With the percentage of foreign born residents in the U.S. at 12.6%, the highest proportion since the start of the 20th Century (Wasem, 2009), and significant increases in immigrant populations in areas that are not traditional 'gateway' ciities, the concept of immigration and integration is changing rapidly. America's new residents promise to further enrich our country's rich and diverse cultural heritage, deepening our understanding and experiences of who we are collectively as a country.
As we look to Washington for comprehensive immigration reform, the significance of these complex communities cannot be understated. Whatever the reforms that come, they must take into account the diversity of immigrants and their communities to be successful. Immigration is often discussed in monolithic terms, with the only differentiation of immigrants relating to their legal status - naturalized, permanent residents, undocumented, and, occassionally, refugees and asylum seekers. These categories do not truly encompass the changes and stories of these new American residents, nor do they address the great complexity in why people come to the United States or the needs that they have when they arrive.
The word community conveys a sense of unity - in purpose, in experience, and in perspective. While their are unifiying elements of heritage, culture, and traditions within the Alliance's communities, these communities are composed of people who have different perspectives on what it means to be a community member. For example, Chicago's large Polish and Polish American community is composed of people who immigrated to the United States at different points in history. The community who arrived following World War II holds a somewhat different view of what it means to be Polish than the community who arrived following the fall of the Berlin Wall.
This summer, the Chicago Cultural Alliance launched its first programs under its "Talking About..." series. Through our Talking About... Im/migration, the Alliance worked with its members to expand their reach into the broad diversity of immigration and migration experiences in their ethnic communities. By embracing a wider view of what it means to be part of their respective ethnic and cultural communities, Core Members can truly represent their communities, in their wonderful complexity. With the great diversity of its membership and the history of collaboration among represented communities, the Alliance is the perfect location for a discussion of immigration, the changing face of America and the evolution of what it means to 'be American.' |
