Immigrant Integration

Integrating immigrants into the fabric of our communities presents challenges to communities across the country. The Congress of Cities in Phoenix provided opportunities to learn about different programs and policies to integrate immigrants into the community, economically, socially, and culturally.

Reports & Publications

Mexico’s consular network is the largest and most extensive of any foreign government in the U.S. For the last twenty years, and especially since 2003, with the creation by a presidential decree of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME), the Mexican Consulates have fostered and developed programs and initiatives to assist, educate and help Mexican citizens living in the U.S. This report highlights a selection of successful practices developed by the Mexican Consulates with their local partners, including local governments, school districts, public libraries, faith-based organizations, police departments and the private sector.

Public Safety Programs for the Immigrant Community addresses cities’ role in immigrant public safety and is designed to give cities a starting place to plan and improve their public safety outreach programs toward their local immigrant communities. The report, from NLC’s Municipal Action for Immigrant Integration Program highlights seventeen public safety programs and good practices from a diverse group of U.S cities and includes recommendations for developing immigrant public safety programs in other communities.

• Cities Recognized for Public Safety Programs in Immigrant Communities (June 8, 2011)
• Community Policing: Finding Common Ground with Immigrant Communities webinar

This city practice brief highlights city and non-profit programs that either connect new immigrants to existing community resources or promote information and cultural exchange between old and new residents. Together, these strategies support an immigrant integration framework of community outreach, resource access and education to teach new residents about city services and civic responsibilities.

The new MAII report, Municipal Innovations in Immigrant Integration: 20 Cities, 20 Good Practices, describes local efforts to promote immigrant integration in a variety of ways. Small, medium-sized, and large cities are included to represent a range of possibilities.

Civic Engagement and Recent Immigrant Communities is a discussion guide that presents local officials with the first steps and directions for developing or re-establishing efforts toward integrating immigrants into the civic life of the city.

This Municipal Action Guide (MAG) highlights opportunities for local governments and community-based organizations to promote financial access and education among immigrant residents. The MAG also identifies different types of financial literacy programs and their purposes.

This report is the first in a series entitled Municipal Innovations in Immigrant Integration, American Cities Series. The Indianapolis Model, 2000-2007 focuses on the initiatives related to immigrant integration in the City of Indianapolis during the Peterson administration.   

Immigrant Affairs Committees and Councils (2009)

This City Practice Brief provides examples of a variety of immigrant affairs committees, councils, and commissions created in order to offer advice to local government officials on issues relating to immigrant groups.

This City Practice Brief describes mayoral offices established to address the needs and concerns related to immigrant communities.

This City Practice brief highlights local efforts to help immigrants prepare for the naturalization test and interview with tutoring, classes, and legal advice clinics.

This report includes a Transatlantic comparison of local strategies to promote immigrant integration.

This City Practice Brief focuses on local program developed to improve immigrants’ access to employment opportunities, including job training, English as a Second Language classes, and job placement.

Nation's Cities Weekly

Immigrant integration is happening “steadily,” albeit “unevenly,” in the United States, according to a new report. This is a big deal, not only because some progress is occurring but also because this news contrasts with what you get from your regular encounters with the news media and national leaders. It’s a neglected story and, when it’s told --- by local leaders and others --- it could contribute to re-shaping constructively the nation’s rather dismal national discourse on immigration. 
Emerging Issues is a monthly column in Nation's Cities Weekly written by NLC staff member Bill Barnes.

A recent report by Butler University Professors Roberto Curci and Robert Mackoy evaluates the integration of immigrant-owned businesses into local economies. Based on face-to-face interviews with 199 Hispanic business enterprises in Indianapolis, the study creates a framework that classifies immigrant-owned businesses as highly-segmented, product-integrated, market-integrated or highly-integrated.

Park officials, city planners and immigrant advocates are exploring ways to increase the use of city parks among local immigrant communities. Public parks represent important assets and services within cities and expanding their use can help in immigrant integration. Reports with more information and analysis of the issue include the 1993 study on Boulder, Colo., the 1987 study on Chicago, the 2004 study on Indianapolis, and most recently a New York City Parks Department report:"Parks for All New Yorkers: Immigrants, Culture, and NYC Parks.

MAII has two components to support its efforts, the NewCITYzen Naturalization Campaign and the CITYzenship Community Initiative. MAII offers this direct assistance to its group of city partners and, through work with these city partners and organizational partners, has established a knowledge-sharing network across different cities and organizations. See the Municipal Action for Immigrant Integration brochure to learn more.



The NewCITYzen Naturalization Campaign focuses on highlighting the many benefits of naturalization – voting rights and beyond. Cities have the opportunity to use the Campaign Toolkit to launch naturalization campaigns in their communities. The Campaign Toolkit consists of television and radio public service announcements (PSAs); posters; and guidelines for effectively reaching immigrant communities.

The NewCITYzens Naturalization Campaign has been strategically designed and produced via television and radio PSA’s and collateral materials, such a poster and brochures, in both English and Spanish languages. The Campaign Branding Guidelines help to maintain and protect the identity of the campaign brand, while ensuring the delivery of a unique and consistent message across all campaign communication materials.

• NewCITYzen Brochure (English)
• NewCITYzen Brochure (Spanish)
• NewCITYzen Poster
• NewCITYzen Public Service Announcement (English) 
• NewCITYzen Public Service Announcement (Spanish)

 
The CITYzenship Community Initiative is designed to help city officials establish working relationships with immigrant communities and organizations. The centerpiece of the Community Initiative is the MAII Citizens' Academy curriculum. The curriculum serves as a starting point for cities to develop Citizens' Academies for immigrant residents. As part of the Community Initiative, MAII provides technical assistance to its city partners. Past Community Initiative efforts have included assistance with Census 2010 outreach and training sessions in the areas of diversity awareness and public safety in the immigrant community.

MAII Citizens' Academy Information 

The goal of MAII is to be a resource for municipal officials and community-based organizations who seek assistance in addressing immigrant integration challenges in their communities. In addition, promoting international connections ensures that NLC member cities are able to draw ideas and best practices from a wider pool of examples of successful immigrant integration initiatives. MAII provides direct assistance through collaboration with city partners. These cities are working to engage immigrant residents through launching the NewCITYzens Naturalization Campaign, providing training and information sessions, and implementing the MAII Citizens’ Academy, among other activities. The opportunity to participate is open to all NLC member cities. Below is a list of our current city partners:

Fort Wayne, Ind.

Created in 2009, the Hispanic and Immigrant Liaison is a position within the Community Development, Planning & Policy Department.  The liaison works to establish contact and communication with the Hispanic community as well as the general immigrant community and is involved in Community Development planning projects and initiatives that affect the Hispanic and immigrant communities in the city.  In addition, the liaison educates the community at large about the changes and cultural issues associated with diverse populations within Fort Wayne. For more information about Fort Wayne and other cities, read Municipal Innovations in Immigrant Integration: 20 Cities, 20 Good Practices.

Littleton, Colo.

The Littleton Immigrant Resources Center (LIRC) is a division of Bemis Public Library, a department of the City of Littleton. Its One-Stop Information Center provides area immigrants with information on employment, health, recreation, education, housing, legal issues, transportation, emergency needs, and more. The LIRC also encourages two-way integration by matching newcomers with community volunteers for friendship and cultural exchange, and it encourages citizenship and civic community involvement by coordinating citizenship mentoring programs, sponsoring English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and offering opportunities to participate in local activities and events.

In this video, Alejandra Harguth, Program Director for the LIRC discusses the services the program provides to Littleton's immigrant community at the 2010 City Showcase. 

For more information about Littleton and other cities, read Citizenship and Naturalization Programs or Municipal Innovations in Immigrant Integration: 20 Cities, 20 Good Practices.

Grand Forks, N.D.

The City of Grand Forks is home to a growing refugee population from countries such as Somalia and Bosnia. In response to the arrival of refugee groups, the City of Grand Forks established the Grand Forks Immigrant Integration Committee. The committee, chaired by the president of the city council, was created to promote mutual understanding and civic engagement.

Indianapolis, Ind.

Since its opening in 1973, the International Center of Indianapolis has worked to promote mutual understanding and cultural diversity in the City of Indianapolis. The Center holds regular naturalization information workshops and hosts two naturalization ceremonies annually. In collaboration with the city, the Center encourages citizenship and civic engagement. For more information about Indianapolis, read the City Practice Briefs on Immigrant Affairs Committees and Councils, Municipal Innovations in Immigrant Integration: Indianapolis Model, 2000-2007 and Immigrant Integration: Resource Access and Cultural Exchange.

Boulder, Colo.

The City of Boulder created the Immigrant Advisory Committee (IAC) in 2006 to encourage immigrant participation in the city’s government and to inform local policy decisions affecting the immigrant community. The IAC serves to ensure equal access to city services and to promote civic engagement. The IAC is a unique council, comprised of a maximum of seven immigrant residents appointed to effectively represent the demographics of Boulder’s immigrant populations. For more information about Boulder and other cities, read Municipal Innovations in Immigrant Integration: 20 Cities, 20 Good Practices.

Memphis, Tenn.

The Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs and Religious Affairs (OMRA) in Memphis works to improve the quality of life of all the city’s residents by encouraging the contributions of ethnic and religious communities. OMRA’s goal is to promote a culturally rich and diverse city while assisting newcomers in accessing opportunities and benefits provided by the city.  For more information about Memphis and other cities, read the City Practice Briefs on Mayoral Immigrant and Latino Affairs Offices and Immigrant Integration: Resource Access and Cultural Exchange.

NLC and the City of Memphis Partner to Promote Successful Immigrant Integration (August 12, 2010)

Alexandria, Va.

Since 2000, Alexandria’s Multicultural Services Initiative (MSI) has been working to ensure that the city’s culturally diverse residents have access to all city services and resources. MSI also instituted an Annual Citizenship Day that includes a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony and a reception held in Alexandria’s historic Market Square.  For more information about Alexandria and other cities, read the City Practice Brief on Citizenship and Naturalization Programs.

Cities of Migration is led by the Maytree Foundation in Canada, with partners in Germany, Spain, the UK, and New Zealand. It is the first international initiative to connect global cities around shared issues of migration and immigrant integration. Launched in December 2008, the project now regularly reaches 5,500 global integration experts, practitioners and city leaders. In September 2009, Cities of Migration was recognized at a High Level Roundtable of the UN Alliance of Civilizations at UN HQ in New York on the "Inter-Ethnic City.”

NLC co-hosted a webinar with CoM called “Making Integration Count: Local Gateways to Citizenship”. The 60-minute webinar looks at how new gateway cities like Fort Wayne, Ind., and Oslo, Norway, are helping transform the immigrant experience.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) works tirelessly to find missing children and protect children against child sexual exploitation. NCMEC has built a national network, developed an array of state-of-the-art resources and technology, trained law enforcement and other professionals, and much more. NCMEC is the leading national organization in the missing and exploited children’s movement.

NCMEC’s External Affairs Department (EAD) serves as the prevention arm of the organization. With a focus on prevention and outreach, EAD works closely with public and private interest groups, non-profit organizations, community groups, and others to develop and maintain outreach initiatives. Through collaboration, the EAD is able to reach thousands of families and communities with the tools and resources to keep children safer from abduction and sexual exploitation.