Civic and Political Participation Across Immigrant Generations: Does Civic Participation Facilitate Voting?

• In Event: 549 - Section on International Migration Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 07. Civic Engagement

Abstract

Prior research suggests that immigrants in the U.S. are less likely to vote than the native-born population. During a period of declining voter turnout rates, some scholar argue that civic and political participation are occurring in a greater variety of forms today and that the participation of the foreign-born population may be underestimated since less traditional forms of civic engagement that do not require naturalization are not at the forefront of. For these reasons, this study focuses on understudied forms of civic engagement: expressive (expression of one’s opinion) and cognitive (discussing politics). Using the Current Population Survey November 2013 Civic Engagement Supplement, this study asks two questions: (1) do levels of expressive and cognitive engagement differ by immigrant generational and citizenship status and (2) do these forms of engagement facilitate voting in local elections and does this pattern differ by immigrant generation. The findings suggest that first-generation immigrants (but not the 1.5 generation), regardless of citizenship, are less likely than the third generation or higher to participate in either form of civic engagement, and that with more time residing in the U.S. these differences disappear. Furthermore, while expressive and cognitive forms of engagement are associated with greater likelihood of voting, the relationship between engagement and political participation does not differ according to immigrant generational status.

Authors

• Renee Stepler, Pew Research Center

• Hiromi Ishizawa, George Washington University