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There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration
Making America a welcome place for everyone, from long-established citizens to immigrants who have just arrived.
This compelling approach to the immigration debate takes the reader behind the blaring headlines and into communities grappling with the reality of new immigrants and the changing nature of American identity. Ali Noorani, the Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, interviews nearly fifty local and national leaders from law enforcement, business, immigrant, and faith communities to illustrate the challenges and opportunities they face. From high school principals to church pastors to sheriffs, the author reveals that most people are working to advance society's interests, not exploiting a crisis at the expense of one community. As he shows, some cities and regions have reached a happy conclusion, while others struggle to find balance.
Whether describing a pastor preaching to the need to welcome the stranger, a sheriff engaging the Muslim community, or a farmer's wind-whipped face moistened by tears as he tells the story of his farmworkers being deported, the author helps readers to realize that America's immigration debate isn't about policy; it is about the culture and values that make America what it is. The people on the front lines of America's cultural and demographic debate are Southern Baptist pastors in South Carolina, attorneys general in Utah or Indiana, Texas businessmen, and many more. Their combined voices make clear that all of them are working to make America a welcome place for everyone, long-established citizens and new arrivals alike.
Especially now, when we feel our identity, culture, and values changing shape, the collective message from all the diverse voices in this inspiring book is one of hope for the future.
This compelling approach to the immigration debate takes the reader behind the blaring headlines and into communities grappling with the reality of new immigrants and the changing nature of American identity. Ali Noorani, the Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, interviews nearly fifty local and national leaders from law enforcement, business, immigrant, and faith communities to illustrate the challenges and opportunities they face. From high school principals to church pastors to sheriffs, the author reveals that most people are working to advance society's interests, not exploiting a crisis at the expense of one community. As he shows, some cities and regions have reached a happy conclusion, while others struggle to find balance.
Whether describing a pastor preaching to the need to welcome the stranger, a sheriff engaging the Muslim community, or a farmer's wind-whipped face moistened by tears as he tells the story of his farmworkers being deported, the author helps readers to realize that America's immigration debate isn't about policy; it is about the culture and values that make America what it is. The people on the front lines of America's cultural and demographic debate are Southern Baptist pastors in South Carolina, attorneys general in Utah or Indiana, Texas businessmen, and many more. Their combined voices make clear that all of them are working to make America a welcome place for everyone, long-established citizens and new arrivals alike.
Especially now, when we feel our identity, culture, and values changing shape, the collective message from all the diverse voices in this inspiring book is one of hope for the future.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 1, 2018
We live in what seems to be an increasingly hostile, divided and polarized world. This is true on many levels, not just politically. It would appear that the answer to a better future lies not in our ability to discern which side is "right" but in learning how to dialogue, listen, and understand. To find our shared values and move forward in a way that betters humanity and not just our own selfish ambitions.
This book takes the realm of politics and the issue of immigration and teaches us just how this might be possible. Noorani does an excellent job of sharing his personal story and the things he learned. He is not afraid to wade into the emotion and the personal nature of this journey.
However, he also is going to spend the book talking not about ideas, but concrete examples of practical ways in which the issue was moved forward in the most unlikely of places. It is not a book of statistics, but it is a book of practical application and action. He shows the value of learning how to work together and truly engage in efforts that make the world a better place — from both sides of the table and aisle.
While the book is very specific in its focus (immigration), I think that the principles shown here could be unbelievably applicable in a number of cultural arenas. It is a discipline that our country needs to become more acquainted with.
This book takes the realm of politics and the issue of immigration and teaches us just how this might be possible. Noorani does an excellent job of sharing his personal story and the things he learned. He is not afraid to wade into the emotion and the personal nature of this journey.
However, he also is going to spend the book talking not about ideas, but concrete examples of practical ways in which the issue was moved forward in the most unlikely of places. It is not a book of statistics, but it is a book of practical application and action. He shows the value of learning how to work together and truly engage in efforts that make the world a better place — from both sides of the table and aisle.
While the book is very specific in its focus (immigration), I think that the principles shown here could be unbelievably applicable in a number of cultural arenas. It is a discipline that our country needs to become more acquainted with.
May 27, 2017
Noorani is an American Muslim born to immigrants from Pakistan. He is heavily involved in the immigration reform movement, and this book discusses the change in approach he's had since the failure of the 2010 DREAM Act.
The main jumping off point is the title of Chapter One: "Elections Matter .... Culture Matters More." He decided that discussing the politics of immigration was secondary. What really needed to be done was to engage people culturally, and try to find common ground with their values. As he notes at one point: "When we are talking about immigration policy, not immigrants as people, we are losing the debate." (91).
To that end, Noorani has founded an immigration reform group looking at the Three Bs - Bibles, Badges, and Businesses, because he's noted these are three inroads that exist in engaging conservatives. Find common ground on religious values of evangelicals, Mormons, and Catholics. Work with law enforcement officers who want to see change in the current immigration system to better police people. Finally, some businesses also support immigration reform, in everything from farm fields to the need for engineers. (That said, Noorani doesn't believe playing the economic angle in and of itself is too supportive, as it just reinforces some animosity many have to immigrants. It can help break down partisan barriers, though). Norrani argues that a lot of the old culture wars are now over - the parties have lined up as they will on abortion and gay marriage. But immigration is still more in flux.
A lot of this approach came out of Utah. When Arizona first proposed anti-immigrant laws around 2010, it caught on, and looked like it would move to Utah. Instead, many conservative Mormons in Utah fought against it, seeing the legislation as opposed to their cultural values. (The architect of many of the laws was an Arizona Mormon, who claimed the church backed his efforts. That was a huge mistake on his part, and he ended up getting voted out in a recall election).
He notes there has been some success in exporting the Utah plan to other parts of the country. The Southern Baptist leadership, a pretty conservative group, has many (including the overall national leader) who support immigration reform and not just enforcement/policing). You can find plenty of parts of the Bible that flatly instruct people to look after the aliens in their midst.
One key portion is to treat people with respect who disagree with you. Noorani says that to get any reform done, it really helps to try to bring conservatives to the table. And the way to do it is by cultural engagement. He's been amazed how receptive many conservatives have been to this. Personal experience with immigrants really helps matters. Just denouncing those on the other side as racist is too simplistic, Noorani says. A lot is just a fear of cultural change rooted in rapidly changing demographics. Noorani is also not a fan of just taking a passive approach and waiting for demographics to win the day. That will leave many in the lurch for a long time. And it'll leave many immigrants in Red States left out in the cold.
He notes some signs of advancement. Polling numbers show that people are now more supportive of creating a policy that lets undocumented immigrants stay. Generationally it breaks down very well for reformers. Having a Spanish-language media really helps. He notes that in Europe a problem they have is immigrants can only get news in their native languages from home countries or from radicals, and that helps further isolate and radicalize them.
While the book is broadly optimistic about this path forward, there is obviously the specter of Trump haunting its pages. Near the end Norrani notes that he was very optimistic about this overall strategy in 2016, but less so now. Trump appeals to people's fears (especially of terrorism). Things got more personal from Noorani when Trump called for a ban on Muslim immigration. He'd previously not tried to get too personal with immigration, but at that point he had to. Still, he also notes that there are parallels to Trump now and the California Republicans in the 1990s: a nasty combo of fear based on class and race. But Noorani still says you can't sit back and wait for change to occur by demographics. It'll take action.
I think he makes a good case for the notion of cultural engagement that he has. Right now we're not seeing any success on immigration reform, but this looks like something that could create a foundation for eventual reform. I'm glad I read this book.
The main jumping off point is the title of Chapter One: "Elections Matter .... Culture Matters More." He decided that discussing the politics of immigration was secondary. What really needed to be done was to engage people culturally, and try to find common ground with their values. As he notes at one point: "When we are talking about immigration policy, not immigrants as people, we are losing the debate." (91).
To that end, Noorani has founded an immigration reform group looking at the Three Bs - Bibles, Badges, and Businesses, because he's noted these are three inroads that exist in engaging conservatives. Find common ground on religious values of evangelicals, Mormons, and Catholics. Work with law enforcement officers who want to see change in the current immigration system to better police people. Finally, some businesses also support immigration reform, in everything from farm fields to the need for engineers. (That said, Noorani doesn't believe playing the economic angle in and of itself is too supportive, as it just reinforces some animosity many have to immigrants. It can help break down partisan barriers, though). Norrani argues that a lot of the old culture wars are now over - the parties have lined up as they will on abortion and gay marriage. But immigration is still more in flux.
A lot of this approach came out of Utah. When Arizona first proposed anti-immigrant laws around 2010, it caught on, and looked like it would move to Utah. Instead, many conservative Mormons in Utah fought against it, seeing the legislation as opposed to their cultural values. (The architect of many of the laws was an Arizona Mormon, who claimed the church backed his efforts. That was a huge mistake on his part, and he ended up getting voted out in a recall election).
He notes there has been some success in exporting the Utah plan to other parts of the country. The Southern Baptist leadership, a pretty conservative group, has many (including the overall national leader) who support immigration reform and not just enforcement/policing). You can find plenty of parts of the Bible that flatly instruct people to look after the aliens in their midst.
One key portion is to treat people with respect who disagree with you. Noorani says that to get any reform done, it really helps to try to bring conservatives to the table. And the way to do it is by cultural engagement. He's been amazed how receptive many conservatives have been to this. Personal experience with immigrants really helps matters. Just denouncing those on the other side as racist is too simplistic, Noorani says. A lot is just a fear of cultural change rooted in rapidly changing demographics. Noorani is also not a fan of just taking a passive approach and waiting for demographics to win the day. That will leave many in the lurch for a long time. And it'll leave many immigrants in Red States left out in the cold.
He notes some signs of advancement. Polling numbers show that people are now more supportive of creating a policy that lets undocumented immigrants stay. Generationally it breaks down very well for reformers. Having a Spanish-language media really helps. He notes that in Europe a problem they have is immigrants can only get news in their native languages from home countries or from radicals, and that helps further isolate and radicalize them.
While the book is broadly optimistic about this path forward, there is obviously the specter of Trump haunting its pages. Near the end Norrani notes that he was very optimistic about this overall strategy in 2016, but less so now. Trump appeals to people's fears (especially of terrorism). Things got more personal from Noorani when Trump called for a ban on Muslim immigration. He'd previously not tried to get too personal with immigration, but at that point he had to. Still, he also notes that there are parallels to Trump now and the California Republicans in the 1990s: a nasty combo of fear based on class and race. But Noorani still says you can't sit back and wait for change to occur by demographics. It'll take action.
I think he makes a good case for the notion of cultural engagement that he has. Right now we're not seeing any success on immigration reform, but this looks like something that could create a foundation for eventual reform. I'm glad I read this book.
September 13, 2018
There is a lot to appreciate about this book. Initially skeptical, I found the focus on, as Noorani says, Bibles, Badges, and Business to be a solid framework for both the book and immigration justice advocacy. The stories Noorani uses create a helpful entry point for both the skeptic and the convert, those on the right, the left, and in between. As someone who volunteers and organizes within interfaith immigrant justice advocacy, it helped me to see where I could improve (with engaging evangelicals) and where I was on the right track (in utilizing my own faith to propel me).
A couple of criticisms of an otherwise excellent book:
First, a less important stylistic bit— the author will swap between a person’s first and last name when referring to them, often in the same paragraph and sometimes in the same sentence. Given the fact that the anecdotes often involve multiple people, it made for a difficult experience keeping track of who was who. It happened so often that it appeared to be a stylistic choice.
Second, and perhaps more substantive— the book is almost too positive. Every story is told as a success, even when it’s not. And while I think that positivity or at least hope is important when working to improve an issue, it’s also real dark out there, y’all. We see illustrations that public opinion is making gains, that culture is changing, but the landscape is bleak for the immigrant population in the US, both documented and undocumented. There isn’t an explanation for *why* the political landscape doesn’t match public opinion, except for a fleeting touch on gerrymandering and disenfranchisement, or how this problem, one that directly impacts the immigrant population, can be solved. Noorani goes out of his way to spell out that anti-immigration advocates aren’t necessarily racist but, well, some are. A lot of them are. And that’s a reality that also needs to be acknowledged, too.
But despite that, I’d recommend this book for a variety of audiences, as it’s an easy, engaging read with solid stories of strategies and coalition building that ultimately help move us the needle for immigrant rights.
A couple of criticisms of an otherwise excellent book:
First, a less important stylistic bit— the author will swap between a person’s first and last name when referring to them, often in the same paragraph and sometimes in the same sentence. Given the fact that the anecdotes often involve multiple people, it made for a difficult experience keeping track of who was who. It happened so often that it appeared to be a stylistic choice.
Second, and perhaps more substantive— the book is almost too positive. Every story is told as a success, even when it’s not. And while I think that positivity or at least hope is important when working to improve an issue, it’s also real dark out there, y’all. We see illustrations that public opinion is making gains, that culture is changing, but the landscape is bleak for the immigrant population in the US, both documented and undocumented. There isn’t an explanation for *why* the political landscape doesn’t match public opinion, except for a fleeting touch on gerrymandering and disenfranchisement, or how this problem, one that directly impacts the immigrant population, can be solved. Noorani goes out of his way to spell out that anti-immigration advocates aren’t necessarily racist but, well, some are. A lot of them are. And that’s a reality that also needs to be acknowledged, too.
But despite that, I’d recommend this book for a variety of audiences, as it’s an easy, engaging read with solid stories of strategies and coalition building that ultimately help move us the needle for immigrant rights.
September 28, 2017
I don’t recall where I learned about this book, but as I’m working to educate myself more on important issues in American culture & politics, this seemed like a good one. I worked through this book in pieces over almost two months, and while it was well written and interesting, it just didn’t quite engage me and keep me engrossed as some other nonfiction books manage to do.
I particularly appreciated the work the author has done on a variety of immigration subjects, and the different areas of the country where he has done research and worked with different community groups to identify and solve problems. Several of these are in this book as case studies, such as various responses to Arizona’s terrible laws, discussions about how immigration impacts the farming sector, and how changing demographics affect politics in Texas and then the rest of the country. In summary, immigration is really a cultural issue, and we must work to deal with the fear and problems caused by it culturally rather than trying to slap political band-aids all over it, which does not work.
I think the book can be summed up for me by this quote from the last chapter.
“We do an awful job of seeing the human potential in one another. We are quicker to dwell on differences than capitalize on similarities. We treat relationships as negotiations instead of collaborations. We seem more concerned with individual liberties than with the common good.”
Let’s do more collaboration for the good of all Americans in the future, shall we?
I particularly appreciated the work the author has done on a variety of immigration subjects, and the different areas of the country where he has done research and worked with different community groups to identify and solve problems. Several of these are in this book as case studies, such as various responses to Arizona’s terrible laws, discussions about how immigration impacts the farming sector, and how changing demographics affect politics in Texas and then the rest of the country. In summary, immigration is really a cultural issue, and we must work to deal with the fear and problems caused by it culturally rather than trying to slap political band-aids all over it, which does not work.
I think the book can be summed up for me by this quote from the last chapter.
“We do an awful job of seeing the human potential in one another. We are quicker to dwell on differences than capitalize on similarities. We treat relationships as negotiations instead of collaborations. We seem more concerned with individual liberties than with the common good.”
Let’s do more collaboration for the good of all Americans in the future, shall we?
November 12, 2017
For all that he talks (at LENGTH) about meeting his political adversaries "where they are at" he has a couple of issues where he just straight-out calls them dishonest ..... and they're not, he's just refusing to acknowledge what their position even IS, let alone discuss whether or not it has any validity. Also, he's bad at translating math to words. I can figure out what he means to say fairly easily, but he almost always says it wrong (that last could be an issue at the publishing house; there are also a ton of stupid typos with the numbers, things adding up to 110%, that sort of thing)
Also, the whole "liberals don't understand religious conservatives" thing is tired and paints with an over-wide brush. Some liberals don't, some liberals come out of a religiously conservative upbringing and understand very, very well. HE didn't understand religious conservatives, but he is not everyone.
Also, the whole "liberals don't understand religious conservatives" thing is tired and paints with an over-wide brush. Some liberals don't, some liberals come out of a religiously conservative upbringing and understand very, very well. HE didn't understand religious conservatives, but he is not everyone.
May 13, 2018
Read for class at church, where we are discussing issues of race, immigration, equality, crime and punishment, etc.
To me, the debate (from a Christian perspective) centers around the question of our citizenship: Are we citizens of God’s Kingdom residing in America, or are we American Citizens who happen to claim the Christian faith? But, learning about the perspectives from Business and Law Enforcement was really interesting. I hadn’t heard how bills similar to the Arizona SB 1070 were defeated in Utah and other states, and how business leaders in Alabama declawed a similar bill there. So, an unlikely alliance is forming between Bible, Badges, and Business as they search for a cultural solution to a very difficult problem. Definitely worth the effort to read and understand.
To me, the debate (from a Christian perspective) centers around the question of our citizenship: Are we citizens of God’s Kingdom residing in America, or are we American Citizens who happen to claim the Christian faith? But, learning about the perspectives from Business and Law Enforcement was really interesting. I hadn’t heard how bills similar to the Arizona SB 1070 were defeated in Utah and other states, and how business leaders in Alabama declawed a similar bill there. So, an unlikely alliance is forming between Bible, Badges, and Business as they search for a cultural solution to a very difficult problem. Definitely worth the effort to read and understand.
October 15, 2019
This book is essential to understand the division in society that we all see in various countries in the past few years. Noorani uses a lot of personal stories, research and surveys, but the most interesting part is how his organisation builds partnerships with a wide range of social actors and stakeholders in regions (states) one would not guess immigration reform is a topic to discuss. I learned a lot about strategizing and finding the key messages that are constructively adding to this hostile debate and which present credible and reasonable alternatives to the policies that create polarization and division in societies. A lot could be translated into the situation in Europe too, I would love to explore that and read more about it.
December 7, 2017
This is an excellent bit of report back from efforts to survey and interact with traditionally conservative areas of the country that are engaged in positive immigration reform or efforts to accommodate immigrants in their communities.
While the nation is experiencing a severe upswing in anti-immigrant attitudes and actions the last couple years, Noorani highlights places where the push-back against anti-immigrant sentiment is coming from conservative leaders in religion, government, and rural communities.
Highly recommended.
While the nation is experiencing a severe upswing in anti-immigrant attitudes and actions the last couple years, Noorani highlights places where the push-back against anti-immigrant sentiment is coming from conservative leaders in religion, government, and rural communities.
Highly recommended.
August 12, 2021
A must read. Excellently written.. Ali shows the power of relationship building when new immigrants go from being groups to people we know and love. Sitting at dinner tables across the country, the stories and communities he visits will leave you with hope and ideas...
October 21, 2020
An easy and hopeful read, as the author reaches across political ideological divides to address cultural issues and find common ground on immigration policy.
June 8, 2017
A good primer for those unfamiliar with the American immigrant narrative. There were also a few concrete suggestions for community services to better serve that demographic. It also clears up several myths and statistics about the effect immigrants have on America. While I am very much in support of letting immigrants have a much easier journey to legal citizenship, I was blown away by the positive effects for our economy by not restricting immigrants as much as we currently do. A strong economic argument for immigration!
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