Integration, Participation, Identity: Immigrant Associations in the Province of Milan

Abstract

The paper presents some results from a multi-year research project on immigrant associations in the province of Milan, Italy. The analysis yields numerous issues for reflection and recurrent features of particular significance. The first is the fact that for all the associations surveyed, their main goal and the essential reason for their existence was the desire to integrate their community of membership into the host society. However, such integration did not consist in a desire to be assimilated into Italian society. Quite the opposite: the majority of the associations studied were wholly committed to maintaining -and sometimes rediscovering -the identity and culture of their reference community. The second main feature is that immigrant associations are crucial nodes in a dense network of relations involving numerous actors of very different kinds: the immigrants themselves, other immigrant associations, third-sector organizations, and the local authorities. The third and final important issue concerns the representativeness of immigrant associations: whether, that is, they can be considered the legitimate representatives of the community of membership.

One (Slender) Tree, Many (Social) Roots: Revisiting Immigrant Associations Through a Case Study on Ecuadorians in Italy

“…While highly desirable in immigrants' collective discourse, the development of cohesive associations was hampered by the diversity of the immigrants' short-term expectations, interests, and practical obligations and commitments. While perhaps disappointing, these findings are consistent with those of much of the research on immigrant associations in Italy (Caponio, 2005;Caselli, 2010). They also resonate with the literature on the organizational fragmentation of immigrant communities within receiving countries that provide a more constraining political context for immigrant integration (Eggert, 2011).…”

“…1 No in-depth sociological study has been done so far, to our knowledge, on Ecuadorian associations in Italy. 2 Generally speaking, however, the literature on immigrant associations in this country One (slender) tree, many (social) roots 67 points to their marginality from the public sphere and their very limited contribution to immigrant policies, as compared to native organizations (Camozzi, 2009;Caselli, 2010;Pilati, 2012). For a number of reasons, immigrant-related issues and needs are primarily addressed by native Catholic organizations like Caritas, or by trade unions (Ambrosini, 2013).…”

Immigrants’ membership in civic associations: Why are some immigrants more active than others?

“…Consequently, length of time spent in a country exerts a different influence on membership in migrant versus non-migrant associations. Moreover, since migrant associations provide legal advice and help in solving legal status problems (Caselli, 2010;Cordero-Guzman, 2005), there is an increased likelihood that migrants who are not Spanish citizens will participate more in migrant associations. We estimated three separate series of models for predicting the general probability of joining an association either for migrants or for non-migrants, the probability of joining an association for migrants and the likelihood of participating in associations not especially directed to immigrants.…”

“…Participation in civic activities brings rewards to immigrants, motivating them to get involved. It can enable the practice of civic and political skills (Caselli, 2010;Cordero-Guzman, 2005;Fennema and Tillie, 1999;Kosic, 2007;Tillie, 2004), and improve language skills (Handy and Greenspan, 2009). Moreover, participation facilitates contacts with the home country (CorderoGuzman, 2005;Odmalm, 2004) and helps immigrants to deal with local institutions (Caselli, 2010;Cordero-Guzman, 2005;Odmalm, 2004).…”

“…Participation in various types of civic associations operates as a mechanism of inte gration into the new society and helps individuals in their relations with the home and host societies (Caselli, 2010;Cordero-Guzman, 2005). Participation in civic activities brings rewards to immigrants, motivating them to get involved.…”