Download or read book The Transnational Political Participation of Immigrants written by Jean-Michel Lafleur and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-18 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the progress in communication and transport technologies, it has never been easier for migrants to stay connected with their country of origin. Facing the wide range of activities in which immigrants are involved, governments in the country of origin and the country of destination have endeavoured to respond to these activities. Up until now, the question of the nature of political engagement across borders that migrants may pursue has yet to be studied in a broad sense. The purpose of this book is to establish to what extent the place in which immigrants settle (namely the region or country) might determine the types of political activity in which they engage. More precisely, it ascertains whether and for what reasons different forms of transnational political activity develop in the United States and Europe. Looking at a series of case studies from Europe and the USA, it identifies the full range of political activities and various similarities in the actions undertaken by communities based in the same area. With contributions from international experts, this insightful book will be of interest to postgraduates in the field of international politics, migration researchers, political scientists and policymakers. This book was originally published as a special issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies.

Download or read book International Migration Transnational Politics and Conflict written by Anastasia Bermudez and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-03-22 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book makes a timely contribution to debates surrounding transnational political participation, the relationship between diasporas and conflict, and the gendered experiences of migrants. It fills a significant lacuna in research by analysing how migrants relate to and become involved in the politics of their home and host countries, and how transnational political fields emerge and function. The author achieves this by focusing on the little known but instructive case of Colombian migration to Europe, and the connections between these flows and the armed conflict and efforts for peace in Colombia. Shedding light on different types of migration and the rising complexity of international population movements, this innovative work will appeal to students and scholars of migration and diaspora studies, gender, political participation, conflict and peace studies and Latin American studies. It will also interest policy makers and community development workers engaged in these areas.

Download or read book Citizenship Political Engagement and Belonging written by Deborah Reed-Danahay and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2008-07-16 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Immigration is continuously and rapidly changing the face of Western countries. While newcomers are harbingers of change, host nations also participate in how new populations are incorporated into their social and political fabric. Bringing together a transcontinental group of anthropologists, this book provides an in-depth look at the current processes of immigration, political behavior, and citizenship in both the United States and Europe. Essays draw on issues of race, national identity, religion, and more, while addressing questions, including: How should citizenship be defined? In what ways do immigrants use the political process to achieve group aims? And, how do adults and youth learn to become active participants in the public sphere? Among numerous case studies, examples include instances of racialized citizenship in “Algerian France,” Ireland’s new citizenship laws in response to asylum-seeking mothers, the role of Evangelical Christianity in creating a space for the construction of an identity that transcends state borders, and the Internet as one of the new public spheres for the expression of citizenship, be it local, national, or global.

Download or read book Constructing Transnational Political Spaces written by Stephanie Schütze and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-29 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyzes Mexican migrant organizations in the US and their political influence in home communities in Mexico. By connecting multifaceted arenas of Mexican migrant’s activism, it traces the construction of transnational political spaces. The author's ethnographic work in the state of Michoacán and in Chicago shows how these transnational arenas overcome the limits of traditional political spaces - the nation state and the local community - and bring together intertwined facets of ‘the political'. The book examines how actors engage in politics within transnational spaces; it delineates the different trajectories and agendas of male and female, indigenous and non-indigenous migrant activists; it demonstrates how the local and actor-centered levels are linked to the regional or state levels as well as to the federal levels of politics; and finally, it shows how these multifaceted arenas constitute transnational spaces that have implications for politics and society in Mexico and the US alike.

Download or read book Civic Hopes and Political Realities written by S. Karthick Ramakrishnan and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2008-07-10 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For many Americans, participation in community organizations lays the groundwork for future political engagement. But how does this traditional model of civic life relate to the experiences of today's immigrants? Do community organizations help immigrants gain political influence in their neighborhoods and cities? In Civic Hopes and Political Realities, experts from a wide range of disciplines explore the way civic groups across the country and around the world are shaping immigrants' quest for political effectiveness. Civic Hopes and Political Realities shows that while immigrant organizations play an important role in the lives of members, their impact is often compromised by political marginalization and a severe lack of resources. S. Karthick Ramakrishnan and Irene Bloemraad examine community organizations in six cities in California and find that even in areas with high rates of immigrant organizing, policymakers remain unaware of local ethnic organizations. Looking at new immigrant destinations, Kristi Andersen finds that community organizations often serve as the primary vehicle for political incorporation—a role once played by the major political parties. Floris Vermeulen and Maria Berger show how policies in two European cities lead to very different outcomes for ethnic organizations. Amsterdam's more welcoming multicultural policies help immigrant community groups attain a level of political clout that similar organizations in Berlin lack. Janelle Wong, Kathy Rim, and Haven Perez report on a study of Latino and Asian American evangelical churches. While the church shapes members' political views on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, church members may also question the evangelical movement's position on such issues as civil rights and immigration. Els de Graauw finds that many non-profit organizations without explicitly political agendas nonetheless play a crucial role in advancing the political interests of their immigrant members. Recent cuts in funding for such organizations, she argues, block not only the provision of key social services, but also an important avenue for political voice. Looking at community organizing in a suburban community, Sofya Aptekar finds that even when immigrant organizations have considerable resources and highly educated members, they tend to be excluded from town politics. Some observers worry that America's increasing diversity is detrimental to civic life and political engagement. Civic Hopes and Political Realities boldly advances an alternative understanding of the ways in which immigrants are enriching America's civic and political realms—even in the face of often challenging circumstances.

Download or read book Exploring Transnational Economic Social and Political Participation of Mexican Immigrants in Oregon written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using a mixed methods approach and expanding on the literature on immigrants' transnational civic engagement, this research explores the paths and barriers to Mexican immigrant civic, economic, political, and social engagement in both immigrants' communities of origin in Mexico and communities of residence in Oregon, a relatively new destination for Mexican immigrants. The majority of the adult Mexican population only arrived to the state of Oregon over the last 15 years. Today Latinos represent the largest racial-ethnic minority, twelve percent of the state population, with Mexicans making up 90 percent of this Latino population. Most of the Mexican immigrants in Oregon come from rural communities in Mexico, have an indigenous background, experience low levels and literacy, and up to 90 percent of the adult Mexican population is undocumented (King et al., 2011). This research modifies Paasche and Fangen's framework to better capture the civic engagement of Mexican immigrants in Oregon who lack legal status in the US and who come from an indigenous background. The conventional wisdom is that immigrants are more engaged in their new communities the longer they have lived there, the more educated and well paid they are, and the better they speak English. Yet the majority of Mexican migrants in Oregon lack these attributes as well as legal status, but still appear to be strongly engaged in both Mexico and in the United States. Immigrants organize to pursue economic, political, and socio-cultural transnational goals in Mexico and in the U.S. Politicians, researchers, and activists in both Mexico and the United States have noted the growing importance of these migrant groups as bridges between the two nations (Rivera Salgado et al., 2005, p. 3). Transnational organizations provide immigrants with the opportunity to be civically involved with the development of their communities of origin, and at the same time also participate in social, economic and political issues in the United States. Civic participation by Mexican immigrants is of importance to Oregon's future because the majority of these immigrants have settled permanently in the United States with their families and have and will continue to affect public policy that will shape Oregon's future.

Download or read book The Transnational Politics of Asian Americans written by Christian Collet and published by Temple University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-28 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Asian Americans as a force for political change on both sides of the Pacific.

Download or read book Beyond Dutch Borders written by Liza Mügge and published by Amsterdam University Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Despite widespread scepticism in receiving societies, migrants often remain loyal to their former homeland and stay active in the politics there. "Beyond Dutch borders" is about such ties. Combining extensive fieldwork with quantitative data, this book compares how transnational political involvement among guest workers from Turkey and post-colonial migrants from Surinam living in the Netherlands has evolved over the past half-century. It looks at Turks seeking to improve their position in Dutch society, Kurds lobbying for equal rights in Turkey and Surinamese hoping to boost development in their country of origin. Sending-state governments, political parties and organisations are shown to be key shapers of transnational migrant politics both in opposition to, and support of, homeland ruling elites. Meanwhile, it becomes clear that migrants' border-crossing loyalties and engagement have not dented their political integration in the receiving societies - quite the opposite. Certainly in this respect, the sceptics have been wrong."

Download or read book Citizenship across Borders written by Michael Peter Smith and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2011-05-02 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael Peter Smith and Matt Bakker spent five years carrying out ethnographic field research in multiple communities in the Mexican states of Zacatecas and Guanajuato and various cities in California, particularly metropolitan Los Angeles. Combining the information they gathered there with political-economic and institutional analysis, the five extended case studies in Citizenship across Borders offer a new way of looking at the emergent dynamics of transnational community development and electoral politics on both sides of the border. Smith and Bakker highlight the continuing significance of territorial identifications and state policies—particularly those of the sending state—in cultivating and sustaining transnational connections and practices. In so doing, they contextualize and make sense of the complex interplay of identity and loyalty in the lives of transnational migrant activists. In contrast to high-profile warnings of the dangers to national cultures and political institutions brought about by long-distance nationalism and dual citizenship, Citizenship across Borders demonstrates that, far from undermining loyalty and diminishing engagement in U.S. political life, the practice of dual citizenship by Mexican migrants actually provides a sense of empowerment that fosters migrants' active civic engagement in American as well as Mexican politics.

Download or read book E Pluribus Unum written by Gary Gerstle and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2001-11-29 with total page 437 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The political involvement of earlier waves of immigrants and their children was essential in shaping the American political climate in the first half of the twentieth century. Immigrant votes built industrial trade unions, fought for social protections and religious tolerance, and helped bring the Democratic Party to dominance in large cities throughout the country. In contrast, many scholars find that today's immigrants, whose numbers are fast approaching those of the last great wave, are politically apathetic and unlikely to assume a similar voice in their chosen country. E Pluribus Unum? delves into the wealth of research by historians of the Ellis Island era and by social scientists studying today's immigrants and poses a crucial question: What can the nation's past experience teach us about the political path modern immigrants and their children will take as Americans? E Pluribus Unum? explores key issues about the incorporation of immigrants into American public life, examining the ways that institutional processes, civic ideals, and cultural identities have shaped the political aspirations of immigrants. The volume presents some surprising re-assessments of the past as it assesses what may happen in the near future. An examination of party bosses and the party machine concludes that they were less influential political mobilizers than is commonly believed. Thus their absence from today's political scene may not be decisive. Some contributors argue that the contemporary political system tends to exclude immigrants, while others remind us that past immigrants suffered similar exclusions, achieving political power only after long and difficult struggles. Will the strong home country ties of today's immigrants inhibit their political interest here? Chapters on this topic reveal that transnationalism has always been prominent in the immigrant experience, and that today's immigrants may be even freer to act as dual citizens. E Pluribus Unum? theorizes about the fate of America's civic ethos—has it devolved from an ideal of liberal individualism to a fractured multiculturalism, or have we always had a culture of racial and ethnic fragmentation? Research in this volume shows that today's immigrant schoolchildren are often less concerned with ideals of civic responsibility than with forging their own identity and finding their own niche within the American system of racial and ethnic distinction. Incorporating the significant influx immigrants into American society is a central challenge for our civic and political institutions—one that cuts to the core of who we are as a people and as a nation. E Pluribus Unum? shows that while today's immigrants and their children are in some ways particularly vulnerable to political alienation, the process of assimilation was equally complex for earlier waves of immigrants. This past has much to teach us about the way immigration is again reshaping the nation.

Download or read book Democracy s Promise written by Janelle Wong and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2008-12-18 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Given the massive demographic changes in the United States during the past few decades, understanding the place of immigrants in the public sphere has never been more critical. Democracy's Promise examines both the challenges and opportunities posed to American civic institutions by the presence of increasing numbers of immigrants. Author Janelle Wong argues that the low levels of political participation among contemporary immigrants are not due to apathy or preoccupation with their homeland, but to the inability of American political parties and advocacy organizations to mobilize immigrant voters. Wong's rich study of Chinese and Mexican immigrants in New York and Los Angeles complements traditional studies of political behavior and civic institutions while offering a nuanced examination of immigrants' political activity. Democracy's Promise will appeal to a broad spectrum of social scientists and ethnic studies scholars who study or teach immigration, racial and ethnic politics, political participation, civic engagement, and American political institutions. In addition, it will appeal to community organizers and party activists who are interested in issues of race and ethnicity, immigration, political participation, and political mobilization. Janelle Wong is Assistant Professor of Political Science and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. "As political parties (perhaps) decline in the United States, as civic organizations (perhaps) move away from direct participatory politics, and as the number of immigrants certainly increases--what will link new Americans to the political realm? Janelle Wong answers this important question clearly, with elegance, nuance, rich description, and galvanizing provocativeness. Her evidence is compelling and her sense of urgency about the need for parties to look beyond short-term interests even more so." --Jennifer L. Hochschild, Harvard University "Wong draws on the Latino and Asian immigrant experience, with specific examples from the Chinese and Mexican communities of New York and Los Angeles, to show how the political parties have largely failed to organize these groups and why labor unions and immigrant advocacy organizations have stepped in to take their place. Far from 'disuniting' America, she clearly shows that bringing these groups into the political fray is central to the project of renewing American democracy." --John Mollenkopf, CUNY Graduate Center "A scathing critique of the role of parties in the mobilization of new immigrants and an invaluable analysis of alternative pathways of mobilization through community organizations." --Michael Jones-Correa, Cornell University "By employing multiple empirical methods, including in-depth interviews and sophisticated survey analyses, Janelle Wong provides a compelling account of the political activities and allegiances of America's Asian and Latino immigrants that challenges much conventional wisdom. Often the political parties are failing to reach out to these groups, and often immigrants remain concerned about their home countries; but they are nonetheless increasingly active in American politics, in ways that may do much to shape the course of American political development in the 21st century. Democracy's Promise is a major contribution to our understanding of this crucial dimension of American politics." --Rogers M. Smith, University of Pennsylvania "Democracy's Promise challenges political parties to reexamine their priorities for mobilizing new voters, and identifies the critical role civic institutions play in invigorating participation among immigrant citizens. Wong's analysis is at once precise and expansive; illuminating the contours of Latino and Asian American political incorporation and provoking thoughtful debate on inclusion in democratic theory." --Jane Junn, Rutgers University

Download or read book Oxford Handbook of the Politics of International Migration written by Marc R. Rosenblum and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-02-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Oxford Handbook of the Politics of International Migration, leading migration experts Marc Rosenblum and Daniel Tichenor gather together 29 field specialists in an authoritative volume on the issue. Integrating the perspectives of the wide variety of fields that hold a stake in the study of migration-political science, sociology, economics, anthropology-this book presents an unprecedented interdisciplinary look at an issue that defines the modern era: the large-scale movement of people across international borders. The volume begins with three chapters analyzing the origins and causes of migration, including both source and destination states. The second section then asks: what are the consequences of migration at both ends of the migration chain? Chapters in this section consider economics, the effects of migration on parties and political participation, and social and cultural effects. A third group of chapters focuses on immigration policy. These include primers on the history and dimensions of migration policy, as well as examinations of the effects of public opinion, interest groups, and international relations on policymaking. The volume then considers aspects of the immigrant experience: segmented assimilation among Asian Americans, histories of U.S. immigrant incorporation and of race and migration, transnationalism, and gendered aspects of migration. Finally, five chapters examine contemporary issues, including transborder crime and terrorism, migration and organized labor, international regionalism, normative debates about citizenship and immigration, and the recent history of U.S. immigration policymaking. Covering the major questions and challenges related to the issue, The Oxford Handbook of the Politics of International Migration is a comprehensive resource for students, scholars, and policy experts alike.

Download or read book Bringing Outsiders In written by Jennifer Hochschild and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2011-05-02 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For immigrants, politics can play a significant role in determining whether and how they assimilate. In Bringing Outsiders In, leading social scientists present individual cases and work toward a comparative synthesis of how immigrants affect—and are affected by—civic life on both sides of the Atlantic. Just as in the United States, large immigrant minority communities have been emerging across Europe. While these communities usually make up less than one-tenth of national populations, they typically have a large presence in urban areas, sometimes approaching a majority. That immigrants can have an even greater political salience than their population might suggest has been demonstrated in recent years in places as diverse as Sweden and France. Attending to how local and national states encourage or discourage political participation, the authors assess the relative involvement of immigrants in a wide range of settings. Jennifer Hochschild and John Mollenkopf provide a context for the particular cases and comparisons and draw a set of analytic and empirical conclusions regarding incorporation.

Download or read book Transnational Citizenship Across the Americas written by Ulla Berg and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-12-22 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mass migrations, diasporas, dual citizenship arrangements, neoliberal economic reforms and global social justice movements have in recent decades produced shifting boundaries and meanings of citizenship within and beyond the Americas. In migrant-receiving countries, this has raised questions about extending rights to newcomers. In migrant-sending countries, it has prompted states to search for new ways to include their emigrant citizens into the nation state. This book situates new practices of ‘immigrant’ and ‘emigrant’ citizenship, and the policies that both facilitate and delimit them, in a broader political–economic context. It shows how the ability of people to act as transnational citizens is mediated by inequalities along the axes of gender, race, nationality and class, both in and between source and destination countries, resulting in a plethora of possible relations between states and migrants. The volume provides cross-disciplinary and theoretically engaging discussions, as well as empirically diverse case studies from countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that have been transformed into ‘emigrant states’ in recent years, offering new concepts and theory for the study of transnational citizenship. This book was originally published as a special issue of Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power.

Download or read book Migrants and Political Change in Latin America written by Luis F. Jimenez and published by University Press of Florida. This book was released on 2018-04-23 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reveals how migrants shape the politics of their countries of origin, drawing on research from Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador and their diasporas, the three largest in Latin America. Luis Jiménez discusses the political changes that result when migrants return to their native countries in person and also when they send back new ideas and funds—social and economic “remittances”—through transnational networks. Using a combination of rich quantitative analysis and eye-opening interviews, Jiménez finds that migrants have influenced areas such as political participation, number of parties, electoral competitiveness, and presidential election results. Interviews with authorities in Mexico reveal that migrants have inspired a demand for increased government accountability. Surveys from Colombia show that neighborhoods that have seen high degrees of migration are more likely to participate in local politics and also vote for a wider range of parties at the national level. In Ecuador, he observes that migration is linked to more competitive local elections as well as less support for representatives whose policies censor the media. Jiménez also draws attention to government services that would not exist without the influence of migrants. Looking at the demographics of these migrating populations along with the size and density of their social networks, Jiménez identifies the circumstances in which other diasporas—such as those of south Asian and African countries—have the most potential to impact the politics of their homelands.

Download or read book Political and Social Participation of Immigrants Through Consultative Bodies written by Council of Europe. Directorate of Social and Economic Affairs and published by Council of Europe. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proceedings of a seminar held in November 1997

Download or read book Migrant Politics and Mobilisation written by Davide Pero and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-09-13 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years immigration and the integration of migrants and minorities have become politicised in public and policy debates in Britain, the rest of Europe and the United States. In such debates, migrants are commonly treated as objects of politics and spoken in terms of management, national interest, control and contention. This treatment has characterised not only policy makers and politicians but also many academics. Existing scholarly research on migrants as subjects of politics is limited and largely carried out through detached and structural approaches. These approaches have focused on the institutional environments in which mobilisations develop. They have, however, overlooked migrants’ conditions, experiences, subjectivities and practices as well as the focus of their engagement. This volume contributes to the study of migrants’ mobilisation through theoretically informed original empirical papers focusing on current forms and aspects of migrants and minorities practices of citizenship in an engaged and people-centred manner. In particular, the book addresses issues of change both in the forms assumed by migrants’ and minorities political engagements and in the transformations these engagements produce as well as exclusion-inclusion dynamics that migrants experience with regard to the political process and more generally. This book was previously published as a special issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies.