I study the political and civic incorporation of immigrants into Western liberal democracies and the consequences of migrants’ presence for politics and receiving countries’ sense of national belonging. How do migrants gain voice in the political systems where they live?
One stream of research on this question investigates the acquisition of formal citizenship, as well as the experiential and conceptual contours of citizenship as membership. Other research examines the opportunities and limits of community-based organizations for advancing political voice and providing immigrant services.
I also study the content and transformation of national identities, including multiculturalism; immigrants’ engagement in electoral and protest politics; and how non-immigrants’ attitudes about migration and immigrants shift depending on whether we talk about human rights, citizenship, family unity, or appeals to national values.