Welcoming America: A Case Study of Municipal Immigrant Integration, Receptivity, and Community Practice

Abstract

A growing number of leaders in towns and cities across the United States have embraced policies encouraging receptivity and integration of immigrant populations. This article examines this phenomenon and how communities are seeking greater immigrant integration. To do this, we describe immigration federalism and how it influences receptivity. A discussion of the organizational networks that facilitate greater immigrant integration follows. We consider Welcoming America, a nonprofit organization that serves as a convener for dialogue and policy change, as a case study among these larger organizational networks. The article concludes with a broader examination of implications for receptivity and integration in community practice work.