Russel Sage Foundation

Immigrants create and maintain links between their native countries and new homes. Yet researchers disagree about the structural consequences of transnational activities, and how these sorts of ties affect political integration in particular. On one side are those who say that multiculturalism prevents or interferes with assimilation, and on the other side are those who argue that transnational ties are the inevitable consequence of an increasingly global world. The source of evidence for both the transnationalists and the assimilations is the balance of homeland versus host-land engagements. Until now, however, researchers have not really attempted to measure the scope or prevalence of transnational behavior and identification. A more thorough understanding of these links is necessary to address some perplexing questions about the immigrant experience today. If cross-national activities are common to all immigrant groups, why is it that some groups remain politically disengaged while others do not? With an award from the Foundation, sociologist Roger Waldinger will take stock of the share of the U.S. population participating in cross-border activities, their civic and political behavior in the U.S., and the relation between the two. The project will draw on several large-scale surveys containing data on a wide range of immigrant groups living in different regions of the U.S. Waldinger will analyze the data with the goal of explaining the determinants of transnational behavior and the relative strength of attachment to the U.S. as well as to the home country. He will then develop an integrated database and report the results of the study in a series of academic papers.