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Civic Engagement and Recent Immigrant Communities: A Planning Guide for Local Officials and Other Community
Leaders,
National League of Cities, Center for Research and Innovation, 2010, 30 pp.
This publication provides
guidance to local officials in integrating immigrants into the civic life of the city. It includes step-by-step instructions
for conducting meetings with small groups of local leaders who are representative of the many cultural and ethnic groups in
the community. The Guide suggests six important goals that might be accomplished through an effort to promote immigrant
civic engagement. Understanding OPENCities,
British Council, 2010, 70 pp
Underlying the OPENCities project
of the British Council are the following assumptions: that openness is "a condition for strong cities in the modern age;"
that an openness agenda can be actively promoted by city leaders; that attracting and integrating international migrants are
important prerequisites for the open city; and that openness can be measured and compared among cities. The report defines
openness as "the capacity of a city to attract international populations and to enable them to contribute to the future
success of the city" and identifies more than 50 key indicators of openness. The report also discusses practical
steps that can be taken to advance openness and features case studies from Amsterdam, Auckland, Dublin, Madrid, and Toronto,
highlighting how each city has embraced openness in its effort to gain competitive advantage in the global economy. This publication
-- also available in Spanish, German, and Russian -- is the first of 4 to be released in 2010 addressing a key issue on the
OPENCities agenda. State of Metropolitan America: On the Front Lines of Demographic Transformation,
The Brookings Institution, Metropolitan Policy Program, 2010, 168 pp
Prepared with support from
the Rockefeller Foundation, this report reviews and analyzes the major demographic trends impacting the 100 largest metropolitan
areas in the United States. Three of nine essays in this report -- all authored by Brookings staff members -- deal with immigration-related
topics: Population and Migration, Race and Ethnicity, and Immigration. A concluding essay addresses the policy implications of the five "new realities"
revealed in the research: the growth and outward expansion of the population, population diversification, aging, uneven higher
educational attainment, and income polarization. A companion resource is an interactive State of Metropolitan America Indicator Map.
Creating Better Cities for Migrants: Urban Policies and Practices to Build More Inclusive Cities,
UNESCO and UN-Habitat, January, 2010, 20 pp.
Anticipating new challenges for cities stemming from climate
change, economic dislocations, and internal and external migration, UNESCO and UN-Habitat developed this "tool kit"
of effective municipal practices for managing diversity for the common good. With 60% of the world's population expected
to live in cities by 2030, the sponsoring international organizations see fundamental changes in the "scale and scope
of urban governance," The authors consider local political leaders to be "key actors" in promoting "the
social and spatial inclusion of migrants," who will constitute a growing share of urban populations in the 21st
century.
Immigrant Integration at the Local Level: Comparison between Stuttgart and Selected U.S.
Cities,
Transatlantic Academy, 2009, 32 pp.
This study looks at municipal immigrant integration strategies
in a transatlantic perspective, comparing the well-resourced, city-wide effort in Stuttgart, the sixth largest city in Germany
and a designated integration model for other German cities, with a cross-section of U.S. models, including the Mayor's Office
of Immigrant Affairs in New York City, the work of private sector organizations, such as the Arabic Community Center for Economic
and Social Services (ACCESS) in the Detroit area and the International Institute of St. Louis (MO), and policy-oriented
research initiatives undertaken by the Urban Institute and the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society at SUNY, Albany.
Parks for All New Yorkers: Immigrants, Culture, and NYC Parks,
New Yorkers for Parks, October, 2009, 14 pp
Dedicated
to ensuring that "all New Yorkers enjoy a world class parks system," New Yorkers for Parks used various research
techniques to prepare this report, including a multilingual survey of park users, interviews with members of the New York
Immigration Coalition's Parks Collaborative, and a literature review. The report identified nine ways that the City can improve
the connections between new immigrants and parks, including providing resources to enhance translation services, implementing
a transparent process to issue permits for fields and events, and increasing culturally diverse food vendors in parks.
Mayoral Immigrant and Latino Affairs Offices: A City Practice Brief,
National League of Cities, Spring, 2009, 4 pp.
This brief describes nine municipal offices in seven
states and the District of columbia established to promote immigrant integration.
Meeting
the Challenge of Linguistic Diversity, New Jersey Municipalities, March, 2009, 3 pp.
This article discusses
the growing number of limited English proficient residents in towns across New Jersey and the steps that local governments
can take to make their operations and services more accessible to this segment of the population. http://www.usdiversitydynamics.com/nj/sitebuildercontent/
sitebuilderfiles/leagueofmunicipalitiesarticle.pdf
A Local Official's Guide to Immigrant Civic Engagement, Institute for Local Government, 2008, 28
pp. Produced by the research arm of the California League of Cities and the California State Association
of Counties, this guide is one in a series of studies by the Institute's "collaborative governance initiative."
The guide features case examples of communities in California and elsewhere that have been particularly effective
in engaging immigrants in community decision-making and gives "10 keys" to encourage immigrant participation
in civic life.
An International Destination Point: Executive Summary Report by the International Philadelphia Work Group, City of Philadelphia,
November, 2008, 15 pp.
Produced in response to an executive order by Mayor Michael A. Nutter, this report asserts
that policies to promote immigrant integration are essential to achieve Philadelphia's goal of becoming an international
economic hub and destination. Immigration, the authors conclude, is crucial to reversing Philadelphia's cyle of population
decline and stimulating economic development. The report highlights innovative integration practices within the four priority
areas of Philadelphia's strategic plan: jobs and economic development, public safety, healthy and sustainable communities,
and education. http://www.phila.gov/globalphiladelphia/PDFs/WorkGroupExecutiveSummary.pdfImmigration Reform: An Intergovernmental Imperative, International City Managers Association, October, 2008, 41 pp.
This "white paper," based on more than 500 responses by local government officials to a survey on immigration
conducted in the summer of 2008, urges "a clearly articulated division of responsibilities" between the federal
government and local governments on immigration matters and the enactment of "sensible" federal immigration reforms,
recognizing the special burdens and responsibilities borne by local government in helping to assimilate immigrants into local
communities. The paper defines four principles to guide immigration reform and makes 16 specific recommendations consistent
with these principles. The paper features an array of case examples of local immigrant initiatives around the country. http://www.icma.org/upload/library/2008-12/%7B13EB22BD-6A70-4638-944D-9C73020577B5%7D.pdf
Global Migration and Local Integration: Government Efforts to Integrate Immigrants in Houston, Seattle,
and Raleigh, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, May, 2008, 60 pp. Based on field research conducted
by a team of 7 graduate students, with guidance from the staff of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., this
report explores how local governments in three "gateway" cities are responding to growing immigrant populations. The
report explores the nature and effectiveness of "horizontal" structures to facilitate immigrant integration
and also devotes considerable attention to school policies and programs. The authors also suggest some best
practices, largely in the area of human resources, to create more responsive governmental institutions. Arguing
the Los Angeles is on the "leading edge" of demographic change due to immigration, with an expanding second generation
and a declining first, and with over 40% of all students in the L.A. public schools classified as English language learners
(a number three times higher than the school system with the next highest number), this report suggest that Los Angeles could
become an important laboratory for systematically addressing issues of immigrant integration. The report contains demographic
data specific to the city and numerous recommendations for policy reform, especially in the areas of workforce issues, English
language acquisition, PreK-12 education, and health and safety net concerns. Cities and Immigration: Local Policies for Immigrant-Friendly Cities, Center on Wisconsin Strategy, April, 2008, 60
pp. Favoring "universal policies" over "particularistic or categorical policies," this
report provides a menu of policy options for cities intent on responding to the needs of their growing immigrant populations.
Options are grouped into four main categories: immigration law enforcement (e.g. policies prohibiting the collection of data
on immigration status), employment and self-employment (e.g. living wage ordinances, local hiring mandates for developers),
health care (e.g. targeted outreach to boost enrollment in public funded health insurance programs), and other basic services
(e.g. language access policies, municipal ID cards). The report also summarizes reasons why immigrant-friendly policies are
vital to the well-being of cities. Riverside, NJ: An immigration law that didn't survive, YouTube video posted by
Matt.org, November 7, 2007, 7 minutes.
Residents of Riverside NJ reflect on the impact of a rescinded
law designed to penalize employers of undocumented immigrants. David Verduin, President of the Coalition of Landlords and
Business Owners, is the major interviewee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoMpq729l5YReport of the Mayor's Task Force on Immigration, City of Vancouver, Canada, November 2,
2007, 20 pp.
With 46% of its residents foreign-born, Vancouver has the second highest concentration of immigrants
in Canada. The City has undertaken a number of initiatives to ensure the accessibility of city services and to create an inclusive
community. This report is the latest in a series of policy recommendations to the City Council. One of the recommendations
calls for the adoption of a "vision and value statement concerning immigrants and refugees." http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20071113/documents/rr1.pdf
Pro-Immigrant Measures Available to State or Local Governments: A Quick Menu of Affirmative Ideas, National
Immigration Law Center, September, 2007, 6 pp.
This is a list of 71 policy recommendations designed to "more
effective incorporate immigrants into their communities." Many of them have been successfully implemented in communities
around the country.
http://www.nilc.org/immlawpolicy/misc/affirmstatelocalmenu_2005-09-13.pdf
"Division and Dislocation: Regulating Immigration through Local Housing Ordinances, "
American Immigration Law Foundation, Summer, 2007, 16pp.
This report examines the demographic characteristics
of localities that have passed ordinances penalizing landlords who rent to undocumented immigrants, as well as the legal objections
to, and economic fallout from, such ordinances. http://www.ailf.org/ipc/special_report/SpecialReport0907.pdf
"Promising Practices in Communitywide Planning," in Investing in Our Communities: Strategies
for Immigrant Integration, Grantmakers Concerned With Immigrants and Refugees, 2006
GCIR profiles six local
initiatives that demonstrate strategic vision and considerable promise to promote the full integration of newcomers into our
society. http://www.gcir.org/resources/gcir_publications/toolkit/33-58_community.pdf
"The Role of Municipal Leaders in Helping Immigrants Become an Integral Part of Colorado's
Communities," The Colorado Trust and the Colorado Municipal League, June, 2006, 12 pp.
This report offers
recommendations to municipal officials to achieve more inclusive communities, along with best practices from nine Colorado
cities.
http://www.coloradotrust.org/repository/initiatives/pdfs/SIRFI/SIRFI-CML_CVR-GUTS_vF.r2.pdf
Immigrant Engagement in Public Open Spaces: Strategies for the New Boston,
Barr Foundation,
2005, 23 pp.
This report is a passionate brief for accomodating immigrant cultures in the design, management,
and utilization of public open space. Based on a literature review, interviews with park professionals and environmental activists,
and focus groups with newcomers in Boston, the report is replete with examples of innovative park practices, both in Massachusetts
and around the country.
http://www.arborcp.com/articles/Immigrant_Engagement_in_Public_Open_Space_final.pdf
"Immigrants and Local Governance: The View from City Hall," Public Policy Institute of California,
Issue #101, June, 2005, 115 pp.
Based on mail surveys and interviews with local officials in 304 immigrant destination
communities in California, this report summarizes local government practice in responding to the needs of immigrants, with
special attention to housing policy and police-community relations. The report also contains a set of recommendations
http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report/R_605SRR.pdf
Final Report of the Immigrant Community Assessment, Prepared under contract #14830 for Metropolitan
Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, August 15, 2003, 253 pp.
This report is one of the most
thorough and painstaking studies of a local immigrant population in the United States. Growing out of a "historic and
constructive collaboration" between three local universities, local social service providers, immigrant and refugee community
representatives, and local government, the report was researched and written by a team of four sociologists, two psychologists,
one education researcher, one health researcher, and one lawyer-social worker. It contains the results of 16 immigrant focus
groups, surveys and interviews with 64 social service agencies and community groups, a study of best practices in immigrant
integration in the cities of Atlanta, Charlotte, and Memphis. and numerous recommendations to "enhance and encourage
a mutually beneficial incorporation of immigrants and refugees into Nashville."
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/VIPPS/immigrant-community-assessment-nashville.pdf
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