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The Role of Nonprofits and Religious Congregations in Facilitating Civic Engagement among the Foreign-Born Population


Since 1970, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area has emerged as one of the top ten gateways for new immigrants. More than a million foreign-born residents currently live in the D.C. metropolitan area and comprise about one in five area residents. Roughly half of the region's population growth since 1990 can be attributed to the arrival of new immigrants. These newcomers are from all parts of the world, and they have settled in all parts of the region, although most notably in the District and inner suburbs. While much has been written about the service needs of the immigrant population, less is known about how these groups engage in civil society and adapt to life in their new communities and how public policies facilitate or impede these efforts. The Urban Institute's Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy is undertaking a pilot study to explore how community-based nonprofits and local congregations in the D.C. metropolitan area are helping immigrants participate in civic and political life.

Links to the project description and civil society briefs offered below:

Civil Society Structures Serving Latinos in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area

Community-Based Nonprofits Serving Ethnic Populations in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area

Nonprofits Serving the Latino Community in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area

KEYWORDS: CIVIL SOCIETY

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Added 02/13/2009 by ppalmer, Modified 02/18/2009 by

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