Building relationships and facilitating immigrant community integration: An evaluation of a Cultural Navigator Program

Despite the United States’ long history of immigration, large and small communities around the country struggle to integrate newcomers into the social, economic, cultural, and political spheres of society. Utilizing results from the program evaluation of one public library’s Cultural Navigator Program (CNP), 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, conceptualized in this article as social capital, within receiving communities 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. The program model is provided as an approach to immigrant community integration. Insights derived from the evaluation inform a discussion on engaging approaches to immigrant integration. The CNP utilized community networks to deliberately and systematically facilitate integration and relationship building between newly arrived immigrants and community members. Lessons learned and recommendations for program evaluators and administrators are provided

Counter-Effects of Ethnic and Racial Identity (ERI) as a Buffer against Perceived Racial Discrimination among Asian Immigrants

This study explores the moderating role of Ethnic and Racial Identity (ERI) in the relations between perceived racial discrimination and Asian immigrants’ psychological distress. Using survey data from 2,059 Asian immigrants in the United States, we found that perceived racial discrimination significantly predicted higher psychological distress. In addition, ethnic and racial identity (ERI) moderated the relations between perceived racial discrimination and psychological distress. Unexpectedly, ethnic and racial identity did not buffer Asian immigrants the negative mental health effects of perceived racial discrimination. The association was moderated, but in a negative way. Implications for practice is discussed