Understanding Diversity in the Phenomenon of Immigrant Organizations: A Comprehensive Framework

Abstract

Voluntary immigrant organizations are a worldwide phenomenon. Yet, despite the fact that all of these organizations were founded as a consequence of immigration, their actual characteristics and activities are very diverse, and even in some cases, immigrants do not found organizations at all. Therefore, this paper deals with the question: under which conditions are different associations founded-and when are they not founded? Following a brief mapping of the wide category of immigrant organizations, the paper discusses the term immigrant organization itself and suggests a definition. Finally, the paper outlines a comprehensive and systematic framework, which integrates findings of the existing literature as well as adding some new factors. Within this framework, four main variables are particularly relevant in determining the uniqueness of each immigrant organization: (1) the attributes of the immigrant population, (2) the characteristics of the country of origin, (3) gaps vis-à-vis the host society, and (4) attitudes and policies of the host society in relation to immigrants. Combinations of these four variables, which are unique in each settlement process, explain the formation of diverse types of organizations among immigrant groups.

Ascriptive Organizational Stigma and the Constraining of Pakistani Immigrant Organizations

“…Prior research has shown that IOs are embedded in multiple contexts that can foster new opportunities and resources for immigrant communities (Babis 2016;Vermeulen et al 2016). Findings revealed here, however, complement this narrative by demonstrating how the embeddedness of immigrant organizations in multilayered domestic, homeland, and geopolitical contexts, can also contribute to the stigmatization and constraining of immigrant organizational capacities.…”

“…Immigrant organizations are meso-level conduits, which help facilitate immigrant integration, civic incorporation, mobilization, and transnational engagement (Babis 2016;Chaudhary and Guarnizo 2016). This article introduced the concept of ascriptive organizational stigma and used it to investigate how domestic and geopolitical contexts can lead to the stigmatization and constraining of Pakistani immigrant organizations in New York City and London.…”

“…A diverse set of formal, as well as informal, religious, secular, and ethnic, organizations have long played important roles in integrating immigrants and fostering cross-border ties (Moya 2005;Pries and Sezgin 2014;Babis 2016). Over the past two decades, migration scholars have turned to immigrant organizations (IOs) as proxies for understanding immigrants' labor market integration (Fine 2006;Ameeriar 2017), civic incorporation (Ramakrishnan and Bloemraad 2008;Brown 2016), collective mobilization (Voss and Bloemraad 2011;Zepeda-Millan 2016), and transnational activities (Portes and Fernandez-Kelly 2015).…”

“…This article contributes to recent efforts by scholars to develop a comprehensive theoretical approach for understanding the functions and significance of nonprofit organizations for immigrant integration (Babis 2016), civic and political incorporation (Ramakrishnan and Bloemraad 2008;Brown 2016), and transnational engagement (Portes and Fernandez-Kelly 2015) in three ways. First, findings suggest that in addition to domestic contexts of anti-Muslim sentiment following terrorist attacks (Bakalian and Bozorgmehr 2009;Hussain and Baguley 2012), Pakistani IOs were subjected to a similar organizational stigma in both cities due to geopolitical contexts associated with Pakistan's tumultuous role in the nearly twodecade long US-led Global War on Terror.…”

Lost and Found in Upstate New York: Exploring the Motivations of “Lost Boys” Refugees as Founders of International Nonprofit Organizations

“…Finally, diaspora engagement in philanthropy has intersected with the building of diaspora communities and political mobilization. Indeed, diaspora mobilization and organizations of many kinds emerge and “shape collective identity” (Babis, 2016). For example, Liberatore’s (2017) research maps out the Somali diaspora in the United Kingdom, which mobilized and protested in 2013 due to Barclays Bank’s decision to shut down accounts which hosted money transfers (Liberatore, 2017).…”