New from IMR: Naturalization, Immigration Policy, and Integration Processes in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe

July 5, 2017

The Summer 2017 edition of the International Migration Review (IMR) is now available online and in print through paid or institutional subscription. This edition includes a series of papers on naturalization, on belonging among Latino immigrants in the United States and on the political effects of immigrant naturalization in Germany. Other articles explore immigration policy in the United States and the United Kingdom, and migration and integration processes in Europe. This edition also includes eight new book reviews which are always made freely available for three years from the date of publication.

Some highlights from the Summer 2017 edition include:

Tu Casa, Mi Casa: Naturalization and Belonging among Latino Immigrants

Maria Abascal

Previous studies reach contradictory conclusions regarding the relationship between naturalization and immigrant concentration. Some studies find that immigrants are more likely to naturalize when they live among immigrants, and others find the opposite. This study departs from earlier research by exploring how immigrant communities influence the rates of naturalization for individual immigrants through a case study of Latino immigrants in the United States. Results of this study indicate that the county-level concentration of naturalized Latino immigrants positively predicts individual naturalization. This relationship operates through two channels: information dissemination and a sense of belonging. In particular, Latino immigrants who live among naturalized Latino immigrants identify more strongly as “American,” and the strength of this identification plays a key role in why Latino immigrants living among naturalized immigrants themselves seek naturalization.

The Political Effects of Immigrant Naturalization

Alex Street

Immigration is transforming the societies of Europe and North America. Yet the political implications of these changes remain unclear. In particular, we lack credible evidence on whether, and how, becoming a citizen prompts immigrants to engage with the political system. This paper uses longitudinal data from Germany to test theories of citizenship and immigrant politics. It finds that naturalization can promote political integration, but that this is more likely if new citizens have the chance to pick up habits of political engagement during the formative years of early adulthood.

The full table of contents for the Summer 2017 issue of IMR is available below:

ISSUE INFORMATION

Table of Contents

NATURALIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND GERMANY

Tu Casa, Mi Casa: Naturalization and Belonging among Latino Immigrants
Maria Abascal

The Political Effects of Immigrant Naturalization
Alex Street

IMMIGRATION POLICY: PAST AND PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM

Between the Public and the State: The Shipping Lobby’s Strategies against US Immigration Restrictions 1882–1917
Torsten Feys

Venues and Filters in Managed Migration Policy: The Case of the United Kingdom
Sam Scott

MIGRATION AND INTEGRATION PROCESSES IN EUROPE

The Influence of Attitudes toward Immigrants on International Migration
Cedric Gorinas and Mariola Pytlikov

Migration and the Currency Denomination of Trade
Luigi Ventura and Mark David Witte