African American- Immigrant Relations in a Global Era

Andrew Grant-Thomas, Deputy Director

Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity

Why study African American-Immigrant Interactions

Both immigrants and African Americans face serious structural constraints and challenges that must be addressed proactively

Demographic, economic and political trends point to increasing interactions between the groups

Understanding the dynamics of inter-cultural, inter-racial relations is critical first step for creating an inclusive multi-racial democracy in the U.S.

Both groups are seen as natural partners in the progressive movement

Successful joint efforts would be a testament against the anti-immigrant movement, which a) uses racist frames, b) tries to draw a wedge between the two communities

Context: Globalization, U.S. Policies, and Immigration

Free movement of capital leads to international movement of labor: immigration

NAFTA and CAFTA: create a race to the bottom in labor standards harms agriculture in Latin America, increase the number of people immigrating to the U.S.

U.S Bracero (guest-worker) program, drew more than 5 million agricultural workers from Mexico in 1942-1964. Its effects continue today

Armed conflicts lead to displacement of people and creation of refugees. U.S. supplies almost half of world’s all arms sales.

Context: Structural, Demographic, and Cultural Trends within the U.S. Demographic changes within the U.S. (i.e African

Americans’ movement to the South) bring Latino immigrants and African Americans into frequent contact in gateway cities, which lack sufficient infrastructure

Despite living side by side, in many places black Americans and immigrants are fairly segregated from each other – spatially, socially and institutionally

Both communities are most impacted by economic duress and structural racism

Media insistence on an African American/ immigrant (and “Black/Latino”) conflict and competition storyline

Kirwan’s Project: Research Questions1. What challenges and opportunities mark efforts to build

effective alliances between immigrants and African Americans?

2. What principal strategies inform alliance building between these groups?

3. What can be learned from the successful joint efforts?

4. What can be done to strengthen the field?

Kirwan’s Project: Research Process Social activist organizations are selected in consultation

with PIP. Interviews were conducted with 46 people, representing 32 organization.

A recruitment letter was circulated to more than 1,250 immigrant rights and racial social justice organizations in order to locate alliances and select case studies.

For the final report, 5 case studies were conducted on alliances between different organizations that work on policy advocacy and seek legislative change.

The case studies reflect how and why the alliances are forged, what frames/strategies are used, what challenges are faced, and what success/non-successes are.

Kirwan’s Project: Research Gaps Despite extensive outreach only five inter-

organizational alliances could be located.

Despite extensive search no alliance containing Asian immigrants was located.

Social activists lack information about each others’ work and achievements. A “field” needs to be built as far as alliance work is concerned.

Findings: Challenges

Ignorance of historical/contemporary conditions affecting the social outcomes of both groups

Belief that groups’ fates not linked. Perception of zero-sum competition in political and economic arenas

Media insistence on an African American/ immigrant (and “Black/Latino”) conflict and competition storyline

Findings: Challenges

Insufficient organizational and financial capacity to do work

Political, economic, social conflicts of interest between groups

Relative lack of proven, publicized institutional models of cooperation between these groups

Findings: Opportunities

Wealth of common concerns Subprime/foreclosure crisis Health care crisis Racial profiling, police harassment, hate crimes Economic justice (jobs, wages, training, safety) Education reform (funding, resource equity)

Many people urging a broad structural analysis of group challenges

Findings: Opportunities

Whole categories of potential bridge-builders emerging African immigrants, “Black” Latino immigrants,

and the children of immigrants Young people, especially students

Increasing number of promising institutional sites Workers centers, unions, schools, multiracial

churches

Findings: Different Strategies

Relationship building-first Strategy

Issues-first Strategy

Organic Strategy

Case Studies United Congress of Community and Religious

Organizations (UCCRO), Chicago IL

The Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative (IMRI), New York City, NY

Gamaliel of Metro Chicago, Chicago, IL

CASA de Maryland – NAACP, MD

Mississippi Immigrants' Rights Alliance (MIRA)- Mississippi Workers' Center, MS

CASA de Maryland NAACP: Background CASA is the largest Latino and immigrant

organization in Maryland. Offices in Baltimore City, Prince George’s, and Montgomery counties. 72 employees and 5 workers’ centers.

The organization offers several programs to immigrants; lobbies against anti-immigrant legislation; and focuses on worker rights.

CASA de Maryland NAACP: Background NAACP chapter in Maryland work on diverse issues such

as racial biases in housing, police brutality and racial profiling, living wage, workplace discrimination, school funding, and school desegregation.

All volunteer members

NAACP chapters in Prince George’s County, Frederick County, and Montgomery County all have different joint works with CASA

Initiation of the Alliance At the end of 1990s, the executive director of CASA, Mr.

Gustavo Torres, contacted NAACP leaders to unite for common causes.

According to Torres, until then the relations between African Americans and immigrants in Maryland were tense: an inability to relate because of culture/ language differences; mutual stereotypes/biases towards each other; strained economic resources; struggles regarding power and recognition; the issue of race

Initiation of the Alliance

“[When I approached the NAACP], I said we need to come together. We don’t have a choice if we want to make a difference in that society. We have been fighting each other and other people are very happy because we are doing that. And they were in agreement, in total agreement. They said you know we were waiting for this call. We found tremendous reception in the African American community, in NAACP , and in African American churches”

Initiation of the Alliance

When asked why CASA took the first initiative in starting the partnership, Torres responded: “It is a lack of resources. They are a voluntary

organization. They are doing a tremendous job, but they have other full-time jobs. It is very difficult for them to do what I am doing. This is my full-time job, it is my passion, it is my commitment. I believe, since we have in this particular case more resources, I believe we also have the responsibility to take the initiative.”

Alliance Structure

Unlike other cases (i.e. UCCRO, IMRI), this partnership has no formal alliance structure or channel of communication. The two organizations respect an “open door policy” in terms of dialogue.

CASA is in the process of employing a staff

member who will be solely responsible from the workings of the CASA-NAACP partnership.

Joint Work and Policy Successes The Montgomery Chapter of the NAACP and

CASA jointly conducted voter registration drives, held joint candidate debates, and multicultural door-to-door outreach.

As a result of these efforts, Montgomery County voters elected their first African American leader.

Joint Work and Policy Successes CASA and the Montgomery Chapter of NAACP also

worked together in the workings of Thornton Commission.

In 2002, the Maryland General Assembly enacted “The Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act” according to Thornton Commission’s recommendations. This legislation specifically helped disadvantaged Latino and African American children.

Joint Work and Policy Successes Fredrick Chapter of the NAACP and CASA worked

together against the implementation of 287(g) that leads to the targeting and the racial profiling of Latinos.

In the same county, both organizations also work side-by-side in their opposition of anti-immigrant bills proposed by Republican politicians.

Relationship Building Translation equipment was used in events (i.e. joint candidate

forums) in order to overcome language barriers.

CASA co-authored "Crossing Borders, ” an anti-racism curriculum that seeks to engage African American and immigrant grassroots leaders in confronting the supposed differences that have challenged their ability to build greater joint power.

An Open Society Institute fellow in CASA’s Baltimore office works on implementing the curriculum in Baltimore.

An educator in CASA’s Prince George’s office will implement the curriculum in three core constituencies - policy makers, youth, and day laborers from African American and Latino communities.

Relationship Building

“We started that relationship and got deep in that relationship in understanding each other. And most importantly we started to develop activities and tasks, and struggle together. So we started to identify that we have a lot of things in common; that we have been discriminated for many many years. And the history of the African Americans is as extreme as, or even worst than the Latino community’s experiences. So we have been learning all of this through purpose and you know the relationship has improved tremendously.”

Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA de

Maryland

Lessons Learned from CASA-NAACP Alliance

Complementary organizational resources: Resources come in different forms i.e. material (i.e staff), or nonmaterial (experience, political connections). It is important that the combined resources are complementary so that

the organizations’ weaknesses may be counterbalanced the organizations find incentives to partner

Organizational and financial power of CASA far exceeded that of NAACP chapters, which depended on volunteers. On the other hand, NAACP commanded significant political power within Maryland due to the size of the African American population and due to their connection to politicians.

Lessons Learned

Acknowledge the importance of relationship building: Learning experiences that increase understanding of the other group’s culture and worldview can be extremely helpful to alliance operations. The curriculum prepared and implemented by CASA was an important means to build inter-communal trust. Similarly, translation equipments were used to overcome language barriers. These kind of relationship-building efforts are key for long-term movement building.

Lessons Learned

Devote resources to alliance functions: Employment of individuals who will dedicate all their time to alliance work would strengthen partnership. CASA is in the process of employing a staff member who will be solely responsible from the workings of the partnership.

Presence of supportive elements within the local/appropriate power structure: The existence of a progressive White community in Maryland helped the alliance to get support from third parties for its joint projects

What can be done to improve the field?

Provide education regarding past and current conditions affecting each community and their relationships

Identify, commission, and disseminate existing educational and relationship-building curricular materials and develop new materials adaptable to regional and local contexts.

Build organizational capacities to do the work

What can be done to improve the field? For the leadership of the alliance recruit within all

communities of color

Do a comprehensive mapping of alliance-building efforts across the country

Create an inventory of policy categories regarding immigration in order to understand what drives anti-immigrant vs. pro-immigrant policies

What can be done to improve the field? Through workshops, conferences or other meetings

bring together social activists, academicians and policy-makers, who work on alliance building between African Americans and immigrants.

Disseminate positive findings from public opinion surveys about African American-immigrant relations.

Develop fact-based media messages and frames for local, state and federal policymakers that go beyond mere “myth-busting.”

Thank You

Curriculums specifically designed for African American immigrant alliance building: BRIDGE: Building a Race and Immigration

Dialogue in the Global Economy: http://www.nnirr.org/projects/projects_bridge_book.html

Crossing Borders: Building Relationships across Lines of Difference Toolkit: http://www.communitychange.org/library/CROSSING-BORDERS-toolkit-07.pdf/?searchterm=None

Completed Interviews Atlanta Jobs with Justice

Beloved Community Center

Black Alliance for Just Immigration

Brown Power Base Project

Center for Community Change

Center for a New Community

Center for Intercultural Organizing

Colorado Progressive Coalition

Highlander Research and Education Center

Human Rights Network

Jobs with Justice (National)

Latino Network

Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength

Miami Workers Center

Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance

Northwest Constitutional Rights Center

Oregon Action

Pilsen Neighbors Community Council

Priority Africa Network

Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York

Rights for All People

Right to the City Alliance

South Florida Jobs with Justice

South Suburban Action Conference

Southern Echo

Southeast Regional Economic Justice Network

Western States Center