About the California Immigrant Integration Initiative
The California Immigrant Integration Initiative (CIII) seeks to develop a comprehensive immigrant integration agenda and to strengthen the immigrant integration infrastructure throughout the state. Its activities include:
- Generating data and information about California immigrants and their integration needs, focusing on health, education, workforce development, and civic participation
- Disseminating data and information to promote public discourse and response by diverse stakeholder groups, including but limited to, local and state policymakers, advocates, service providers, foundations, and businesses
- Encouraging the identification and development of public policy, as well as community-based and private-sector solutions to promote immigrant integration
- Promoting funder coordination, collaboration, and leadership to advance immigrant integration in California
New Estimates of Potential New Voters at the State, County, and Legislative District Levels
Full Research Report: Integration Potential of California's Immigrants and Their Children: New Estimates of Potential New Voters at the State, County, and Legislative District Levels
California Legislative Districts
Country/World Region of Origin of Naturalized Adults
Country/World Region of Origin of Legal Immigrants Eligible to Naturalize
Racial/Ethnic Breakdown of Citizen Children of Immigrants
Citizen Children of Immigrants 12-17 Years of Age
Press Releases
Other Research Projects
CIII is working on several research projects:
- Integration Potential of California's Immigrants and Their Children: New Estimates of Potential New Voters at the State, County, and Legislative District Levels. This report provides never-before-published estimates of naturalized citizens, naturalization-eligible citizens, and U.S.-citizen children of immigrants for all counties and state legislative districts of California, with breakout data on the countries and regions where the immigrants were born and the race of their citizen children. The findings underscore the critical need for integration policies to incorporate the sizable population of immigrants-both naturalized and naturalization-eligible-and their U.S.-citizen children who will soon turn 18 years of age. These newcomers play a vital role in the current and future vitality of California. Release date: April 2008
- Research on the need for English classes. This research project, conducted by the Center for Immigrant Integration Policy of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), will result in a statewide report that includes: the size of the foreign-born population, with a breakdown of both lawful permanent residents and undocumented persons; an assessment of the education levels and English proficiency levels of foreign-born adults in each county, by age group; and the development of a research protocol that can be used by policy makers and others for assessing the current "supply" or capacity of English language services in each county. Lack of English skills is a key factor in immigrants' inability to access health care, improve their economic well-being, participate in civic life, and become U.S. citizens. The report will provide important baseline data for public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders to develop a coherent response to the English language and literacy needs of California's immigrants. Release date: summer 2008.
- An assessment of immigration legal services in Northern California. Commissioned by the Zellerbach Family Foundation, this report discusses the scope and capacity of nonprofit groups that provide immigration-related legal services in the 38 counties of Northern California. Based on survey findings, it makes the case for greater philanthropic and public investment in immigration legal services.
- The role of community colleges in promoting immigrant integration. Many immigrants rely on the community college system for English classes and remedial education. This positions community colleges to play an important role in immigrant integration, yet most colleges have not considered their work with this goal in mind. This report will make the case for why it is important for community colleges to play an intentional role in immigrant integration, identify good replicable models, and offer strategies to help community colleges fulfill this important role. Release date: October 2008.
- Health research. GCIR will produce a report that (1) identifies existing sources of information on health and health services for immigrants in the top immigrant counties across the state and (2) makes recommendations for research on health information that can inform an immigrant integration policy agenda. This effort will be guided by a special advisory group comprising government, advocacy groups, health funders, and other stake holders. Release date: December 2008.
- Inventory of existing research. GCIR will compile an annotated bibliography of the best California-focused research that exists on the integration issues of health, education, workforce development, and citizenship and civic participation. This effort will help us identify what already exists, understand how this existing research can inform our work, and the additional research gaps that need to be undertaken to advance a statewide immigrant integration agenda. Release date: TBD.
- Other research projects. To fill the information gap, GCIR plans to pursue a number of other practical research projects in the areas of education, health, workforce development, and citizenship and civic participation. The research will likely examine what services exist and where, the programmatic gaps that need to addressed, and policies that need to be changed in order to improve or expand services to immigrants. The specifics of each research project will be determined in conjunction with the foundations that support this initiative.
The specifics of each research project will be determined in conjunction with the foundations that support this initiative and organizations working in these issue areas.
Upcoming Meetings
Pursuing Democracy's Promise: The Potential Impact of Immigrant Civic Participation on the Bay Area
Funders
CIII involves a wide range of foundations and government agencies and collaborates with immigrant service and advocacy organizations. Current funders include Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Rosenberg Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, The California Endowment, The San Francisco Foundation, Van Löben Sels/RembeRock Foundation, and Zellerbach Family Foundation.