations in genome-wide association studies.

Immigrants are an important part of many high-income nations, in that they contribute to the sociocultural tapestry, economic well-being, and demographic diversity of their receiving countries and communities. Yet, genomic studies to date have generally focused on non-immigrant, European-ancestry populations. Although this approach has proven fruitful in discovering and validating genomic loci, within the context of racially/ethnically diverse countries like the United States-wherein half of immigrants hail from Latin America and another quarter from Asia-this approach is insufficient. There is a persistent diversity gap in genomic research in terms of both current samples and genome-wide association studies, meaning that the field's understanding of genetic architecture and gene-environmental interactions is being hampered. In this commentary, I provide motivating examples of recent research developments related to the following: (1) how the increased ancestral diversity, such as seen among Latin American immigrants, improves power to discover and document genomic loci, (2) informs how environmental factors, such as immigration-related exposures, interact with genotypes to influence phenotypes, and (3) how inclusion can be promoted through community-engaged research programs and policies. I conclude that greater inclusion of immigrants in genomic research can move the field forward toward novel discoveries and interventions to address racial/ethnic health disparities.

Validation of the intercultural sensitivity scale in the Spanish context

The aim of this study was to validate the Intercultural Sensitivity Inventory (ISI) in the Spanish context, testing the five, four, and three-dimensional models of the construct and examining its relationship with other psychological variables. A Spanish sample of 872 participants aged between 18 and 80 years old (M = 52.50; SD = 17.41) was used. The main results indicated an adequate fit for the three correlated dimensions model (two of them include two dimensions of the original scale). In addition, an adequate fit for the original five-dimensional model or the theoretical four-dimensional alternative was not observed. Lastly, differences were observed based on the gender of the participants in the three dimensions of intercultural sensitivity, as well as in beliefs about the inclusion of immigrants in education and the rights of immigrants. The scope and limitations of the study are discussed, as well as the relationships with the observed psychosocial constructs.

Talking about picturebooks in libraries’ language cafes

How might picturebooks serve as reading and conversation materials in language cafes for international immigrants aiming to learn the local language? How might these books help foster meaningful exchanges between program volunteers and participants, and what might the broader significance of this be for immigrant inclusion and integration? To gain insight into these questions, this study investigates the experiences of volunteers and participants with using picturebooks as a basis for conversation at language cafes in Norwegian public libraries. The study is based on participant observation and qualitative interviews with language café volunteers and participants. Picturebook theory on representation of emotions serves as the theoretical lens for analyzing the selected texts used at the different language cafes. The findings reveal that a broad range of picturebooks are used for reading and conversation at language cafes and their use is generally experienced as fruitful by the participants, especially for learning new words and engaging in visual narratives. The experience of using picturebooks varies for volunteers, from pure joy to discontent, depending on whether they found the selected books interesting or useful for engaging with the participants. The study concludes that picturebooks can work well for facilitating dialog at language cafes, however the successful use of them depends on the competent selection of books.

Constructions of Japanese national identity: Host views using a social markers of acceptance framework

Social markers of acceptance (SMA) are socially constructed criteria (e.g., language skills, shared genealogy, or adherence to social norms) that receiving society nationals use in deciding whether to view an immigrant as a member of the national ingroup. This study had two objectives: 1. to identify the markers considered important by Japanese to accept immigrants in Japanese society, and 2. to examine the type of intergroup conditions that may shape immigrant inclusion by influencing the degree of emphasis placed on SMA: specifically, perceived immigrant threat, contribution, and social status, as well as intergroup boundary permeability and strength of national identification. Native-born Japanese (n = 2000) completed an online survey, where two latent factors emerged representing ethnic and civic markers—suggesting that national identity may have changed in the past 25 years, with Japanese developing a distinct civic conceptualization in addition to a previously existing ethnic one. Multiple hierarchical regressions found significant main effects of perceived immigrant threat, contribution, status, and boundary permeability for both civic and ethnic dimensions, as well as interactions between threat x status and threat x permeability. As hypothesized, threat had positive effects on SMA emphasis, and contribution exerted negative effects—indicating more exclusive and inclusive attitudes among Japanese, respectively. Results for national identity were inconsistent, complementing social identity theory for ethnic markers but contradicting it for civic marker importance. Consistent with social identity theory, immigrants perceived as “low status” triggered endorsement of more restrictive civic and ethnic benchmarks; however, contrary to expectations, increased threat under less porous intergroup boundaries predicted more restrictive civic and ethnic marker utilization.

The impact of discrimination and support on immigrant trust and belonging

AbstractHow are immigrants’ feelings of inclusion and trust in political institutions affected by interactions with the host society? In a field dominated by observational correlation studies, I use a survey experiment in two national contexts to test how perceptions of discrimination and expressions of pro-immigrant support influence non-Western immigrants’ political trust and national belonging. Following standard experimental procedures to test the hypotheses, I attempt to prime perceptions of group discrimination by asking questions about unfair treatment. Expressions of pro-immigrant support are, in turn, primed with facts about public and institutional support for immigrants’ rights. The results from the survey experiment are in line with expectations from prior work in some subgroups and underline the importance of equal treatment to achieve social cohesion. They also paint a rather complex picture of discrimination and its psychological impact. These findings have substantial implications for our understanding of host societies’ roles in immigrant inclusion.

Messaging inclusion with consequence: U.S. sanctuary cities and immigrant wellbeing

In the United States (U.S.), sanctuary cities have increasingly garnered public attention as places dedicated to increasing immigrant safety, inclusion, and health. These cities primarily rely on limiting local police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement to deter immigrant detention and deportation. However, sanctuary policies’ inability to extend immigrants’ legal rights and their reliance on police as ushers of sanctuary may complicate how these spaces attend to their stated goals. In this paper, we examine how organizational workers conceptualize sanctuary, safety, and immigrant health and wellbeing within sanctuary cities. We draw on interviews with organizational workers in two sanctuary cities: Boston, Massachusetts and Seattle, Washington collected between February and August 2018. Our findings reveal that immigrants continue to face structural barriers to housing, safe employment, education, and healthcare within sanctuary cities with consequences to wellbeing. Workers’ definitions of safety draw on interconnected structural exclusion that prevent immigrants from accessing basic needs and fail to account for historically rooted forms of racism and nativism. Organizational workers identified tensions between messages of sanctuary and what local sanctuary policies offer in practice, providing insight into consequences of institutionalizing a grassroots social movement. As organizational workers negotiate these tensions, they must develop everyday sanctuary practices to extend immigrant inclusion, safety, health, and wellbeing.

A Strategy Typology: Unearthing How U.S.-Immigrant-Serving Nonprofits Contribute to Immigrant Inclusion Outcomes

Literature reveals that immigrant-serving nonprofits enact an array of strategies that contribute to local policy and other immigrant inclusion outcomes. Yet this empirical relationship has not been systemically and holistically examined across contexts. Drawing on 30 qualitative interviews with immigrant-serving nonprofit practitioners operating throughout various U.S. cities, I specified over 100 strategies that organizations employ to contribute to immigrants’ rights, legal and cultural inclusion in society. To illustrate this relationship, I advanced a strategy typology highlighting the range and scale of strategies operating in the organizational field. Research, policy, and practice implications are discussed.

Art as an enabler of social inclusion of refugees and immigrants. Case studies, in Portugal

Resumo Neste artigo reflito sobre as formas como certos projetos artísticos têm um papel importante a desempenhar na resistência às desigualdades, desafiando os sistemas políticos que falham na inclusão de refugiados e imigrantes. Apresento quatro estudos de caso, em Portugal, que cruzam investigação antropológica e arte participativa. Concluo, apresentando algumas evidências de como os projetos artísticos que envolvem migrantes são eficazes nos seus propósitos facilitadores de inclusão social, nomeadamente na aprendizagem da língua do país de acolhimento.

Understanding inclusive entrepreneurship

A recent OECD report recognises that the limited scope for immigrant women to integrate into mainstream Finnish society has kept them out of the labour market. In fact, a woman with migrant background faces several challenges to get access to the Finnish labour force and this has prompted them to become self-employed in small business, particularly in the northern part of Finland. However, establishing a small business and its operation induces diverse problems in this remote, mainly rural region. An inclusive entrepreneurship policy may support improving their condition in entrepreneurship. The study explores the main factors hindering the financial and socio-cultural inclusion of women immigrants in Northern Finland. A thematic analysis of cultural and economic inclusivity, based on descriptive phenomenology, helps understand and reconstruct a policy of inclusive societies in the context of rural entrepreneurship.