Immigration on Long Island: New Directions and Opportunities for Civic Engagement

On May 14, 2009, The Center for Social Innovation (CSI) hosted a public forum examining immigration and civic engagement on Long Island. The forum was attended by over 100 people and included residents, community leaders, advocates and government officials in the audience.

This was the final public forum in CSI’s two-year long study of the issue of immigration on Long Island. In spring and fall 2008, CSI, with community partners, held two other forums with audience question and answer sessions. This was the first CSI forum to include breakout and audience-wide dialogue sessions.

The forum began with a keynote address, “Global Immigration: New Social, Economic, and Civic Challenges for Host Communities” presented by Michele Wucker, Executive Director, World Policy Institute. Ms. Wucker’s speech framed the issues facing local communities in an international and domestic policy context.

Ms. Wucker’s address was followed by responses from five expert panelists with knowledge about immigration on Long Island:

• M. Omar Chaudry, Board Member, Islamic Center of Long Island
• Javier Gallardo, Organizer, Long Island Civic Participation Project
• Dr. Margaret Gray, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Adelphi University
• David Dyssegaard Kallick, Senior Fellow, Fiscal Policy Institute
• The Honorable Edward Romaine, Suffolk County Legislator, 1st District

Facilitated audience breakout dialogue sessions of 10-12 people followed the respondent panel. Groups were asked their thoughts on immigration, including what their community would look like if the issue was successfully addressed. Once the sessions concluded, groups “reported back” on the main points of their discussions and an audience wide open conversation was moderated by Robert Corman, President, Applied Concepts.

One of the goals of the forum was to create an environment where viewpoints on immigration could be freely and respectfully exchanged. The group and open discussions were not attempts to obtain a solution to immigration challenges but to begin to clarify community interests. They were also an opportunity to assess what voices were missing in the conversation about immigration.

Group discussion notes as well as video from the event point to some common themes and visions. They also indicate areas where arguments about immigration may resonate or fail to resonate with various publics. These issues are described in more detail in the Summary of Forum Findings.

All of the forum materials can be used to think about strategies for moving forward on the issue of immigration. They are tools for all stakeholders—businesses, not-for-profits government agencies and residents—involved in immigration and interested in increasing civic participation around this issue.

A summary of the forum findings may be accessed here:
A Community Forum: Immigration on Long Island: New Directions and Opportunities for Civic Engagement, Views and Visions (PDF 40KB)

More information about the forum can be accessed below:
View videos of the forum
View transcription of group notes (PDF 44KB)