%0 Journal Article
%T New Perspectives on Immigrant Contexts of Reception
%A Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky
%A Peggy Levitt
%A Wendy Cadge
%A Jessica Hejtmanek
%A Sara R. Curran
%J Nordic Journal of Migration Research
%@ 1799-649X
%D 2012
%I 
%R 10.2478/v10202-011-0029-6
%X We argue that important, overlooked differences in what we call the ¡®cultural armature¡¯ of Portland, Maine, and Danbury, Connecticut help explain the variation in how each city received new immigrants in recent years. Portland has a long history of contact with the outside world and used its cosmopolitan character to promote urban redevelopment and welcome immigrants from a range of countries of origin. Danbury's small-town, insular outlook, and the fact that most of its newcomers came from a single country of origin - some without legal documents - made immigrants' welcome more fragmented. While leaders in both cities speak of multiculturalism and tolerance, the ¡®cultural armature¡¯ of each led city leaders to put that talk into action differently. We describe how we see this ¡®cultural armature¡¯ at work and argue that it - in combination with demographic realities - led immigrants to be more warmly welcomed in Portland than in Danbury.
%K Immigration
%K new destinations
%K immigrant incorporation
%K cultural context
%K United States
%U http://versita.metapress.com/content/v61877v61083q583/?p=3cd8af12774b45dbbb84cb91e44f8512&pi=8