Building relationships and facilitating immigrant community integration: An evaluation of a Cultural Navigator Program |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. University of Maryland School of Social Work, 525 W. Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States;2. College of Social Work, Ohio State University, Rm 001, 1947 College Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, United States;1. Human Development & Family Studies, University of Rhode Island, 2 Lower College, Kingston, RI 02881, USA;2. Psychology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA;3. Nutrition, Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Despite the long history of immigration in the United States, communities around the country struggle to integrate newcomers into the economic, cultural, and political spheres of society. Utilizing results from the program evaluation of one public library's Cultural Navigator Program, the authors illustrate how communities and public institutions can promote integration and relationship-building between newly arrived immigrants and long-time residents. Existing social networks within receiving communities, conceptualized in this article as social capital, were leveraged to build capacity among newly arrived immigrants and foster inclusivity and integration at the community level. As a place of intervention, public libraries are suggested as a safe and shared space where community integration can be fostered. Insights derived from the evaluation inform a discussion on engaging approaches to immigrant integration. Lessons learned and recommendations for program evaluators and administrators are provided. |
| |
Keywords: | Cultural navigator Immigrants Integration Program evaluation Social capital |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录! |
|