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Civic Spaces: Mexican Hometown Associations and Immigrant Participation
Author(s) -
Ramakrishnan S. Karthick,
Viramontes Celia
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4560.2009.01638.x
Subject(s) - disadvantaged , immigration , mainstream , social capital , politics , ethnic group , scholarship , civic engagement , counterintuitive , gender studies , political science , sociology , economic growth , social science , law , philosophy , epistemology , economics
The study of civic participation and social capital in the United States has, until recently, been silent on the role of immigrant‐serving organizations. There is a new line of scholarship, which indicates that ethnic organizations are generally disadvantaged in relation to White mainstream organizations on factors such as resources and political visibility. Our fieldwork on Mexican hometown associations (HTAs) in Los Angeles shows that transnational associations are even more disadvantaged than ethnic organizations that primarily serve the native born. However, this marginality leaves some counterintuitive advantages, namely the creation of safe spaces where undocumented immigrants, recent immigrants, and those with limited English proficiency can get involved in civic and political activities. We explore the extent to which these dynamics vary by gender and immigrant generation, and over time as Mexican hometown associations increasingly turn their attention to political issues in the United States.