Bridging the gap: transnational and ethnic organizations in the political incorporation of immigrants in the United States

Exploring Transnational Civil Society: A Comparative Study of Colombian, Dominican and Mexican Immigrant Organizations in the USA

“…The study of first-generation immigrant organizations showed a discrepancy in the rates of political involvement of migrant organizations: 74% of the Dominican organizations we interviewed and 67% of the Mexican organizations engage in these civic and political activities, whereas only 54% of Colombian organizations do (Portes, Escobar & Arana, 2008). More than domestic or transnational orientation, length of residence or average human capital, the study found that nationality, along with type of organization, was the only strong predictor of differences in pro-US integration attitudes Exploring transnational civil society 223 of the organizations' leaders (Portes, Escobar & Arana, 2008). In order to explain the differences by nationality in the political engagement of immigrant organizations, the context of reception as well as demographic characteristics need to be taken into account.…”

El debate entre transnacionalismo y nacionalismo metodológico como marco teórico para la comprensión del papel del empleo en la gobernabilidad de la inmigración en España

“…Por otra parte, recientes estudios migratorios desde lo local (Portes, 2009;Portes et al, 2008a;Schiller y Caglar, 2009;Schiller y Caglar, 2007) nos muestran cómo, desde este nivel de análisis, se pueden conocer mejor los efectos de las migraciones transnacionales. En el caso de Portes (2009), se comprueba cómo las migraciones pueden favorecer el desarrollo de los países de origen de los inmigrantes, pero estudiando a nivel local las actividades transnacionales entre la ciudad de origen y la de destino.…”

Migrating into Financial Markets How Remittances Became a Development Tool

“…Such a portrayal implies that these policy complexes-and the transnational practices they encourage among migrants-may run counter to the interests of more dominant receiving states in the global North. 8 Recent scholarship has endeavored to undermine these and similar suggestions that state-led transnationalism policies promoting migrant reincorporation are antithetical to the interests of the receiving states and civil societies, questioning the common assumption that immigrant incorporation and transnational engagement are mutually exclusive political possibilities (Oboler, 2006;Portes, Escobar, and Arana, 2008;Michael Peter Smith and Bakker, 2008). A continuing engagement with the homeland does not need to work against incorporation and integration into social and political institutions in the receiving country if we recognize the possibilities for a "simultaneity" of experience and practice across borders (Levitt and Glick Schiller, 2004).…”

“…Survey research on Latino migrant organization in the United States finds that "migrants and their organizations carry on their everyday activities along parallel tracks that do not appear to contradict, but actually support one another. Transnationalism and political incorporation proceed simultaneously, as local happenings interact seamlessly with those in the home countries" (Portes, Escobar, andArana, 2008: 1085). This supports the findings of other case-study research demonstrating the compatibility of homeland and hostland political practices and orientations, as migrants are increasingly acting politically on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, living their lives "in terms of and/also rather than either/or possibilities" (Michael Peter Smith and Bakker, 2008: 204).…”