Interactions with the Outside

Past research indicates that the quantity and quality of resources available for immigrants in a destination city have serious implications for an immigrant's overall success. Previous research though, has failed to look at resources for immigrants in the context of a currently growing urban setting. It also fails to look at resources through the lens of the non-profit and their relationship to the community. Consequently, this research looks at the interaction between a non-profit that serves low-income immigrants, the community, current immigration policy, and the immigrant population to understand the impact of this system on the growing Hispanic immigrant population in the DC metropolitan area. Over a period of 3 months the external and internal dynamics of the non-profit were observed through participant observation and through qualitative interviews. From this, the effectiveness of the current resource framework is assessed and the underlying processes involved in resource mobilization are analyzed. Drawing elements from the social movements framework, the major resources utilized and the processes of mobilization will be examined within the non-profit context. These resources and strategies propose a model of resource mobilization within the non-profit where cultural and human resources are emphasized to offset fundamental changes in how material resources are utilized. In addition, socio-organizational and human resources are also used to try and offset the impact of unfavorable policy towards immigrants. The implications of this system for the Hispanic immigrant population are discussed along with areas for future research.