Thomas Rebecca L, Chiarelli-Helminiak Christina M, Ferraj Brunilda, Barrette Kyle
School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, United States.
Graduate Social Work Department, West Chester University, United States.
Eval Program Plann. 2016 Apr;55:77-84. doi: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2015.11.003. Epub 2015 Nov 21.
Despite the long history of immigration in the United States, communities around the country struggle to integrate newcomers into the economic, cultural, and political spheres of society. Utilizing results from the program evaluation of one public library's Cultural Navigator Program, 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 within receiving communities, conceptualized in this article as social capital, 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. Insights derived from the evaluation inform a discussion on engaging approaches to immigrant integration. Lessons learned and recommendations for program evaluators and administrators are provided.
尽管美国有着悠久的移民历史，但全国各地的社区都在努力将新移民融入社会的经济、文化和政治领域。作者利用对一个公共图书馆的文化导航员项目的评估结果，阐述了社区和公共机构如何促进新移民与长期居民之间的融合及关系建立。本文将接纳社区内现有的社会网络概念化为社会资本，利用这些网络增强新移民的能力，并在社区层面促进包容性和融合。作为一个干预场所，公共图书馆被认为是一个能够促进社区融合的安全共享空间。评估得出的见解为关于移民融合的有效方法的讨论提供了参考。同时还为项目评估人员和管理人员提供了经验教训及建议。
