The Role of Human Services in Immigrant Integration in an Urban Space: Findings from the New Americans Project

Background: In the migration context, Human service organizations (HSOs) in many urban cities are providing services to the growing immigrant population in the US. HSO’s play a critical role among immigrants as they can link people to needed services; ensure the availability of human services and ensure critical quality of personal and population-based services. More importantly, community-based ethnic organizations(CBEOs) that serve immigrants play a central role in the social, cultural, political, and economic integration of newcomers. While literature has overwhelmingly explored major barriers that impede access and utilization of human services among immigrants, the provision and delivery of human services that affect utilization of services is sparse. Further, the interaction between HSOs that are embedded within multiple formal and informal systems, including family, community, health and social policy, socio-political environment, as well as social and cultural norms remains fragmented. To assess this systemic complexity, the purpose of our study was to explore: (1) mechanisms of service provision geared towards the increasing New American population in a mid-western city; (2) barriers faced by New Americans in service access and utilization; and (3) factors impeding human service provision and delivery.

Methodology: Using a Transformative Mixed Methods Design, this Community Based Participatory Research Project in a mid-western city, collected data through web-based survey (n=94), in-depth interviews (n=25) and focus group discussions (n= 46) via Respondent Driven Sampling method. Data collection and analysis using quantitative and qualitative methods were first conducted in tandem, compared for triangulation and then integrated for corroboration. The quantitative data from the web-based survey followed both univariate and bivariate analyses. In addition, geocoding data was used to create geographic heat maps to provide information on accessibility of services. Qualitative data from the in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data analysis employed line-by-line coding process to identify themes, coding categories, developing matrices and drawing cluster diagrams to uncover relationships between themes and categories.

Findings: Results showed that although demand for services among the immigrant population is high, accessibility remains highly uneven. Although HSOs overwhelmingly agree on the problems facing the immigrant populations, there is lack of consensus on the solutions. Although there are continual efforts to provide culturally responsive services, persistent gaps remain. While CBEOs in many cases are bridging the service gaps between mainstream service providers and immigrant communities, they are disconnected from mainstream service providers. The human service environment also suffers from pressure for more competition than cooperation due to bargaining power of funders and other resource holders, maintenance of organizational position and status, and overwhelming demand for services.

Implications: Findings of our study contribute to the knowledge base for service equity in the migration context; improved service delivery systems; quality of direct services; and accessibility, accountability, and service coordination among HSOs that bolster programs and policies geared towards diversity and inclusion. The study expands theoretical and methodological advancement in immigrant integration research that help investigate inequalities in different spaces, which will substantively address larger questions about human rights, and social justice.