Immigrant Organizations as Civil Society: A Three-Dimensional Analysis

Abstract

This article examines immigrant organizations from
three perspectives: their relationships with public
authorities, the system of relationships established
among these organizations, and their degree of
internal participation. My principal aim is to analyze
the extent to which one can speak of a civil society in
this domain. The study presented takes the case of
immigrant organizations in Spain, focusing on those
organizations that benefit from greater public
recognition through the Forum for the Social
Integration of Immigrants, a consultative body of the
Government. In-depth interviews with chairpersons
and workers in these organizations are combined
with contributions from the literature on social

movements, on ethnic mobilization and on social
capital, to explain the Spanish situation. Connectingthe dynamics of immigrant organizations with those
of other social organizations in Spain, it is argued
that the relationships established with public
authorities are neither balanced out by a dense interorganizational
network, nor harmonized by the active
participation of their members. These factors work to
the detriment of a true civil society in this domain,
having negative implications for the organizations’
capacity to act as creators of social capital, and for
the integration of immigrants. This brings into
question the role of the State in supporting immigrant
organizations.