Integration Nation

November 23, 2015
In this well-written collection of case studies, Eaton (The Children in Room E4) and her collaborators explore civic efforts focused on the integration—rather than assimilation—of immigrants, a concept that celebrates the talents of established residents and newcomers alike. Utah invests in dual immersion language classes. Philadelphia gambles on (and wins with) the economic opportunity represented by immigration—not surprising, since a 1990–2010 study found “immigrant businesses accounted for 30 percent of the nation’s growth in small businesses.” Boise, Id., welcomes Somali refugees with community gardens. Congregations of different faiths in Omaha, Neb., share space, expenses, and experience. A credit union in Durham, N.C., provides safe savings and fiscal education for immigrants previously vulnerable to robbery. Throughout, the authors stress that integration is not just occurring on the coasts or along the borders; immigrants are also joining communities where civic leaders are just as worried about declining rural populations as about the newcomers in their midst. This useful book provides models for civic organizations that want to tackle immigration challenges, and it paints a vivid picture of some real successes.

November 15, 2015
Pragmatic approaches to incorporating the enormous waves of immigrants arriving in the United States. As an outgrowth of her One Nation Indivisible project, Eaton (Director, Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy/Brandeis Univ.; The Children in Room E4: American Education on Trial, 2007, etc.) presents in discrete essays an array of compelling and persuasive regional efforts across the country that have risen in response to Arizona's recent punitive immigration policy and others like it. Immigration has soared in the U.S., especially in the South, and in certain attractive pockets of the country, the local governments have had to come up with more creative, workable approaches to meeting the needs of the new settlers so that they can become full, participating members of the community. In contrast to the former embrace of "assimilation," whereby immigrants were encouraged to suppress their native cultures and languages in favor of the values and interests of the "receiving community," the current favored policy of "integration" allows immigrants to celebrate their own cultures side by side with those of receiving communities--so that, in theory, each enriches the other. Effectively, integration is being practiced successfully in schools, such as in Heber City, Utah, a conservative community that has seen its Latino population surge and thereby required a two-way immersion program. Eaton crisscrossed the country to investigate other examples of truly progressive approaches to immigration needs in surprising places--e.g., in Hinds County, Mississippi, where African-American legislators are advocating for the disenfranchised Latino community as a part of their deep-seated sense of civil rights. Some of the examples emerge from faith-minded groups--e.g., the Mormon community of Utah, the Tri-Faith Initiative of Omaha, Nebraska--yet the organizers speak just as forcefully about the economic incentive to help the new immigrants as the moral imperative. From Indiana to Georgia to Maine, these intelligent model programs should inspire others.

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November 15, 2015

Eaton (research director, Charles Hamilton Houston Inst. for Race and Justice at Harvard Law Sch.; The Children in Room E4) presents 12 stories of American municipalities or counties that have embraced growing immigrant populations. The highlighted programs offered to new immigrants are diverse, ranging from help with community gardens in Boise, ID, to Spanish-English bilingual education offerings for children in Utah. Eaton concentrates on qualitative rather than quantitative data, showcasing comments from participants about how each program has impacted his or her life. Perhaps some of the emphasis on firsthand accounts is because, as the author acknowledges at one point, the outcomes of some of these programs cannot be measured by conventional means. Eaton's writing is polished and concise; the stories detail potential changes that can be made on the local level, and emphasize the positive results that engaging immigrant communities can have on a local economy. VERDICT This book contains intriguing ideas and inspiration for anyone in an organization or local government office devoted to helping immigrant populations.--Jessica Spears, Brooklyn P.L.

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