Political Variety and Electoral Efficacy of Immigrant Nonprofit Organizations
This introductory chapter sets out the objectives of this book as well as the theoretical approach it undertakes. Against the backdrop of the 2012 U.S. elections, the press and political pundits were right to frame the reelection of Barack Obama as president as a harbinger of the growing power of Hispanic and Asian American voters, but the media often overlook the variety of immigrant nonprofit organizations that have been working hard to energize these voters for decades. The chapter places the focus on these organizations as it lays down the key questions, scope, and methodology for this research. It also introduces two key case studies—Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) and New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)—both of which demonstrate some of the diverse ways immigrants receive services, representation, and collectively express a political identity.