Linking Civic Engagement and Immigrant

Professional Success: Opportunities, BarrierContextsAmy Best, John Dale, Katie Kerstetter, Samantha Retro

Institute for Immigration Research, George Mason Univ
Introduction

We highlight the strengths of qualitative research for bu

conceptual scaffolding for understanding the dynamic

processes through which civic involvement and professio

achievement intersect.Qualitative research strategies deepen understanding of 

cultural and institutional mechanisms linking civic partic

and professional success.

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Research Questions

● In what ways do immigrants contribute to civic engag

in the United States? And how do immigrants to the 

States think about civic engagement?

● What is the relationship between immigrants’ profes

success and civic engagement?

● What role do cities play in immigrant professionals’ c

engagement and professional pathways?

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Data Collection

● Multi‐year, mixed‐methods project combining survey 

from college‐educated immigrants in seven U.S. citiequalitative interviews with survey participants.

● In this webinar, we report on findings from 70 in‐dep

interviews with immigrant professionals employed in 

diverse range of occupational fields and residing in b

small and large U.S. cities.

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Sampling and Case Selection Method

● Case selection guided by interest in sampling for ran

● Interviews proceeded sequentially.

● Representativeness matters less than saturation (no 

mechanisms or processes are uncovered).

Our cases demonstrate the complex processual dimensio

professional pathways leading to success (or not) and so

mechanisms linking civic engagement and professional s

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Systematic coding:

Inter‐coder reliability:

Strategies of Analysis

●● Focused coding following model of analytic inductio

whereby categories emerge from the data.

Interviews coded line‐by‐line to open up inquiry.

● 2 researchers were assigned to code each of the first 

interviews.

● 5 interviews, selected for range, were coded by all 4

members of the research team.

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Strategies of Analysis

Using the qualitative software NVivo, the team developed an exten

codebook:

● Stimulus for migration 

and settlement 

● Relationship to 

community of origin 

● Context of reception ● Cities’ services 

● Transnational mobility ● Immigration policy 

● Types of civic, 

community, and cultural engagement 

● Membership in 

organizations 

● Barriers to and 

motivations for civic involvement 

● Professional 

pathways 

● Structure of networ● Education, schoolin

and credentials 

● Family and work tie● Language ● Gender and age 

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Professional Pathways to Success

● Professional success exists on a continuum.

● Professional pathways: Emerging, Mid‐stream, Starti

over, Arrived.

● Professional pathway to success:

○ Full of “detours” “roundabouts”, “turns”, “fits an

starts” and sometimes “dead‐ends”.. 

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Civic Engagement and Professional Success

The relationship between professional success and civic engagemen

educated immigrant professionals is complex and dynamic.

We define civic engagement as a cluster of individual efforts and ac

oriented toward making “a difference in the civic life of...communitdeveloping the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motiva

make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a com

through both political and non‐political processes.”[1]

[1] Ehrlich, T. (2000). Preface. Pp. vi‐x in T. Ehrlich (Ed.), Civic Responsibility and Higher Education.Westport, CT: The AmericEducation and The Orynx Press.

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Immigrant Professionals’ Civic Engagement

● Immigrant professionals are variously engaged civica

● Civic engagement among this population is overwhe

tied to professional and vocational interests and skill

● Professional networks and community ties play an

instrumental role in facilitating both professional

advancement and civic involvement.

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Immigrant Professionals’ Civic Engagement

● Immigrant professionals participate in both formal a

informal community‐based organizations and groups

● Immigrant professionals’ civic engagement is both

translocal and transnational.

● None of the 70 interviewed report involvement in na

service. Immigrant professionals who reported havin

community networks, also reported greater professi

obstacles.

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Our Typology

Processual Dimensions of Civic Engagement 

Professional Life

1. Professional success and civic engagement linked strategically. Civic engagement serves professional en2. Professional success and civic engagement overlap but civic engagement is not used strategically for pro

advancement. 

3. Professional success and civic engagement one and the same. Professional work serves social good and 

types of work in non-profit and non-governmental sphere. 

4. Civic engagement serves professional success. 5. Civic engagement replaces professional work. 6. Civic engagement satisfies professional goals and interests, especially when credentials block profession7. Professional engagement and civic engagement separated, as in the case of some types of volunteer wo

entirely unrelated to profession. 

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Barriers to Civic Engagement

Parenting and other household obligationsI have been involved with EFC, which is Elizabeth Freeman Center, fo

eight years now. But that, again, has been once the kids were in coll

I didn’t have a problem with night meetings. ‐ Luciana

Schooling commitments, and early career professional

development

For the first year it was just, the residency. I would barely make it ou

honest with you. I didn’t have time...a day off to [go] shopping may

was lucky. ‐ Angeli GEORG
Weak Social Networks

Immigrant professionals who reported having few commnetworks, also reported greater professional obstacles....then I immigrated to U.S. After couple weeks, I started actively to look for job...So, I did by myse

a lot, and then I prepared my resume. I applied to the websites of companies...I didn’t expect it to 

find best job, or like, you know, a good salary kind of job. But I just expected hopefully soon I wou

but it didn’t happen. I would say that it took two year and a half, I mean 2 year, to find this job ri

in. I’m working as a stationary engineer for city of San Francisco. The company is called San Fran

Utility Commission. So, now I succeed to get this position. However, those two years, you know, w

leave, you wanted to survive. You wanted to continue. So, I started working at the server in Red L

restaurant to survive my life. I mean, the marriage life. And then, but I didn’t give up. I just alway

you know, I was sitting at desk, searching on the websites, applying continuously. ‐ Amir

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The Role of Cities

A city was overwhelmingly defined by its people (immigrant enclaves broader city population). A city’s services for immigrant populations were secondary (e.g. ESL for immigrants, religious organizations, and governmental/non-profit partnerships). Immigrant services facilitated civic engagement and the formation of associations for immigrant professionals. Immigrant professionals maintained active ties and attachments to mcities within and outside U.S. For a subset, professional lives are bescharacterized as transnational and highly mobile. Transnational urbaenabled and constrained civic participation. GEORG
Audience Questions

1. What sort of outreach to immigrant communities are there for nation

programs within your organization and community? What does that like? Have you hired immigrants to serve at your organization? 

2. How can we tap into the enormous resource of time, dedication and 

commitment to civic engagement by this community? 

3. In light of the rapidly changing political climate, should we expect to 

changes in immigrants’ commitment to civic engagement? 

4. How has AmeriCorps influenced your members' professional trajecto

you see people moving from AmeriCorps into jobs that are related to engagement? Do members remain involved with your organization awider community after their terms of service end? 

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Research Questions to Be Explored

● What is the relationship between city and civic engagement? ● What type of ‘cultures of civic engagement’ and social network b

strategies do immigrants bring with them? 

● How do institutions (e.g. family, schools, voluntary associations a

work) enable and constrain pathways of civic engagement and professional success among immigrants? 

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Contact UsInstitute for Immigration Research at George Mason University http://iir.gmu.edu/