Recrafting the Common Good: Immigration and Community

Abstract

Recent urban unrest has rekindled interest in the impacts of immigration on established U.S. communities. Yet little is known about the ways in which newcomers and established residents interact. Popular journalists emphasize only incidents of conflict and turmoil. This article examines the current portrayal of conflicts between immigrants and established residents. Immigrants and established residents live in social worlds divided institutionally and residentially. Although their separation maintains a degree of order, it creates pressures on those occasions when newcomers and established residents interact, including interactions in workplaces, stores, schools, and parks. The article also explores how both groups are working together to face common problems after two decades of profound economic restructuring. New demands on immigration and community policies must mobilize the voluntary sector to generate new resources and to articulate the values derived from their diverse communities. Voluntary organizations face challenges to adjust their established practices and to redefine their membership. These efforts are fundamental for recrafting the common good.

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