Re-imagining Immigration Federalism Scholarship as Civically Engaged Research

• In Event: Cutting Edge Community Empowerment through Civically Engaged Research: A Roundtable Discussion and Panel

Abstract

Scholars in academia can empower change in the world by engaging frontline leaders of communities, organizations, coalitions, and movements. This article explores how Civically Engaged Research (CER) challenges prominent approaches, theories, and concepts in studying immigration federalism – which we define as multi-level (federal, state, local) politics and policymaking relating to immigration and immigrant integration. Limited data exists on the types and configurations of organizations and coalitions across the United States’ multi-level governing structure and immigrant rights (IR) movement. This data gap has prevented nuanced theorizing and conceptualizing of policy variation across governance levels and jurisdictions that goes beyond explanations based on party control and demography. It is a gap that requires direct and intentional relationships forged between scholars and leaders of the IR movement. We argue that CER and Collective Impact are crucial to reorienting immigration federalism towards the complexities and composition of the IR movement and its variations across levels and jurisdictions.

Authors

• Allan Colbern, Arizona State University

• Jackie Vimo, University of California, Berkeley

• Shawn Walker, Arizona State University

• Joelle Grande

• Nargish Patwoary