PLANNING FOR COPTIC EGYPTIAN IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION

IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

A Thesis

Presented to the

Faculty of

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master in

Urban and Regional Planning

By

Yvette A. Shenouda

2018

SIGNATURE PAGE

THESIS: PLANNING FOR COPIC EGYPTIAN IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

AUTHOR: Yvette A. Shenouda

DATE SUBMITTED: Fall 2018

Department of Urban & Regional Planning

Dr. Alvaro Huerta ______Thesis Committee Chair Assistant Professor, Urban & Regional Planning

Dr. Jerry Mitchell ______Thesis Committee Member Professor, Urban & Regional Planning

Mr. Richard Zimmer ______Thesis Committee Member Lecturer, Urban & Regional Planning

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank His Eminence, Metropolitan Serapion, the first hierarch and bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and

Hawaii, for his ongoing support and approval to conduct the study in the Coptic churches in southern California. I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to his Grace

Bishop Abraham, Father Joseph Boules, Father Athanasius Ragheb, Dr. Saad Michael

Saad, Reda Bishay, Mary Boules, Sandra Abdelmalak and Magy Gharghoury for their help and support. This research would not be complete without the cooperation of the priests and congregations that took the time to participate, whether by participating in a focus group, interview study or completing a survey, in this study. The perspective of each Coptic participant was enlightening.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Professor Alvaro

Huerta, for his continuous support of my master’s study. Dr. Huerta was patient, motivating, and immensely knowledgeable. He taught me to think outside the box and allowed me to draw the best out of myself. His guidance has helped me during my time researching and writing this thesis. I could not have imagined having a better advisor and mentor. Under his guidance, I have started believing that, with creativity, anything is possible.

I would also like to thank the rest of my thesis committee: Professor Jerry

Mitchell and Professor Richard Zimmer. Professor Mitchell taught me that we need people’s involvement, because without them we cannot move forward and reach the planning goals. Professor Zimmer taught me to be a human before being a planner. I am grateful for their insightful comments, encouragement, and thought-provoking questions.

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All of which have helped widen my research perspectives. It was in their classes that the seeds of this thesis germinated. Now that it has come to fruition, words cannot express how grateful I am to them all.

I would like to thank all of my professors in the Master of Urban and Regional

Planning. I have learned so much from each of them on both a personal and academic level. “Look at the branches of a tree. The branch which has no fruits stands high. But the branch which has abundance of fruit stays lower or down to earth.” (Thekkittil,

2016). The more you are full of knowledge and wisdom, the more you are full of humility.

I would also like to thank the people who have influenced my life in general: my husband Ashraf; my children Mark, Marlee, Melina, and Michael; my parents Moon and

Anwar Ghebrial; my siblings Ashraf Gabriel and Anne Armanious; my in-laws Neven A.

Gabriel and Faheem Armanious; my nephews Antwon Gabriel and Immanuel

Armanious; my nieces Ilona Gabriel and Joana Armanious; and my friends for supporting me through writing this thesis. Most importantly, I owe everything to my Lord and

Savior. I hope that in some way, this research brings Him glory.

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ABSTRACT

This thesis emphasizes the importance of planners’ work with immigrants in

California, especially given that California receives more immigrants than most states.

Coptic, a word derived from the Greek word meaning, Egyptian, refers to a

Christian from that nation. The number of Coptic immigrants has increased dramatically in southern California since the 2011 revolution in Egypt. Despite the challenges they face as newcomers, Coptic immigrants show successful integrations in their cities. They feel disconnected and intimidated by political life, because of their lack of involvement in their homeland. However, Copts who become actively engaged with their cities often feel connected to their communities. This connection encourages them to invest time, money, and energy into the cities, from owning an individual residential property to larger investments, such as new businesses and better schools.

“Immigrant Integration in their cities is a dynamic, two-way process in which immigrants and the receiving society work together to build secure, vibrant, and cohesive communities” (American Immigration Council, 2017). The level of integrations is a two- way process between the immigrants and the society. American Planning Association

Principles (AICP) states, “We shall give people the opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the development of plans and programs that may affect them. Participation should be broad enough to include those who lack formal organization or influence.”

This thesis is the first step in building bridges between Coptic voice and the planning commissions by conducting field work to listening to Copts needs, concerns, and interests in their cities.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SIGNATURE PAGE ...... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...... iii ABSTRACT ...... v LIST OF TABLES ...... viii LIST OF FIGURES ...... ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...... 1 Research Questions and Hypothesis ...... 5 Immigrants ...... 5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 11 Fieldwork Among Mexican Migrants ...... 11 Diverse Stakeholders ...... 12 Participation of Second-Generation Immigrants ...... 13 Parent Integration ...... 13 Asian Immigrant’s Acculturation Attitude in the USA ...... 14 Egyptian Integration in Egypt After The 2011 Revolution ...... 15 CHAPTER 3: COPTIC EGYPTIAN ...... 16 History and Statistics of Coptic Egyptian in the U.S...... 16 Coptic Immigrant Socioeconomic Integration ...... 21 Coptic Immigrant Cultural Integration ...... 28 Coptic Immigrant Political Integration ...... 32 Challenges ...... 32 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH METHODS ...... 34 Research Design and Methodology ...... 37 Sample Frame and Recruitment Techniques ...... 37 Procedures ...... 39 Validity and Reliability ...... 40 Limitations of The Study ...... 40 Research Context ...... 40 Interview and Focus Group Questions Descriptions, Benefits, and Challenges ...... 41 Survey Questions ...... 42 CHAPTER 5: FINDING & THEMES ...... 45 Demographic Data ...... 45 Language & Culture ...... 51 Transportations ...... 54 Affordable Homes & Multi Family Homes ...... 57

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Education ...... 60 Business Ownership ...... 62 Civic Participations...... 67 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 76 Language & Culture ...... 78 Transportations ...... 80 Affordable Homes & Multi Family Homes ...... 81 Education ...... 82 Business Ownership ...... 84 Civic Participations...... 86 REFERENCES ...... 91 APPENDIX A ...... 96 APPENDIX B ...... 97 APPENDIX C ...... 98 APPENDIX D ...... 100 APPENDIX E ...... 103 APPENDIX F...... 106 APPENDIX G ...... 112 APPENDIX H ...... 118 APPENDIX I ...... 121

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Top Five States in Immigration Growth (1990-2000) & (2000-2016) ...... 7

Table 2. Egyptian Immigrant in the U.S.A.& Southern California (2012-2016) ...... 18

Table 3. Unauthorized Egyptian Immigrant in the U.S.A., CA, and LA (2012-2016) ..... 19

Table 4. Survey Demographic Data ...... 46

Table 5. Home Ownership ...... 58

Table 6. Living Period in Their City ...... 61

Table 7. Business Type ...... 63

Table 8. Employment Statues ...... 64

Table 9. First Support ...... 64

Table 10. Living Period in Southern California...... 68

Table 11. Educational Program Method ...... 72

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Residents Are the Most Important ...... 9

Figure 2. Egyptian Population in the U.S. (Census data) ...... 18

Figure 3. Estimated Number of Copts In Southern California (Khalil 2018) ...... 20

Figure 4. GIS Map, Some of The Coptic Businesses in Southern California ...... 23

Figure 5. Pope Francis & Pope Tawadros (2017) ...... 25

Figure 6. Number of Coptic Churches in Southern California ...... 26

Figure 7. GIS Map of Coptic Churches in Southern California ...... 27

Figure 8. Egyptian Home in LA, Egyptian Home in Egypt...... 29

Figure 9. Saint Anthony Monastery, Newberry Springs CA & The goddess “Nut” ...... 30

Figure 10. Research Methods ...... 35

Figure 11. Triangulation Methods ...... 35

Figure 12. GIS Map of southern California ...... 36

Figure 13. Participants Demographics Data ...... 47

Figure 14. Household Income ...... 48

Figure 15. GIS Map of The Participants’ Cities They Live ...... 49

Figure 16. GIS Map of The Participants’ Cities They Work ...... 50

Figure 17. Fluently speaking languages...... 53

Figure 18. Challenges of workforce...... 54

Figure 19. Using Public Transportations ...... 57

Figure 20. In favor of building affordable homes ...... 58

Figure 21. In favor of Multi-family homes ...... 59

Figure 22. Living Priority Reasons ...... 61

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Figure 23. Business Ownership ...... 63

Figure 24. Copts Participation in Voting ...... 69

Figure 25. Copts Voluntarily Location ...... 69

Figure 26. Main obstacle of not volunteering ...... 70

Figure 27. Copts attending city meeting ...... 72

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Copts are native Egyptian Christians. The vast majority of Copts follow the

Coptic Orthodox Church, under the auspices of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. The founding of Christianity in Egypt dates back to the first century when Saint Mark the apostle and gospel writer evangelized in Egypt. Coptic Orthodoxy is the largest Christian denomination in the Middle East. Copts make up about 10% of the total Egyptian population. They descended from the ancient Egyptians and spoke the Coptic language until the eleventh century. Although the Coptic language was gradually replaced by

Arabic following the entry of Islam into Egypt, it is still used in prayer services in Coptic

Orthodox churches. Copts are a religious community at heart, regularly attending church on Sunday and weekdays, a religious ritual that has shaped their lifestyles.

This thesis was inspired by the Dale Prize winners in 2018, Mr. James Rojas who created his methodology, “PLACE IT,” to increase public-engagement and Dr. Anna

Kim, who created a studio to plan for immigrant integrations in Norcross, Virginia. As a first-generation Coptic Egyptian immigrant, and due to the increasing number of Coptic immigrants in the last decades and especially in the last eight years in southern

California, the researcher couldn’t help but follow the same concepts as Mr. Rojas and

Dr. Kim, but rather with the Coptic immigrant in southern California. Newcomers have many concerns, needs, and interests and they need somebody to help them express their needs in the cities where they live. Before they can advocate for people, planners must first listen to and understand their perspectives. During the journey researching for the

Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), this writer discovered a gap that exists within urban and regional planning activities—the involvement of all members within a

1 community to reach consensus and align under a shared community vision. Community input was missing in many of the processes that form objectives and strategies. Involving the community and maintaining transparency are two of the main goals of any project.

The many lessons learned in the MURP have provided the necessary tools in place to close the gap of the Coptic community involvement in planning activities and projects.

Establishing a channel of communication with the Coptic community is only the first step to raise their awareness to their possible and critical role in any future planning decisions.

“Passion will move men beyond themselves, beyond their shortcomings, beyond their failures.” (Campbell, 2018).

While much research has been conducted on specific immigrant groups in southern California, such as Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, and Latinos, little to no research exists for Middle Eastern immigrants, especially Coptic Egyptians. No studies, to date, have been conducted to understand the experience of first, second, and third generation

Coptic immigrants. No one has studied how they integrate into their cities, or determined their needs, interests, and concerns. This study aims to fill the gap of insufficient research on Coptic immigrant integration in southern California.

The most important factor in any community is its residents. They are often the true visionaries. Housing, buildings, structures, and roads in local communities are no longer the single influence in forming urban planners’ objectives (Kim, 2015).

Immigrants enhance the cultural fabric of a community in different ways, bringing in new ideas, language, art, music, fashion, etiquette, and food. The United States is one of the blessed countries in the world because it is a true melting pot. Many different races of

2 immigrants in this country, such as Latinos, Asians, African Americans, and Middle

Easterners, live together in harmony, especially in southern California.

Encouraging Coptic immigrant’s participation and involvement in the city will increase their sense of pride and belonging. As Jane Jacob encouraged, a city should be created by everyone so that it can provide something to everyone (Jacobs, 1961). A city’s leaders and planners need to communicate with immigrants to avoid misunderstandings.

They also need to be familiar with residents’ culture and traditions, while respecting differences. Through the successful integration of immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and natives, communities will reach a healthy, sustainable, resiliency.

Cities like Los Angeles were built by planning, not experience. As Harvey argues, the “right to the city” is not just a right to citizenship but a mutual struggle (Le

Gates, 2016). Social equity, including immigrant integration, is actually good for regional economies. “When you don’t have that basic understanding of people of diverse backgrounds then you end up making very bad policy and you end up buying into the demonization and the fear of something that is different” (Roybal-Allard, 2016).

While urban and regional planning work toward building community consensus through stakeholders’ involvement, the Coptic community lacks access to the channels of communication to support this goal. The Coptic community is a religious community at heart. The church provides them a place to socialize and receive church and community announcements via priests and service leaders. It also provides a way to stay connected with their roots as they make the transition to becoming more American. While language barriers, cultural attitudes, and efforts to satisfy basic needs play a role in the Coptic community’s lack of participation, most members of the community are not even aware it

3 is possible to participate in urban planning, which is likely the main cause for their lack of involvement. There are many ways to spark the Coptic immigrants’ interest to become involved, take part in the community vision and contribute to urban and regional planning.

In this thesis, the hypothesis is that new Coptic immigrants are unaware of how to get involved in American society and decision making. As we learned in our Master of

Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) studies, democracy and participation is essential.

Planners learn from past mistakes—specifically, that discrimination ignores the voices of different cultures within a community. It is unfortunate that while many preach democracy, equality, and diversity, they are far from truly practicing building united communities.

This thesis has two goals. First, to accurately identify the Coptic immigrant community. Second, to provide an analysis of the gathered information of (the surveys, interviews, and focus groups). The integration of Coptic people live all over in many different cities and communities will be examined from socioeconomic, cultural, and political perspectives. Based on this analysis, recommendations can then be made to city leaders in southern California regarding what the Coptic immigrant community needs in order to be active members of the cities where they live and become involved members in civic, political, and economic life.

This thesis includes quantitative data analysis, including census data, and literary reviews, in Chapters 1 through 3, as well as quantitative and qualitative research, such as surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus groups in Chapters 4 through 6.

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Research Questions and Hypothesis

Are Coptic immigrants integrated into their communities and cities? How well have they integrated? What are their interests, needs, and concerns? How can city planners incorporate their concerns and help them be more integrated into their communities?

Immigrants

Immigrants are key elements for all nations. The migration of people prevails in creating unique urban places. Places such as these have the potential to contribute to economic growth and to become attractive cultural destinations. However, the integration, success and advancement of such places is dependent on the existing residents’ willingness to welcome immigrants and engage with them (Boudin, 2011).

According to Saunders’ book, Arrival City, we need to seriously consider the needs of immigrant communities in urban areas. He points out that "our debates about immigration are too often concerned with questions of what should happen, what ought to be allowed; we devote far too little to planning for what will occur." He further asserts that immigrant arrival cities need strong and proactive governments that are willing to spend necessary funds to help achieve much needed social mobility. Saunders and others suggest immigrants engaged in a monumental struggle to find basic and lasting places in their new communities are likely to be one of the defining political events of this century.

He also suggests that governments that fail to adequately address the needs of new urban immigrants will like pay the price well into this 21st century (Boudin, 2011).

Integral to the history of the U.S. is the notion that anything is possible, and that education and hard work can lead to opportunities and success (Miller, 2018). It is what

5 continues to draw bright and hard-working immigrants today. They come in search of freedom and to escape poverty and persecution, be it political or religious. These are the ideals that are celebrated every Independence Day (Miller, 2018).

According to the American Immigration Council, “since the seventeenth century,

California has welcomed immigrants and brought them into the greater community.

Those communities allowed their newest members to contribute to the economy and society. Such integration allows for the growth of new members, as they learn a new language and way of life, as well within the communities, which benefit from fresh ideas and a willing addition to the workforce.” (American Immigration Council, 2017).

The U.S. is a nation built by immigrants (Miller, 2018). From 1990 to 2000,

California was the first of the top five states by absolute and percent growth in immigrant population (Zong, Batalova, & Halloc, 2018). From 2000 to 2016, California was the second of the top five states (Zong, Batalova, & Halloc, 2018) (Table 1). In California’s metropolitan areas in 2015, at least one in six business owners was an immigrant.

Immigrants accounted for 40.2 % of business owners in the Los Angeles/Long

Beach/Anaheim metro area, California, FCA. In 2015, 10.7 million immigrants comprised 27.3 percent of the population (Miller, 2018).

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Table 1. Top Five States in Immigration Growth (1990-2000) & (2000-2016)

1990-2000 2000-2016 Rank State Absolute Growth State Absolute Growth

1 California 2,410,000 Texas 1,830,000 2 Texas 1,380,000 California 1,810,000 3 New York 1,020,000 Florida 1,570,000 4 Florida 1,010,000 New York 670,000 5 Illinois 580,000 New Jersey 540,000

(Zong, Batalova, & Halloc, 2018)

The diversity of cultures in southern California has increased in the last few decades, mainly due to strong waves of immigration. How a city looks and feels should reflect its residents’ culture and artistic tastes. The residents are a communities’ living representatives, and they affect the city, just as they are affected by it. So, they must participate in their community. One cannot help but admire Mr. Rojas, the Dale Prize winner in 2018, who has advocated for the Latino community. He examined the Latino cultural influences on urban design and sustainability. He created a methodology,

“PLACE IT”, to help Latinos participate and describe what their city should look like. He also developed an innovative public engagement and community-visioning method that uses art-making as its medium to engage, educate, and empower the public on transportation, housing, open space, and health issues (Kanarinka, 2012). A great example of immigrants’ inclusion in community decisions is how Latinos have created their own urban forum. Latinos paint their front porches and houses with bright colors and often display statues of Saint Mary in their front yards, acknowledging their Catholic religious beliefs. In addition, Mr. Rojas stated, “The Enacted Environment has become a

7 seminal reference on how to understand Latino immigrant communities across the U.S. and bridge the gap between standard planning approaches and these communities.” Dr.

Kim, the other Dale prize winner, stated that immigrants “want more of the same things as native-born residents, to build safe places to live, access to jobs, chances to spend time with family and friends, and educational opportunities for their children.” Also, she stated that “if the city leaders are willing to put in the time, energy, and humility to engage with and listen to immigrants, the whole community will be much healthier and stronger”

(Kim, et al., 2015).

Planners need to work with all newcomers to find out their needs. It is a difficult goal to accomplish, as Dr. Kim stated: “in America, the historical default has been to see new immigrants as threats to such valued qualities, rather than possible additions to them.” Education is becoming more important in planning. Not only is citizen engagement important, but the way the community is educated and informed needs to be addressed. Planners have always had a complicated task of keeping up to date with current laws and community ideologies, but most importantly, they must enhance their skills in educating a community and addressing residents’ needs when planning communities (Figure 1).

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Figure 1. Residents Are the Most Important Factor in Any Community

As John Randolph stated in his book, Environmental Land Use Planning and

Management, “building community consensus through stakeholders’ involvement and collaborative planning is part of each of the preceding planning activities.” He continues to state, “Ecosystem management has the following basic principles: primary objective for ecosystem health and biodiversity; long-term time horizon and ecosystem scale; scientific assessment and analysis; stakeholder involvement since human and society are part of ecosystems; integrated public and private solutions; and adaptive management.”

(Randolph, 2012).

According to Matt Rosenburg, most of the immigrants to the United States are young adults seeking opportunities for better futures. In fact, statistics show the immigrant population increasing faster than the native-born population. Native-born mothers are having less babies than foreign-born mothers. Estimates indicate immigrants will make up 19% of the population by 2060 compared to 13% in 2014 (Rosenberg,

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2018). Estimates also show that by 2044, more than half of the population will belong to a minority group (Rosenberg, 2018). The flood of young immigrants might also help support the aging native-born population of the United States. Immigrants also help revitalize distressed neighborhoods by opening new businesses, buying homes, building churches, and investing in improvements, which create mixed-income neighborhoods that attract others seeking opportunities and home-ownership (Rosenberg, 2018).

Immigrants have always been an integral part of the social, economic, and civic makeup of California. In fact, statistics show that immigrants living in California produce about one-third of the state’s Gross Domestic Product, which is about $715 billion each year. Southern California will be greater by the integrations of their residents (The James

Irvine Foundation).

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

An exploration of issues related to immigrant integration is necessary for a complete understanding of the context and need for this study. A review of the existing literature will assist in developing the scope of the research by shedding light on gaps in research pertaining to this topic. The following literature review outlines research studies on immigrant participation, considering what has worked for other ethnic immigration groups and how it relates to Coptic Egyptians.

Fieldwork Among Mexican Migrants

Planners should listen to immigrants so that they may become effective advocates for them. David Fitzgerald’s study, Towards a Theoretical Ethnography of Migration

Qualitative Sociology, is a good example of the importance of planners work with immigrants. The seemingly everlasting fascination with migration has led ethnographers to discover new importance of ethnographic fieldwork. David Fitzgerald himself, delves into ethnographies of migration using local archival work as well as consistent revisits to the field to create a further historical understanding of issues facing ethnographer’s migration. He attempts to argue for fieldwork in various locations to analyze different migrants’ origin, as well as destinations while removing variables such as national blinders to maintain consistent comparisons between the varying points of interest. His final point of discussion stresses demonstrating how accurately research programs reflect upon the extended case method in migration studies. His advocating of the interaction of case studies with research programs is fundamental to emphasize the qualities of the case.

Qualities that are substantiated through examples of migration literature and years of ethnographic fieldwork amongst migrants of Mexican origin (Fitzgerald, 2006).

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Mexican Immigrant Participation

Alvaro Huerta and Alfonso Morales examined immigrant participation by Latino immigrants within a grassroots organization as well as the methodology of their participation as activists while also occupying the role of gardeners for income. The formation of Association of Latin American Gardeners of Los Angeles, or ALAGLA, increased immigrant participation in society, resulting in more engagement, education of the political process, direct action, adaptations to technological advances, and marketing.

Their participation through their communities has influenced public opinion as well as city leaders to improve work conditions by removing ordinances that inhibited their income potential. The emphasis of immigrant participation within one sector of immigrant populations inspires the possibility of unions with other marginalized immigrant communities in an effort to improve not only individual status, but also their quality of life for themselves and future generations to come (Huerta & Morales).

Diverse Stakeholders

This study emphasizes the importance of diverse stakeholders. Organizers ought to have the capacity to access diverse stakeholders to comprehend their points of view.

By forcing students to mingle and gain knowledge through unconventional methods, the educators themselves had to approach teaching in a radical manner in their attempts to establish reasonable expectation without being unrealistic in the amount of work students can complete within a term. The educators were positively astounded by their students’ attempts to go above and beyond in their efforts to gain a fuller understanding of their studies. One example is students taking personal initiative to conduct interviews when

12 they were not required to do so (Mukhija, Vinit and Loukaitou-Sideris, & Anastasia,

2014).

Participation of Second-Generation Immigrants

In the New Second Generation, Portes and Zhou examine post-1965 United States second-generation immigrant populations. They also study the forms of participation that are taken by the various immigrant populations using case studies and they draw conclusions on the matters that face current second-generation immigrant populations.

This second-generation group consisted primarily of the children of immigrants and was analyzed through observations of segmented assimilation or rather, divisions of culture absorption. Portes and Zhou presented data is presented regarding second-generation immigrants to establish the assorted consequences of this type of assimilation. (Portes &

Zhou,1993).

Parent Integration

This case study attempts to analyze the engagement between parents and immigrant participation with Latino immigrant families and schools in California. Interviews conducted with participants disclose motives behind personal leadership development and why Latino immigrants chose to be active in the first place when there was no other incentive besides self-satisfaction. The rise of activism among immigrant populations, especially by women, seems to emphasize an underlying factor of parent participation at schools of predominantly Latino students, which results in a positive correlation between participation of Latino parents and the quality of education for their children (Jasis, Pablo

M., & Ordonez-Jasis, Rosario, 2012).

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Asian Immigrant’s Acculturation Attitude in the USA

A study by Baek, Choi, and Thomas examined acculturation attitude and its relation to social support among Asian immigrants. The data was collected from 242

Korean, Indian, and Filipino immigrants in the U.S. using the Acculturation Attitude

Scale and the Social Support Index. Findings showed that Koreans had fewer positive attitudes toward acculturation than did Indian and Filipino participants. Acculturation attitude was positively correlated with education level and English fluency. This study also found a negative correlation between acculturation attitude and social support. Social support from friends and English fluency were identified as significant predictor variables in determining the level of acculturation attitude. These findings not only contribute to ‘social work’ education and practice but also increase cultural sensitivity and awareness in working with these populations (Baek Choi & Thomas, 2009).

As findings will demonstrate in Chapters 4 and 5, educational level and English fluency are two of the major factors for Coptic peoples’ integration into their community.

In the theory of acculturation, there are four factors: assimilation, separation, integration, and marginalization (Berry, 1997). The first wave of Copts who immigrated in the 1950s and 1970s exemplified very good integration. Following the definition of integration, these Copts adopted the American culture, while also maintaining their own culture. The second wave of Coptic immigrants, in the 1990s when the US established the

Immigration Act of 1990 that granted 55,000 immigrant visas at random, continued to have successful integration. But after the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 and the 2008 recession, factors such as language barriers, discrimination, and the economic recession slowed their integration. The third wave, after the 2011 revolution in Egypt, was affected

14 by a competitive job market and political policies, which made it difficult for Coptic immigrants to transfer skills, earn equivalency licenses, and work in their preferred fields.

Egyptian Integration in Egypt After The 2011 Revolution

One of the case studies that was conducted in Egypt shows how the Coptic

Christians in Egypt started to become more involved politically and socially after the revolution of 2011. Professor Mai Mujeeb of Cairo University states that, although some positive social indicators emerged during and after the revolution, showing signs of political and social integration of Copts with the Egyptian population as a whole, the

Islamic majority formed a parliament and presidency based on the segregation and exclusion of Copts in every government branch and institution. As they formed their parliament with the ultimate goal to base state on the Islamic sharia, the relationship between society and state continues to form in Egypt and the political and social integration of the country’s Copts remains in question. Professor Mujeeb’s analysis asks the following questions: “Have recent developments in Egypt been dealt with in a manner reinforcing the inclusion of Copts? Or have these developments intersected with an inherited legacy that produces further obstacles to the political and social integration of

Copts?” She attempts to answer these questions by “relying on the examination of the triangular relationship between the Egyptian Regime, the Church, and the Coptic

Christians, as well as by analyzing the social relationship between Copts and Muslims in

Egypt.” She concludes that even though the barrier of fear has been destroyed, these changes have not yet led to overcoming the obstacles that prevent the full political and social integration of Coptic Egyptians (Omran, 2013).

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CHAPTER 3: COPTIC EGYPTIAN

According to the International Organization for Migration (2010), 71% of the

Egyptian diaspora live in other Arab countries. The number of Egyptians living in western countries, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, is estimated to be 533,000, making up the remaining 29%. “As with most diasporas, the

Coptic diasporas estimate their numbers to be much higher than official estimates, since most receiving nations do not list the numbers of incoming immigrants based on religion”

(Brinkerhoff, 2014).

The second half of the 20th century was when the majority of Copts migrated to the western world. In the mid-1950s, the first Copts settled in southern California, and by the 1970s, the first Coptic Orthodox Church, Saint Mark opened its doors in Los Angeles

(Chaillot, 2009).

There have been three waves of Coptic immigrants to the United States. The first wave began in the mid-1960s with the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, which eliminated the quota system and encouraged reuniting families and attracting skilled labor. The second wave began in 1990 when the U.S. established the Immigration

Act of 1990 that randomly granted 55,000 immigrant visas. The third and current wave began in 2011 and is still continuing due to economic reasons and the life-threatening conditions for Coptic Christian in Egypt.

History and Statistics of Coptic Egyptian in the U.S.

According to Levinson & Ember, the number of Copts is not accurately known, because most statistics do not distinguish them from Muslim Egyptians. However, in the

1970 U.S. Census, Copts were estimated to be about 25,000 of the 31,358 Egyptian

16 immigrants recorded. Those in the 20 to 45 age range constitute most of the population, and Copts less than 15 years of age make up the second largest group (Levinson &

Ember, 1997).

According to Mona Mikhael, the most recent group who migrated to the U.S. are

Egyptian immigrant (Mikhael, 2018). The majority of Egyptians live in New Jersey, New

York, California, Illinois, Florida, and Texas. According to U.S. census data, the

Egyptian immigrant population was 78,574 in 1990, 142,832 in 2000, and 197,160 in

2010, 248,000 in 2013, and 256,071 in 2016 (Figure 2). According to the interview of the

Consul General of Egypt with Dr. Mahfouz Gereis on the Coptic Orthodox channel,

Logos TV, in L.A. on March 2nd, 2018, the number of Egyptians, Muslims and

Christians combined, is estimated to be 400,000 in California.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, the cities of Los Angeles, Long

Beach and Anaheim combined had the highest number of new Egyptian immigrants between 2012 to 2016 with about 20,000. Los Angeles County and Orange County had

13,500, and 6,900 respectively. The cities of Riverside, San Bernardino and Ontario combined had around 6,000 Egyptian immigrants, followed by San Bernardino County with 3,400. San Diego County had the least, with little less than 2,000 Egyptian immigrants (Table 2). The unauthorized Egyptian immigrant population from 2012 to

2016 was around 31,000 throughout the U.S.; about 6,000 were in California; with around 2,000 Egyptian immigrants in Los Angeles county (The Migration Policy

Institute) (Table 3).

17 Egyptians Population in US

300,000 256,071 250,000

197,160 200,000

150,000 142,832

100,000 78,574

50,000

0 1990 U.S. Census 2000 U.S. Census 2010 U.S. Census 2016 U.S. Census

Figure 2. Egyptian Population in the U.S. (Census data)

Table 2. Egyptian Immigrant in the U.S.A.& Southern California (2012-2016)

AREA Egyptian Immigrants 2012-2016 USA 176,000 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 20,000 Los Angeles County 13,500 Orange County 6,900 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 6,000 San Bernardino County 3,400 San Diego County 2,000

(The Migration Policy Institute)

18

Table 3. Unauthorized Egyptian Immigrant in the U.S.A., CA, and LA (2012-2016)

Unauthorized Egyptians Immigrants AREA 2012-2016 USA 31,000 California State 6,000 Los Angeles County 2,000

(The Migration Policy Institute)

The Census Bureau’s first effort to focus on the African foreign-born population from 2008 to 2012, reported that among the ten metro areas with the largest African-born populations, Egyptians were the largest group and constituted a high proportion of the

African-born in Los Angeles. Also, data shows that sixty-four percent of Egyptian-born individuals had a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census Bureau, 2014).

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “from 2014 through

2016, immigrants from Asia and the Middle East have made up the vast majority of those granted refugee status, with 45,331 arriving from Myanmar and 42,325 people from

Iraq.” People from Egypt account for the second-largest group, with 5,311 refugees, after

China.

According to The Making of a Diocese by Elhamy Khalil, who in 1959 was one of the first Coptic immigrants to the U.S., many Egyptians have been unwilling to move.

However, their views seemed to have changed after World War II, as they began to look abroad for better education and jobs. They started immigrating to Europe, and then to other countries around the world, including the United States. Dr. Khalil believes that the need for professionals in North America and Australia, as well as a stagnant Egyptian

19 economy in the 1950s, both encouraged many to move to new lands. “The liberalization of immigration policies towards people of non-European descent accelerated the immigration from Egypt to Canada, the U.S.A. and Australia, from the mid-1960’s onward. The number of newcomers increased dramatically after the 1967 Middle East

War.”

Dr. Khalil believes that the first Coptic immigrant group in southern California in

1963 was around 100 people. Gradually, the number started to increase to about 3,000 persons by 1973, reaching 35,000 in 1990. In 1990, the U.S. established the Immigration

Act of 1990 which randomly granted 55,000 immigrant visas from around the world, including Egypt. Since then, the Coptic immigrant numbers have increased. By the year

2000, the Coptic immigrants were estimated to number 55,000 and 75,000 in 2010. After the Egyptian revolution in January 2011, the immigration wave grew, with the Coptic immigrants totaling about 85,000 by 2015 and 100,00 so far in 2018 (Figure 3).

Coptic Population in Southern CA 120,000

100,000 100,000 85,000 80,000 75,000 65,000 60,000 55,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 5,000 100 1,000 3,000 0 1963 1968 1973 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2018

Figure 3. Estimated Number of Copts In Southern California (Khalil 2018)

20 According to Candace Lukasik’s interview with Dr. Saad, “in 2013, 248,000

Copts migrated to the U.S.” (Migration policy institution). According to Census Bureau’s data about Egyptian immigration in the U.S., indicates that 75% of the Egyptian population in the United States are Egyptian Christians and 25% Egyptian Muslim. This is the inverse of the population ratio of Egypt, where Copts make up only 10% of the population. Also, she said “About 4,988 people were selected for the Visa lottery from

Egypt alone.”

Furthermore, in her interview with Dr. Saad, Dr. Lukasik stated that most of the

Copts nowadays are trying to apply for a green card lottery. Discrimination at the occupational level gives Copts a level of motivation to leave Egypt. Over the past eight years, the increased attacks against Christian in Egypt created a general sense of fear of what might happen to them and future generations to come.

Coptic Immigrant Socioeconomic Integration

“Integration refers to the newcomers who should become members of the receiving society and the society closely and intensely links its constituent parts, both groups and individuals” (Frideres, 2008).

When new Coptic immigrants first arrive in southern California, many of them take simple jobs, such as working in gas stations, liquor stores, cashiers in fast food restaurants, or working as security guards. There are many reasons for working simple jobs, some of which include having no paperwork, meaning they work for employers who accept the risk and pay them low wages in return. They also tend to work these types of jobs while studying for professional licenses or improving their job skills to be

21 desirable in a competitive job market. The economic recession has affected Copts just as it has for all Americans.

Coptic businesses span across all over southern California, concentrated in the

San Fernando Valley, Glendale, West LA and Torrance in Los Angeles County, and

Huntington Beach and Anaheim in Orange County. Copts open a wide variety of businesses, such as accounting, tax and payroll services, law offices, medical offices, engineering services, real estate businesses, grocery stores, and restaurants (Figure 4).

22

Figure 4. GIS Map, Some of The Coptic Businesses in Southern California (Coptic Directory 2016)

23

Coptic Christians are so happy to have the freedom to buy or build a new church in southern California, as opposed to in Egypt where it is difficult and dangerous to do so.

The Coptic faith is considered the “hidden faith” because it has been culturally smothered in Egypt. The Coptic American church enjoys the right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion. They have opened their doors to surrounding communities where they now pray most of the divine liturgy in the English rather than Arabic or Coptic as a way to teach others about the Orthodox Christian faith. Furthermore, second-generation immigrants and converted Americans prefer their own Coptic church because they prefer to have the prayers only in English instead of in three languages (Coptic, Arabic and

English).

Copts invite Americans to their churches and welcome them. In fact, there is a growing presence of American born members in established churches, as well as in the new mission churches in the United States (Telushkin, 2018). The church has a plan to integrate into American society by inviting Americans to attend the church. However, the use of English, Arabic, and Coptic is a significant barrier to more integration with the surrounding American society. After the 2011 revolution, the increased number of Coptic immigrants from Egypt has significantly changed the church demographics abroad. Sam

Tadros, a fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., who writes widely on modern Coptic identity, estimates that over 18% of ethnic Copts now live outside of

Egypt (Telushkin, 2018).

There are efforts underway to integrate the Coptic Orthodox Church and the

Catholic Church. According to Father Samaan, “His Grace Bishop Serapion, of the U.S. western diocese, along with delegation of bishops, accompanied his Holiness Pope

24

Tawadros II to the Vatican with a historic visit to meet His Holiness Pope Francis of the

Roman Catholic Church in 2013. Then, Pope Francis' trip to Egypt in 2017 was marked by a significant step forward in ecumenical relations between the two churches. In a joint declaration signed April 28, by both popes, the two churches agreed that they would not hold baptisms for members of one church wishing to join the other” (McElwee, 2017)

(Figure 5).

Figure 5. Pope Francis & Pope Tawadros (2017) (Painted by Marcelle Meshreky)

Most Coptic Egyptians in California live in Los Angeles and Orange counties. In fact, most Egyptians considered it a priority to be near a church when looking for a home.

This helps them assure that their children grow up with religious teachings. There are nearly 300 parishes in the United States that serve the expanding Coptic Orthodox population. According to the Coptic Diocese of southern California, there are nearly 50

25 parishes in California, 44 churches in southern California and Hawaii and another eight

Coptic churches in northern California.

Established in 1970, Saint Mark was the first Coptic church in Los Angles. A second church was built in 1975; then a third church was established in 1980. Due to the increasing number of Coptic Christians in the Los Angeles area, many more new churches have been established since 1980. Ten years later, in 1990, there were 13 Coptic churches. The number of Coptic churches is growing in proportion to the Coptic population in southern California. By 2005, the total number of churches had increased to

28. Following the Egyptian revolution in 2011, with the Coptic population increased dramatically, the total number of churches kept pace. By 2015, the total jumped to 40 churches. As of 2018, there are 44 established Coptic Christian churches (Figures 6 & 7).

No. of Coptic Churches in Southern CA

50 44 45 40 40 33 35 31 30 28 25 22 20 15 15 13 10 5 3 5 1 2 0 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2008 2010 2015 2018

Figure 6. Number of Coptic Churches in Southern California (Coptic Diocese of southern California)

26 Figure 7. GIS Map of Coptic Churches in Southern California (Coptic Diocese of southern California)

27 Coptic Immigrant Cultural Integration

“Cultural integration is a form of cultural exchange in which one group assumes the beliefs, practices and rituals of another group without sacrificing the characteristics of its own culture” (ACCO Association 2018).

Coptic immigrants preserve their culture in their churches, homes, businesses, food, music, and fashion. They are proud of who they are and where they come from.

Egyptians reshape public spaces beyond southern California. They use and alter the spatial and visual landscape to fit their economic, social, and cultural needs. For example, when building homes, Egyptian may compromise on the size of a front yard to maximize the interior living space to achieve a ‘great room’ space, which is common in most houses and apartments in Egypt. Being larger than traditional American living rooms,

Egyptian great rooms are necessary to host family and friends. Regular gatherings of family and friends is an important part of Egyptian life and Egyptians consider their hospitality unequalled. They also like to have balconies to talk to their neighbors and watch the streets below. When they build new homes, they often copy façades with columns and balconies like those found in Egypt – not so much to show their wealth, but because it’s such an integral part of their culture and pride. Egyptians want to tell the world that they have the most famous civilization. They are not a ‘third world’ people as one might think. That ‘third world’ perception from outsiders emanates from the extreme hardships they have faced in the last few decades (Figure 8).

In Egypt, extended family typically live in family homes. Here in the U.S.,

‘Family home’ usually means three or more generations live together in the same building but on different floors with separate kitchens and bathrooms. This is similar to

28 apartments, but the same family occupies the entire building. Egyptians often invite their parents to come to the U.S. and live with them in the same home. Many Egyptians wish to have larger homes but home prices in California do not allow them to realize this dream. A multi-family home is a dream for many Coptic immigrants.

Figure 8. Egyptian Home in LA, Egyptian Home in Egypt (Left photo by Ashraf Hanna)

Coptic immigrants consider different factors in deciding to settle and stay somewhere. For example, they generally look for a safe neighborhood, within close proximity to the church, that is also affordable and near good schools. Coptic Egyptians consider themselves religious, which should be obvious by building churches everywhere they settle. Coptic Christian churches are always built with domes. The correlation between domes and religious buildings comes from an ancient Egyptian legend of the goddess “Nut” as the ‘dome of heaven’ (Figure 9). While they take pride in their culture,

Coptic Egyptians are in America for a better lifestyle that is free of discrimination, low

29 standards of living, and sexism. Naturalized Coptic immigrants are proud to be

Americans just as they are proud of being Egyptians.

Figure 9. Saint Anthony Monastery, Newberry Springs CA & The goddess “Nut” Right photo Seawright C., (2012)

Coptic immigrants help their community by opening free medical offices in their churches and helping the homeless. Copts almost always reduce the crime in any area they settle. For example, St George Church in Bellflower encourages many Egyptian to live close by the church. Many long-time area residents say that crime has decreased since Egyptian immigrant have settled in the area. Coming from third world countries, where laws and living standards are much, different teaches Coptic immigrants to not take anything for granted. They also relate well to those in need and value opportunity.

First generations Copts prefer to marry within the Coptic church. Those that marry non-Coptic Americans introduce their new spouse to the Coptic church and teach them Coptic church beliefs. Most, but not all, Egyptian Copts tend to be conservative and prefer that their children marry within the Coptic church, but second and third generation immigrants are more likely to marry Americans outside the Coptic Church.

30 The Coptic Church community hosts an annual carnival, where art, food, music, and interactive games are shared with the non-Coptic public. With these carnivals, local people in the communities can learn about Coptic Egyptian culture and enjoy a day out, while the church puts the revenue to good use helping the poor and needy in the surrounding area. These events enhance the cultural fabric in communities tremendously.

Locals can make new friends, become more involved and willing to help others in need.

They are often inspired to help make their community a positive, pleasant place to live.

The carnival introduces a level of understanding and acceptance of various cultures, helping people connect with and make friends with people from other cultures. They also begin to support and learn from each other.

The Coptic community in the United States has a high percentage of professionals with at least bachelor’s degrees. The reason for this is a traditional belief that they can be successful only if they achieve the highest possible level of education. Coptic churches encourage their young people, beginning with kindergarten and they celebrate graduations in the church. The church encourages all levels of education.

While many Coptic immigrants hold higher educational degrees, many are still in the working class. There is a learning curve to American culture, laws, rules, and language such that many immigrants feel overwhelmed in their first few years residing in the U.S.

It takes a great deal of effort for immigrants to learn a new language and culture, adapt to a new labor market, and to cut old ties and forge new ones. They do all this while looking for work, trying to find affordable housing and studying for professional licenses and degrees, and while this while still taking care of their family’s essential needs.

31 Coptic Immigrant Political Integration

The Coptic community is passionate about their life in America. Coming from a country that’s new to democracy, escaping discrimination and oppression makes one appreciate, embrace and value the many freedoms granted under the American

Constitution. Coptic Americans are passionate about community, want to be part of it and to exercise their freedom. It is important to have their voices heard and to become part of the decision-making process. Egyptians are a revolutionary community and some here helped to overthrow the dictatorship in Egypt, a goal that at the time seemed too great to accomplish, but through passion and dedication was fought and accomplished.

After the revolution in 2011, many Egyptian showed more interest in politics here in the U.S. and in Egypt. Many Egyptians began voting in Egyptian presidential elections even though they are in California and must go to the Egyptian embassy to cast their votes. Also, once they become naturalized, they vote in American elections as well.

Challenges

Since the early 1970s Coptic communities grew mostly in New Jersey and

Southern California. With the cost of living rising steeply in the last several years, life has become difficult even for wealthy families, putting up new barriers for immigrants who do not have any degrees, certificates or legal status to work in this country. Between

2010 and 2011, the number of Egyptians seeking asylum in the U.S. doubled, with many arriving on tourist visas and applying for asylum (Bruce, 2013).

Furthermore, Egyptian immigrants face several difficulties upon arrival from

Egypt. One example is coming on a tourist or student visa not being able to get a work permit. Another obstacle is the language barrier. Most Egyptians learn British English in

32 schools, which adds a challenge trying to understand American accents. At the same time, it is hard for many Americans to understand Egyptian accents. This difficulty communicating can create some feelings of exclusion.

The majority of Egyptian immigrants since 1990 received their visas through the lottery. Coptic Christians arriving today are different from previous generations in that they are less educated with fewer professional degrees and more are coming from rural areas. One explanation for this trend is the rise of global communication and modern air travel. These things combine to make it easier for less educated, rural Coptic Christians to make their way out of Egypt. (Dickinson, 2018).

Coptic immigrants, like other immigrants, leave their countries for better opportunities and a higher standard of living that comes with higher wages. Another main challenge facing new immigrants with children is expensive preschool. With such low wages, most of their income would go to the preschool, so many mothers stay at home to care for their children. Staying home affects their ability to integrate into society. To solve this problem, many parents volunteer in their children’s schools to offset the cost and begin to integrate. Then, after gaining some experience, they can apply for work in preschools.

One of the biggest challenges facing Coptic newcomers is getting a driver’s license. It is difficult even if they were driving in Egypt because there are almost no traffic rules, unlike in California where there are many rules of the road. So, they must learn to drive all over again applying all the rules in the U.S. in order to get a license.

Until they have a license, there are limited transportation options to get around the city and complete basics tasks or errands.

33 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH METHODS

This thesis includes quantitative data analysis, including Census data, literature review, and surveys as well as qualitative research including interviews and focus groups

(Figure 10). Volunteer sampling, a non-probability-based sampling method, such as surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus groups. In total, 150 participants, one hundred and fifteen participants in short four-minute surveys, twenty individuals completed face to face, in-depth interviews of about 30 to 45 minutes each. 15 participated in three focus groups, two with first generation immigrants, and one second-generation immigrants.

Interviews were conducted with church leaders and members of the congregations.

The reason for using triangulation methods, even though some questions were repeated, is to eliminate as much bias as possible and collect a large sample of data for analysis and discussion to find a common theme from the three methods. Participants included first-generation newcomers, second and third generation Copts, church and community leaders, business owners, and leaders of immigrant nonprofit organization

(Figure 11).

The thesis presents data regarding recent population changes in the study area of southern California for Coptic Egyptians of both sexes, all at least 18 years and arriving between the years 1959 and 2018 (Figure 12).

34

Figure 10. Research Methods

Figure 11. Triangulation Methods

35

Figure 12. GIS Map of southern California

36

Research Design and Methodology

Participants were selected through advertisements and informational flyers placed in local churches (Appendix A). Participants were also recruited using snowball sampling techniques, including referrals from priests and internet postings on Facebook (Appendix

B). Some were recruited through personal announcements at various local meetings at church and throughout the community. Participants were not reimbursed for participation in this study and all identifying information remains confidential. Also, the online survey was anonymous. Participants had to sign consent forms before any data could be collected (Appendixes C&D). In the in-depth, face-to-face interview and focus groups, the researcher asked a series of predetermined questions. These questions ranged from challenges, interests, and concerns regarding their experiences as immigrants, followed by any recommendations they might have to improve immigrant integration (Appendices

E, F&G).

The online surveys, the semi-structured, in-person interviews, and focus groups were conducted over a two-week period from October 14th, 2018 to October 28th, 2018.

Before the recruitment and data collection phases began, the researcher obtained approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) (Appendix H). Also, His Eminence,

Metropolitan Serapion, the first bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles and southern California, emailed his approval of conducting the survey, interviews, and the focus group in many of the Coptic churches in southern California (Appendix I).

Sample Frame and Recruitment Techniques

Information was collected about the Coptic Egyptian population living in southern

California using an online survey, face-to-face interviews, and focus groups. The interview took place at a location convenient to the participants or at church following 37 mass on Sunday. Each person was screened, and the qualified participants were briefed with detailed descriptions of the study’s purpose and design and they were asked to choose an interview time most convenient for them. Both the researcher and participants agreed on a time and a private location for the interview to ensure confidentiality. Also, the researcher collected contact information by making announcements at the church, where participants could sign up. The researcher posted the flyer on Facebook and on church bulletin boards. Flyers were also distributed at the start and end of church services. The researcher attended as many different church’s services as possible to reach as statistically significant number of participants as possible. Surveys, interviews and focus groups did not include any personally identifying information. All the questions were general information and all the data was sent directly to a secure Google document account (Gmail). The writer was solely responsible for collecting the data and explaining to each participant. The survey was announced in the churches. Also, the survey, interview and focus group questions were translated into Arabic for the newcomers to southern California that do not yet speak English.

Participants did not receive any direct benefits from participating in the interviews, focus groups, or surveys. However, their responses may help us learn more about Coptic immigrant integration in southern California (CIISC), We also note the

Coptic individuals’ and church leaders’ concerns, interests, and needs, and measure their integration in the community. Most importantly, they participate in discussions and analyses of the gathered information. Based on the findings, the researcher made recommendations to city leaders in several southern California cities.

38

Procedures

Before recruitment and data collection phases began, the researcher obtained approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), assuring compliance with informed consent (Appendix C&D), confidentiality, and all other research procedures. For recruitment, the researcher outlined participation requirements and expectations for the study, including screening criteria, demographic questions, the 30 to 45-minute in-depth interviews and focus groups.

To help maintain confidentiality, at the time of the interview, participants were asked to choose an alias as an identifier instead of their names. Each participant was reminded that they could choose to withdraw from the study at any time during the study.

Once the researcher received each participant’s verbal and written informed consent to be interviewed and audiotaped for transcription purposes, the interview or focus group began. No interview or focus group took place without a signed informed consent form from each participant.

The next step was to connect with the leaders and nonprofit organization that work closely with Coptic immigrant communities to gain an understanding of the needs and frustrations of outreach efforts to the communities they serve. Also, the researcher conducted in-depth, open-ended interviews with Coptic immigrants who live and work in southern California. In addition, she conducted three focus groups, two with first generation, newcomers, and one with second generation children of immigrants.

Interviews were transcribed by the principal researcher. All data collected and documents containing identifying information remain confidential and were housed in a secure location. Audio recordings and electronic data were accessible only to the principal

39 researcher and research committee chair and were stored in a password-protected computer in a secure location. Audio recordings were destroyed upon completion of their transcription. Each audio recording was given a name corresponding with the participant’s chosen alias to ensure confidentiality.

Validity and Reliability

To ensure validity and credibility of the study, data collection entailed detailed descriptions of participant’s experiences through interviews, triangulation, and peer debriefing to allow for participant feedback, as outlined by Dilley (2000). Dr. Alvaro

Huerta served as chair of the thesis committee, and reviewed codes, field notes, and transcripts with the principal researcher to establish intercoder reliability. Peer debriefing also occurred with other thesis committee members to discuss methodology and interpretations of the data. Using triangulation methods, if each method yields similar results and if conclusions from each method are the same then validity is established.

Limitations of The Study

Since samples were selected solely from churches, it is possible that persons who are homebound or not church‐ going may have been excluded from the study.

Furthermore, our sample size was relatively small and was limited to Coptic Egyptians.

Future research may explore this topic with all Egyptians, others of middle eastern origin, and all races in southern California. Then recommendations can be made to increase their integration into their respective cities.

Research Context

The researcher used three methods to gather data: surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The Copts surveyed arrived in southern California between 1959 and 2018. The

40 researcher asked a series of predetermined questions to gauge the Copts integration in southern California. These questions ranged from their generational struggles, achievements as immigrants, followed by any recommendations they could make to improve their integration in their cities. The survey link was sent electronically to the

Coptic participants. In-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted in person at the church or an agreed upon location.

A variety of methods were used. Interviews were used to elaborate on items identified with literature. Then, the focus group discussions were conducted, and finally a survey for validation. This approach really helped in interpreting the final survey results.

Interview and Focus Group Questions Descriptions, Benefits, and Challenges

No interviews or focus groups were conducting before signing a consent form

(Appendix C&D). In the interviews and focus groups, participants were asked to respond to questions asked by the researcher. The interview and focus group questions were open- ended in nature. The questions consist of challenges, major problems, language issues, transportation issues, rent, education, business, civic organizations (if they are active in any), and if they participate in any of the planning commissions & city councils to express their concerns. The research questions address these aspects of the problem statement: Identifying Coptic immigrants of first, second and third generations and obtaining information relevant to their integration, interests, needs, concerns, challenges, and what methods they will need to further integrate into their cities) (Appendix E).

The researcher recorded the participant responses on a voice recorder to analyze later. The interviews and focus groups were transcribed and analyzed using Dilley’s

(2000) suggestions for qualitative data analysis. The analytical process involved the

41 researcher listening to the recorded interviews and transcribing each interview and focus group. From these responses, the committee chair and researcher collaboratively identified specific words or themes in the data, which were then coded.

Description: One-on-one structured or semi-structured conversations with 20 individual Copts. Three focus groups (2 focus group with first generation and one focus group with second generation).

Benefits: Excellent for in-depth testing of research hypotheses; Access to qualitative data; Ability to explore and probe responses. This method allowed the researcher to examine the participants’ own experiences, and to write some of their opinions in quotes. This method also allowed Coptic immigrants to express their needs and concerns in the cities that they live.

Challenges: Time-consuming, respondents may be reluctant to share personal beliefs of interviewer bias, which rarely yields useful quantitative data. Time issue included: Required CITI “Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative” for the researcher Y.S. as the Principal Investigator (P.I.) and the committee chair Professor

Huerta, Co-Investigator (co-PI). Required Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval

(time issue).

Survey Questions

While there are few surveys provided about Coptic diaspora, there was no survey until now about this group in southern California and nothing to date is known about the personal interests, needs, and concerns of Copts in their cities. No study to date provides

Copts’ level of integration in southern California. While surveys and other data retrieval

42 methods yield valuable information about these groups, they often miss the personal narratives.

The Internet survey was one of the tools used to collect demographic data about the Coptic population in southern California. “Internet survey has emerged as one of the most important and widely useful alternatives.” (Remler and Van Ryzin, 2015). With the spread of the iPhone messages, this kind of google survey was a good tool to reach a large number of the Copts congregation all over southern California.

A cognitive pretest was conducted with a demographically diverse group of Copts in their churches from October 14th, 2018 to October 28th, 2018. All participants were provided detailed descriptions regarding the purpose of the survey as well as data security protocols and were assured that all responses would be completely anonymous. The link was prompted and distributed primarily by Coptic churches via text messages to mobile phones and collected on the researcher’s Google account. All participants were screened to confirm their qualifications for the study’s sampling criteria: at least 18 years of age,

Coptic Egyptian immigrant or have at least one parent who is a Coptic Egyptian immigrant.

One hundred and fifteen participants in short four-minute surveys. The survey has

30 multiple choices questions and consists of two parts. The first part contained demographic questions. The second was a measure of the level of integration and questions regarding their needs, interests, and concerns in their cities. There was a pilot survey with a small group of women meeting in the church to see if the questions were clear. The online survey participants were asked to check a required consent box before

43 they log on to the survey or were directed to exit if they did not want to participate

(Appendix F).

The online self-administered survey was designed to examine the demographic profile of Copts in southern California and how they integrate in three areas of social, economic, and political life. In the survey, first, second, and the third-generation church members in southern California "98% Coptic members" Portrait and Background

Information: These questions were included to assess general demographic information about the survey participants. Resident-Related Questions: These questions were included to the group’s priorities when they decide to live in a particular city? Participants were asked about their cultural and social integration as determined by language fluency, their income, if they own a business, their education level and their level of economic integration. “We may find, for example, whether migrants are over-represented in low- skill jobs, whether on average they find employment that is in accordance with their level of education. We may also find indications for a possible process of ‘de-skilling’ that may be taking place.” (Entzinger & Biezeveld, 2003). To measure their level of political integration, participants were asked if they participate or volunteer in any civic groups

(e.g. PTA, church, etc.) and if they vote in any elections in the U.S. Survey questions also included asked about their interests, needs, and concerns in their cities. Finally, they were asked if they participate in any commission meeting or the city council.

44 CHAPTER 5: FINDING & THEMES

Six themes emerged from the data regarding the Copts integrations, needs, interests, and concerns in their cities. These are language & culture, transportation, affordable homes & multi-family home, education, business ownership, and civic participation.

Demographic Data

The sample size was 150 participants. Of the 150, 115 participants took the survey. 81% were first generation, 15% were second generation, and 4% were third generation (Figure 12). Twenty individuals participated in-depth face-to-face interviews - some were church leaders and others were church members. There were three focus groups (two focus groups of first generations, and one focus group with second generations, with a total of fifteen participants).

According to the survey data, the sample is close to balance in terms of gender, with 54% female respondents and 46% male. 25% participants were age 18 to 34, 55% from 35 to 65, and 20% over 66 years old. 79% were married and 21% were single. 13% of the participants in these surveys have high school diplomas or equivalent, 58% hold

Bachelor or associate degrees, and 29% hold Master or PHD degrees (Table 4). (Figure

13). A portion of the participants, 26%, have income of more $120,000, 17% make between $70,000 and $120,000, followed by 21% with income of $30,000 -$70,000, and

17% earn less than $30,000. 19% decided not to disclose their income range (Figure 14).

45 Generation

Third 4% Second 15%

First 81%

Figure 12. The Survey Participants Generations

Table 4. Survey Demographic Data

Marital Gender Age Education Level Status 18-34 years High School or Male 46% 25% Married 79% 13% old equivalent 35-65 years Associate/Bachelor Female 54% 55% Single 21% 58% old degree 66 years or 20% Master or PHD 29% older

46 Survey Demographic Data

100%

90%

79% 80%

70%

60% 58% 54% 55%

50% 46%

40% 29% 30% 25% 20% 21% 20% 13%

10%

0% MALE SINGLE FEMALE MARRIED MASTER PHDOR -34 YEARS YEARS OLD 18 -34 YEARS 35 -65 OLD 66 YEARS 66YEARS OR OLDER HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL OR EQUIVALENT ASSOCIATE/BACHELOR ASSOCIATE/BACHELOR DEGREE GENDER AGE MARTITAL EDUCATION STATUS LEVEL

Figure 13. Participants Demographics Data

47 Household Income

30% 26%

25% 21% 19% 20% 17% 17%

15%

10%

5%

0% Less than $30K $30K- $70K $70K-$120KMore than $120K No answer

Figure 14. Household Income

According to the survey data, the majority of the participants are living in

Anaheim, followed by Cypress, then Bellflower. Moreover, there is a large proportion of the participants working in Los Angeles, followed by Irvine, Anaheim, and Cerritos

(Figure 15 &16).

According to the interviewee M.G. I have Been living in our city for 5 years now and in southern California since I came to the states at the age of 6. I do feel very welcomed. He said newcomers “face many challenges. Not knowing how government works and how to navigate through the system to get all of their documents in order.

There is also language and cultural barrier that are a challenge. Transportation can also be a challenge.” “It’s expensive to live in southern California so having the resources/money/job will help them get integrated into the community.”

48 Figure 15. GIS Map of The Participants’ Cities They Live

49

Figure 16. GIS Map of The Participants’ Cities They Work 50

Language & Culture

According to the survey data, 77% fluently speak both English and Arabic, 13% speak English only, and 9% speak Arabic only (Figure 17). Language was the most challenging when applying to the work force. Language represent 52% of challenges, followed by experience at 24%, qualification and skills at 12%, network at 9%, and finally license at 3% (Figure 18). Fr. A. R., mentioned that newcomers face a languages barrier. When I asked him about adult school, he said they need teachers that are bilingual in Arabic and English to easily communicate and explain the new and difficult vocabulary to students. Most of the teachers in adult schools speak English and/or

Spanish; therefore, some of the English language learners prefer the online classes that better suit their work and family commitments schedule.

Most Coptic immigrants feel that the adult school classes offered in ESL do not fit their level of education. They want a more advanced level and at the same time, they cannot afford to pay for college tuition. According to the leader of the nonprofit organization “Coptic churches, to solve this problem, invited teachers of ESL to teach newcomers in the church. Recently they started free online ESL course.”

According to the interviewee K.M., “The obvious language barrier poses problems to Coptic immigrants because of significant difficulty with communication during their daily life. Customer service rarely caters to the Arabic language, and therefore I know that many children of immigrants are accustomed to being translators for their parents. Also, I believe that a lack of understanding of western society causes some discomfort to immigrants.” She stated “Egyptian culture is much more disorganized and laid-back than American culture, and I believe that Egyptians sometimes have a hard

51 time becoming acclimated to the different culture in America. Similarly, the ideals of

Coptic immigrants are drastically different from the ideals of normalized America.

Dating, sleepovers, late-night hangouts, and general freedom are all things that Coptic parents have a hard time letting their kids experience.”

According to S.M. interview, when I asked her if Egyptian have easy access to translators for public services, she answered that most of the time it’s not immediately available. Arabic is not recognized as a common language in many places. Furthermore, she said “I witnessed it myself when a patient was asking to get her medical records at a hospital and I had to be her translator because they didn’t have any translator available.”

When I asked K.M. the difference between the first wave of Coptic immigrants and the current wave, she answered, “the first wave of immigrants, my grandparents being one of the first, had a much harder time than the current wave. There were far fewer resources and a much smaller Coptic community. My mother has told me how hard it was for her mother to adjust to the way of life in America because it was so different from the life she was used to in Egypt. Specifically, she mentioned missing her maids, her friends and family, and the culture. Although my grandfather was able to easily adapt to Western way of life, my grandma was used to Egyptian ideals and community and did not want to change her life so drastically. She missed the support that her friend and family in Egypt provided her.”

Some Coptic second generation, who even though they are more assimilated than their parents, said that they cannot express their opinion and beliefs freely outside of the church because they are judged by others, who call them backward and ignorant. Many

52 prefer to keep their opinion to themselves and do not mention it to anyone to avoid conflict.

According to Y.G.” she expressed her pride of her cultures and faith saying “I am blessed and proud to be an Orthodox Christian. There is no earthly parallel to the depth and beauty the Orthodox Church provides…. The Orthodox Church … doors open to truly ANYONE and EVERYONE. It is a true hospital for lost souls...no matter your race, ethnicity, color of your skin, social status, wealth/poverty, illness, sin, etc. Thank You

God for your blessings.”

Fluently speaking languages

1%

13%

9%

77%

English only Arabic only English and Arabic Arabic and other language

Figure 17. Fluently speaking languages

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Work Challenges 60% 52%

50%

40% 24% 30%

12% 20% 9% 3% 10%

0%

License Network Qualification & skills Experience Language

Figure 18. Challenges of workforce

Transportations

According to the survey data, 76% of the participants do not use public transportation, with 16% of the participants who sometimes use it, and finally 8% that use public transportation almost exclusively (Figure 19).

The leader of the nonprofit organization confirmed that one of the major challenges to the first-generation immigrant is transportation. First generation and newcomers concur that public transportation is not ideal and best option to help them because it does not cover all the places they need to go and is time-consuming, especially in the weekends when buses are less frequent. For example, if someone is working at night, there is usually no public transportation. They need frequent and reliable transit throughout the day and night.

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The other challenges they face are traffic and gas prices. The focus group had eight participants that were second-generation millennial, and all of them said they do not use public transportation for different reasons. One of them said that he tried to use it but it was dirty and full of homeless people. He felt unsafe when he used it. All of them prefer to use the car even if the gas is expensive because public transportation is not convenient for them and time-consuming.

According to the interview with A.S., “my experiences and struggles go back to

1998, when at that time I used to use the public transit and I had a monthly pass. One night I had to work late after 10:30 PM. After I had done with my shift, I tried to take the bus, but the last bus for that day left few minutes before my arrival to the bus station. I had not much money in my pocket, so I decided to cross the street and take the bus to the other direction that is going to LAX area. I asked the bus driver if I can get a connection bus from LAX to go close to my home, he confirmed yes but I had to take two buses.

Around 12:00 AM I took the first bus from LAX area and I got off in Englewood area to take the second bus. I found out that the second bus is no more running for that day and the next bus will be around 6:00 AM. It was around 1:30 AM when I realized that I stuck, so I called the local police to help, and they referred me to go to the police station that was close by. The officer there was nice, and she told me that she is the only one in the office now to receive the emergency calls, so she can’t give me a ride and she offered to let me use the phone to call any friend or relative to pick me up. I decided not to call any of my relative or friend because it was so late 2:30 AM and I don’t want to disturb them at that time especially they have kids. The officer said, if any police officer come, he/she can give you a ride home. The time passed, and the sun rose, and I got ready to take the

55 first early bus around 6:00 AM to go home after staying in the police station for 3 hours.

If the bus schedule was throughout the entire day, I wouldn’t have a problem. Also, my worst experiences happened in the weekend especially Sundays, where the public transit doesn’t work or works very minimum hours back there, so I had hard time to go to work and come back within certain time. But I must spend extra hours waiting and walking to the bus station to catch the buses.

According to the interview with M.G. “Public transportation in southern

California is very difficult. Unlike some places back east such as NY we rely on public buses. The streets are very congested and it’s harder to predict actual times and schedules for buses. In my experience they are not well maintained and clean. I remember visiting NY and we relied heavily on the subway system. The times are predictable and easier than driving yourself. Most people in So Cal live in the suburbs and it’s not easy to use public transportation to get to places or work.”

All of the interviewees and focus group participants agreed that public transportation is unsatisfactory in southern California. A large number agreed that commuting is one of the biggest reasons that keeps them from finding better jobs. This was especially so for women. They prefer not to drive on the freeway and need to be close to their children’s school to drive them back and forth. First-generation women wish to have jobs close to home or transportation like the subway.

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Using Public Transporation

8% 16%

76%

Yes No Sometimes

Figure 19. Using Public Transportations

Affordable Homes & Multi Family Homes

According to the survey data, 55% own their home, 34% rent, 14% living with others (Table 5). 73% of the participants voted in favor of building affordable homes, followed by 14% who do not care, and 13% voted “no” to building affordable homes

(Figure 20). There are 50% of the participants who voted in favor of building multi- family homes, followed by 28% who do not care, and 22% said they refused to build this kind of home (Figure 21).

According to the interview and focus group, second generation students said homeowners increase rents around colleges because they know that students need it.

They also said those people need somebody to control the rental prices. When asked them how they can overcome this challenge, some of them mentioned that they will live with their parents to save some money then move when they feel that they can afford the rental

57 prices. Two of them mentioned that they are planning to move to a different state because they do not think that they can afford the rental prices. The rest of them did not decide yet. The leader of the nonprofit organization confirmed that one of the major challenges to the newcomers is rental prices. Newcomers usually receive minimum wages and they typically cannot afford the rent of an apartment. Also, it is hard to afford the rent if you do not have a job. It usually takes about eight to twelve months to find a job.

Table 5. Home Ownership

Participants ownership Resident Ownership Percentage Own 55% Rent 30% Living with others 13% Others 2%

In favor of building affordable homes

14%

13%

73%

Yes No I don't care

Figure 20. In favor of building affordable homes 58

In favor of building Multi-family homes

28%

50%

22%

Yes No I don't care

Figure 21. In favor of Multi-family homes

Large number of first-generation immigrants said that they bought old homes because they could not buy new homes. All of the interviewees agreed that cities should encourage and help to remodel old homes.

It is worth mentioning that second generation Coptic millennials, like the rest of the American millennials cannot afford to buy a home. They are still living with their parents’ because home prices make realizing the American dream far more difficult.

They can barely afford rent, much less a mortgage. Also, when first generation were asked about the idea of family home, large numbers of them said, “We used to have a family home back in Egypt.” They wish to have the same in the U.S. Parents want to help their millennial children and build detached homes or additional floors for them to live in to avoid the high rental prices. 59

Interviewee A.H. says it is not easy to build special height in the U.S. “In some cities and counties, the planning, building and safety department have special ordinances.” For example, in his neighborhood, “we have the East Pasadena corridor which limits the maximum height. Some of these ordinances were put to serve and give special interest to some people, not for the city, the county, or the neighborhood. These ordinances need to be reevaluated, revised, and probably changed drastically.” When asked about changing the zoning regulations to a permit adding new units, he answered

“we can’t allow overcrowding or congesting the neighborhood without upgrading the infrastructures first, by ensuring there are enough roads, streets, parking, green areas, water, electricity, and the sewer lines. Otherwise our city will fall into a slump.” A.H. faced conflict with his neighbors when he tried to add additional floors to his home. His neighborhood, in the city of San Gabriel, gave him a hard time until he got the permission for his home. Although some of the interviewees said the state of CA, in January 2017, passed the ordinance that up to 1200 square footage with bath and sink can be rented but cannot be sold”. “We need more change”.

Education

There is a positive correlation between school rank and home prices. Parents invest in their children’s educations. Most Copts go on to four-year colleges or more.

According to the survey data, when asked to choose only one reason, 15% chose the safe neighborhood, 13% chose proximity to the Coptic church, only 5% chose good school district, and 1% chose other reasons. Initially, 66% chose all of these reasons (Figure 22).

First generation parents discussed the importance of the school district. All of them

60 agreed that they prefer to pay more money in a good neighborhood with good district instead of pay less money in unsafe area and low school ranking.

Also, the data shows that participants living in their current city less than five years is 25%, five to eight years 28%, ten to fifteen years 25%, more than fifteen years

22% (Table 6).

Table 6. Living Period in Their City

Living period in current City Participants Percentage

Less than 5 years 25% 5-10 years 28% 10-15 years 25% More than 15 years 22%

Living Priority Reasons

5% 13%

15% 67%

School District Close to church Safe All of the above

Figure 22. Living Priority Reasons

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According to the interview with one of the leaders, he said, “Copts in general are well educated. The biggest difference is the first wave were educated and have degrees from Egypt and the new ones are educated and have degrees in the states which makes it a lot easier to get good paying jobs and careers. A lot of times the degrees you earn in

Egypt do not translate well here and people have to start over”.

First generation mothers mentioned the need of affordable preschool for all levels not only for low income residents. In the second generation focus group, when asked about the school safety, all of them agreed that it depends on the school district and the area. They mentioned that they are fearful when walking to their cars in dim areas of the campus and unlit parking structures. This group stated that increasing lamp-posts and visible security at night on school campus would decrease the level of fear as one member stated, “nothing generates a sense of fear like dark areas”. Also, they wished for well-lit kiosks/vendors.

Another challenge they face in their colleges is availability of classes. They feel that the education system in the U.S. would benefit from reducing the general education requirements in college and allowing students to focus more on their majors. According to first generation focus group, counselors should have a broader understanding of how to examine transcripts from other countries, so students need not repeat courses.

Business Ownership

According to the survey, 86% do not own business and 14% own business. Thirty three percent professional services such as CPA office and medical services, 15% engineering and contractor, 15% open stores, and 37% others (Table 7) (Figure 23).

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According to the interview with one of the leaders, he said, Some Egyptians bring a lot of money from their country, but they need somebody to guide them to open a business. There is nobody to guide them. A lot of time they face circumstances such as people cheat them and guide them to open the wrong business, which makes them lose money.

Own Business

Yes 14%

No 86%

Figure 23. Business Ownership

Table 7. Business Type

Business Type Participants Percentage Professional Services (CPA, Medical, …) 33% Contractor (Construction, ...) 15% Store (Grocery, ...) 15% Others 37%

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According to the survey data 57% wage employed, 12% self-employed, 4% out of work and looking for work, 15% out of work and not look for work, 4% retried, and 9% student (Table 8). First support sixty eight percent chose relatives, eight percent chose church members, eight percent chose friends, and thirteen percent chose no support

(Table 9). Some interviewees said that some workforce does not have equal opportunity and “depend on who you know, not what you know.” The lack of networking in the

Coptic community impacts the ability to access better job opportunities.

Table 8. Employment Statues

Employment Status Participants Percentage

Wages Employed 57%

Self employed 12%

Out of work and looking for work 4%

Out of work and not looking for work 15%

Retired 4%

Student 9%

Table 9. First Support

First support in US Participants Percentage Relatives 70% Church members 8% Friends 8% No support 14%

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S.A., “I came to Los Angeles in 1971. At that time people were happy to meet someone from Egypt. Opportunities were great no problems finding a job or buying a house after five years. From Los Angeles, I moved to Orange County in 1984 and we intend to stay.” Another Coptic interviewee who is a city director said, “Most Coptic

Christians in America make the mistake of isolating themselves from the American society without even knowing it. They socialize primarily with other Copts. As a result of that, they could end up living in the United States for decades but still feel somewhat like foreigners.” When I asked him about the effect of the lack of language proficiency and the workforce, B. D. said, “Absolutely, in most American institutions, employers shy away from applicants with poor communication skills due to the demands of the job and the need to provide stellar customer service to their constituents who demand strong verbal and written language skills.”

In an interview with Y. B., a first-generation immigrant, he said, “Honestly, I believe that I was lucky to come to live in America as an immigrant. Before I emigrated,

I had read much about America and I couldn’t believe everything, but now and after 20 years, I am assured that it is much better than anyone could think. The USA plays the part of the good Samaritan in the Bible with the whole world. It is superior to any country in the world concerning democracy and human rights.”

S.M. answered “the greatest challenges Coptic immigrants face in the city they live in are: adapting to the new (U.S.) culture, having a language barrier, understanding the education system, and getting a job that matches their education. “Most of the time we do unrelated jobs to the education that we have although we have a lot of unused potential.” “The difference between first wave immigrants and the current wave is

65 potential for opportunities. First wave immigrants had greater chances to hold professional careers as there was less competition due to the need for professional careers such as: Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, etc. For example, to be able to practice medicine in the U.S. was all about passing the exams, regardless how high or low the score is and then apply, you would have great chance to be find a residency spot. The state license requirements were much easier than the present, with more residency spots available.

Nowadays, you have to pass the exams, but you have to score high, be freshly graduated, have extensive US clinical experience, and meet requirements for state license. Still it is very hard to match because preference goes to American medical graduates.”

The obstacles and challenges Coptic immigrants face when starting a private business include a lack of knowledge of laws and regulations of the state and the city.

Are Coptic immigrants aware of their city board meeting? Do they get involved with city planning design and making process? “No, we are not.”

According to another interviewee, C.I. “challenges are getting higher position or getting into the city, we picked California because it was close to family and friends. I feel okay in the city. Education: It is hard for Copts to work with their degree, no promotion or can’t get the job. Employment: Yeah, they face challenges.” Adapting to new culture and new environment, understanding different backgrounds for different cultures may be confusing for different immigrants. Work, study, and taking care of their family can be challenging to achieve all of that. It can be hard to study while raising young children.”

M.M., a Coptic second-generation and church group leader, said that the major issues for Coptic immigrants would be language, transportation, and culture adaptation.

66 “I am not sure if they would know what to do if there was a problem, like an animal in their backyard or their home being unsafe. I think it depends on how long they have been in the United States. If they have just arrived, I would suspect they wouldn't know what to do.” The Coptic immigrants are concerned that their children stay safe, getting a good education, and staying close to God. She also said that as a second-generation immigrant,

“Yes, I am aware that we can be a part of the decision-making process. I can attend city council meetings and discuss any concerns they may have with regards to their immediate community, like city parks, libraries, neighborhood zoning, and transportation. Yes, I do have an idea about the planning commissions and their meetings.”

Civic Participations

The participants who are living in southern California more than 20 years has the highest portion at 47%, followed by those are living in southern CA from 10-20 years

31%, and 18% represents participants who are living in southern CA from 5-10 years, and smallest portion who are recent immigrants, about 4%. (Table 10). Sixty-two percent vote and 38% do not (Figure 24). Of the participants, 92% volunteer in the church

(Figure 25). According to the survey data, those who choose not to do any volunteer work, 74% stated that it was because of a lack of enough time, 14% because of work, and finally 12% because of family commitments (Figure 26).

Some participants stated that they sometimes volunteer in their kids’ school. One individual interviewee admitted that she volunteered in the PTA and she was responsible of the reflection activity. M.G. stated “Yes, very active in our Church. We are very involved with our kids’ activities…PTA, sports organizations, volunteering in kids’ classes, etc.” Newcomers said they are not participating and not aware of the board

67 meeting and planning commissions. Also, they said they are willing to attend any kind of classes to increase their awareness” we need support from city in church, classes or tools to get into the city.” Education on the supports they need to become active participants in their city” educational sessions held at their local gathering place like church or community center. To build a sense of community for them” Educational sessions followed by social gathering events and trips. M.G.” What supports do they need to become active participants in their city? (e.g. online classes, classes in their churches, etc.) Things run much differently here than back home. So, I think educating them on how government works and that they can participate in it is a good start. Some churches have resources to do this. I can’t really think of anywhere else they can get this guidance.”

Table 10. Living Period in Southern California

Living period in southern CA Participants Percentage

Less than 5 years 4%

5-10 years 18%

10-20 years 31%

More than 20 years 47%

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Copts Participation in Voting

38%

62%

Yes No

Figure 24. Copts Participation in Voting

Copts Voluntarily Location

2% 1% 5%

92%

Church PTA City Government Others

Figure 25. Copts Voluntarily Location 69

Volunteer Main Obstacles

14% 12%

74%

Work Family No enough time

Figure 26. Main obstacle of not volunteering

A.H, is an engineer attending the city council because of his job. He stated that many residents, not only Egyptians, do not go for the hearing for variety of reasons, feeling that nobody will listen, nor is interested. This could be due to the fact that many

Egyptians are not used to express their opinion in their home country.

According to the interviews and focus groups, first generations, and second generations, most of them volunteer in the church. According to the leader’s interview

“most of the Coptic churches encourage its congregation to provide services for homeless”. For example, Offer food, cloth, and kits, etc. Second generations said that they volunteer in hospitals sometimes. And when asked another interviewee if she is an active in any organizations she stated “Just St. Mary and St. Verena Coptic Orthodox church. I tried to get involved with Christian clubs on campus, but they were very clearly

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Protestant and had differing beliefs. There is no active Coptic Club at my school (Cal

Poly Pomona)”. When asked if they vote, they said they do but said they have to educate themselves and sometimes the best choice is not clear. They prefer if there is somebody to clarify it for them, so they can choose wisely. Finally, when asked if they participate in the city council or in the planning commission, some of them said they do not receive any flyer. Others said they did, but they do not go. When asked why they don’t go and participate? They said, “we feel like no one in the city will listen.”

One interview reported having recently attended a city planning meeting. In her city of over 110,000 residents, only 25 were present. According to the twenty interviewees and the three focus groups with first and second generations, none of them attended the city meeting. Most of first generation are not aware about it. Second generations are not interested to attended and others said that they do not receive any flyers. Third generations said they attend sometimes. However, the survey data indicated that 24% of the participants attended the city council meeting and 76% do not (Figure

27). Finally, according to the survey data the methods of education they need to improve their integrations is 65% online, 24%through church members, 4% adult local school, and

8% by mail (Table 11).

According to the interviewee answers, the educational sessions they prefer to be held at their local gathering place like church or community center. “I believe that the church should promote their congregation members to become active in their cities and communities. To build sense of community for them, the sense of community I think would come from church and from fellow Coptic people at first. After becoming

71 comfortable in the US, I believe that the Coptic community should be encouraged to branch out and become an active participant in their state, city, and country.”

Attending City Meeting

Yes 24%

No 76%

Figure 27. Copts attending city meeting

Table 11. Educational Program Method

Educational Program Method Percentage

Online 65%

Through church members 24%

Adult local school 4%

Mail 8%

One of the church leaders who the writer has interviewed said in his interview that the City of Anaheim is doing a very good job to gather everybody and to encourage integration. He told me that Mayor Tom Tait is trying to encourage immigrant

72 integration. They are meeting once every three months in Anaheim leadership committee religious in the community council. Also, he said “his Eminence Metropolitan Serapion always trying to find a positive ground that we can communicate and participate, leaving aside the debates.”

According to the church leader, the Coptic Orthodox community in Anaheim was very fortunate to benefit from a great program started by the Mayor of Anaheim, Mr.

Tom Tait. As a leader of the City, he truly sought to bring together people from different faith and backgrounds. Mr. Tait also saw the value in having the city partner with an army of honest good volunteers. Furthermore, the program would allow the religious leaders fellowship with one another.

At the same time, as immigrants of a new Coptic Orthodox church in the area, congregants did not know how to interact with the city or officials. They did their best to serve the community, provide food for the homeless, and participate in providing shoes for homeless school children. However, they were still unknown to the city officials and neighbors. A few years back, his honor Mayor Tom Tait, started a program called,

Anaheim Religious Community Council (ARCC). The city invited community religious leaders from various houses of worship to work together with the City of Anaheim. Many leaders were pleased with such program and quickly joined the council. This group met on quarterly basis, a subgroup forming a planning committee meeting, and meeting once or twice to prepare for the quarterly meeting. The Chief Police, Brian Crow led those meetings, formed a planning committee, and worked on inviting more pastors. The City of Anaheim appointed a special Community Development liaison who facilitated the meeting times and places as well as sharing some of the city’s issues with the group.

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The city had a clear vision to bring together leaders from different faith, as well as work on common issues facing the city as well as the houses of worship. One of these major issues was to help reach troubled young teens at an early age. Identifying problematic behavior in children may be first noticed in an elementary school, church, or a synagogue. Another major issue addressed with ARCC members was the issue of human trafficking and domestic violence.

This partnership was also utilized in addressing the homelessness problem. Many communities partnered with the City in taking-in some homeless individuals, providing temporary shelter, offering, personal items or simply a hot meal. Another big event carried out by ARCC and City of Anaheim included a Christmas celebration where young children would receive new gifts as well as school supplies. Another big issue which involved a large number of religious communities in Anaheim was disaster preparation. The city staff shared how crucial it is to train the local congregations to be ready in case of a natural disaster. Also, it is important to know each group member’s location in the city, to direct people to those places in case of a large-scale emergency.

The city has compiled a list of all the available resources from the local religious communities and made them available to those in need.

The ARCC quarterly meeting soon became a vehicle which enlisted the help of religious communities to address a variety of issues. This program became larger than initially planned. The ARCC planning committee often received issues brought by the city manager, mayor, city councilpersons, chief of police, head of community development, city staff, fire department, gang unit, terrorist activities unit, and the

Orange County shelter and services. The actual quarterly meetings were often attended

74 by several high city and county officials, including from the above list, and many presentations were made as needed.

Also, he stated “when we met in the small planning committee or in the open quarterly meeting, personal relationships were developed. We as priests, pastors, rabbi, ministry leaders and sheikhs got to know each other. Many exchanged visits to their respective houses of worship.” Support group were developed where common problems and creative solutions were shared. Entire congregations visited neighbors when they had important events. The program impacted leaders more than the individuals served. Best of all, immigrant communities such as the church realized how welcoming the City of

Anaheim was. This feeling was among the best benefits realized from involvement. Many of the participating houses of worship in the ARCC meetings value this program and what it has offered, fellowship, partnership and companionship.”

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CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

This country was built by immigrants and immigration, who took risks and sacrificed greatly. Copts immigrated to southern California for two main reasons, either fear from persecutions or for economic reasons. This is epitomized by Coptic immigrants who left their professional careers to look for safety and a better opportunity for their children and generations to come. They are people that give up their comfortable lives in their home countries to follow their dreams so that their children can live safer and better lives. When people blame immigrants, they do not realize that they deserve dignity and respect for their suffering and sacrifices. This is a nation of immigrants, yet, for some reasons, certain people are uncomfortable with the idea of allowing foreign people in.

What drives this fear may be the belief that there is a finite number of jobs in the US.

“Southern California’s social stability and economic prosperity are directly tied to what happens to our immigrant workers, families, and children,” said Antonia Hernández, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation. “We’re in this together. So, it is in our mutual interest and obligations to help our immigrant neighbors integrate into society…We are investing not just in their future, but in southern California’s as well."

(Pastor and Ortiz, 2009).

California being one of the largest states in the U.S. in terms of economic prosperity, cultural diversity, and social stability proves the direct ties between a state’s success and immigration. California natives and immigrants have reached the consensus that when a California native helps an immigrant friend, not only are they investing in the immigrant’s future but California’s future as well.

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If southern California is to prosper in the coming decades, successful immigrant integration will play an essential role in building economically strong communities. Cites in southern California must foster entrepreneurial investment in local business, real estate and community. Cities must provide high quality education, so children develop the foundations for learning, opportunity, and advancement throughout life. They need an education that allows adults to keep pace with an ever-changing workplace. With successful immigrants, we will have communities that are economically stronger and more socially and culturally inclusive (Biles et al., 2008, Entzinger & Bielefeld 2003,

Frideres, 2008).

Newcomers have been transforming west Anaheim in recent decades. Magnolia and Brookhurst streets have been flooded with shops, antique stores, services, bakeries and authentic cuisine restaurants, most of which are established by Arab-Americans. The hospitality of the Arab-American community in this city and the city’s economic growth have left a positive impact on its residents and in result the city residents welcome the integration of more immigrants every year (Tait, 2018). Also, Lily Kuo, in her topic

Coptic Christians live quietly in New Jersey town confirmed what the Mayor said, that

“Copts are the kinds of people you want in your city” (Kuo, 2012).

The researcher examined the Copts integration in southern California, according to three indicators: socioeconomic, cultural, and political integration. Despite the challenges they face, they showed successful integrations. This thesis has the same finding about culture heritage as Brinkerhoff, who stated “Many first-generation immigrants share a concern for retaining their heritage culture, though they still aspire to successfully assimilate into the country of residence society. …” (Brinkerhoff, 2015).

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The researcher conducted field work by using three methodologies; surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The purpose of this thesis is to share with planners the importance of community involvement as well as the writing of reports. It is evident that planners need the personal interaction with the public, in places like churches and community centers, converse with people, and learn about their concerns with regards to their cities. Some cities, such as Anaheim, have done a great job to help immigrants and newcomers to become integrated in their city. Copts are religious by nature and attending church on Sunday is not only a regular worship exercise but also a community gathering where they socialize and mingle. It would be very beneficial if city leaders and planners connect with church leaders at these locations to build bridges between different communities. Establishing a channel of communication with leaders and successful figures of the immigrant communities can help planners learn more about the housing infrastructure needs of immigrant populations, assess what attracted them to reside and settle in certain areas, and in turn help city leaders discover opportunities to grow the city’s economy (Kim, 2015).

All communities of different races, religions or cultures deserve a chance to express themselves and voice their concerns to decision makers. After all, California is more united and stronger when decisions are well thought out and calculated, considering a subject from various perspectives and aspects.

Language & Culture

Immigrants face many challenges when integrating with the American culture.

One challenge is the language barrier and improving access to the English language will move immigrants towards integration. Online or in-person conversational classes would

78 improve the level of communications for newcomers. Copts need teachers that are bilingual in Arabic and English to easily communicate and explain the new and difficult vocabulary to them. Also, they need Arabic translator in many places since Arabic is not recognized as a common language.

Certain employers invest in their immigrant workforce by providing English courses to help them improve their verbal and communication skills and in return employees feel a sense of ownership, work hard to return the favor, and are more qualified to carry out their jobs efficiently. Additionally, residents and immigrants integrating with other immigrants can unlock several employment opportunities. For instance, attending Spanish classes online or at the adult school would help immigrant job seekers and entrepreneurs, as many businesses in southern California require Spanish proficiency.

While the language barrier is an obstacle that many immigrants face, many young immigrant professionals possess exceptional written, verbal, and communication skills but face different challenges. For instance, an immigrant medical doctor needs to pass multiple exams before acceptance at a hospital to attend a three-year residency before legally practicing in California. As a result, most immigrants work unskilled jobs, earning low income before they can reach the goal of working in their field.

Although the level of English proficiency did not differentiate much between the three waves of Copts in southern California, the ability to find work is different between them for different reasons. Before, there was a need for the Egyptian professional but nowadays the number of American professionals has increased. The work force prefers

American graduates over immigrant professional because they do not know what kind of

79 degree they earned and from which university they graduated. Also, the recession and the competitive workforce affected the level of integration of new comers and to work in their desire careers. In this way, most immigrants face brain waste and work unskilled jobs and earn low income.

Coptic churches offer a number of services, such as educational and recreational after-school activities, tutoring, soccer, or basketball. Some churches also work to encourage cultural and political awareness and engagement. Recently, some have offered online courses in English as a second language (ESL).

Transportations

Improving public transportation, and keeping it clean and safe, will rapidly through the day and night encourage riders to use it. Improvement to aging and transportation infrastructure is also vital. A major factor that influences the fabric of the community is the transportation network. Public transit would be a benefit to immigrants who struggle to get to work in reasonable amounts of time. To continue to be an economically strong community, southern California must continue to invest money in transportation infrastructure. Often, there is heavy traffic on many of the main roads and freeways, but there are few alternatives, such as public transportation or bicycle lanes, to give residents and employees other travel options. This limits those without drivers’ licenses and impedes their ability to find accessible long-term employment.

Additionally, city leaders and business leaders must publicly support public transit, which can connect the workforce in southern California with employment opportunities around the city and the region. Continued investment in pedestrian and

80 bicycle infrastructure is crucial for immigrants who have no choice but to travel throughout southern California.

Affordable Homes & Multi Family Homes

It is unfortunate that rental prices keep spiking in southern California. Nowadays, it is hard even for people who have well-paying jobs and make good money to find an affordable place to live in southern California, especially in Los Angeles and Orange

County. Southern California housing priorities should focus on affordable housing.

City planners need to revise the city codes and apply it to residents’ needs. Some ordinances need to be reevaluated, revised, and probably changed drastically. Most of the homes nowadays are so crowded of millennials because they cannot move and afford rental prices in southern California. Allowing parents to build multi-family homes will solve part of this problem. Updating the infrastructure will help in handling the increased homes in the cities. This way the number of homes will be increases and rental prices will be decreased.

Also, it would be helpful to provide workshops in the community centers and the churches to improve public awareness of the importance of remodeling homes, encouraging families by providing classes and connecting them with the right facilities to do so. Old homes can cause many diseases like asthma. The indoor environment is important in the context of asthma especially in our current society where American children spend most of their time indoors, especially after technological advancements in entertainment such as video games, computers, tablets, and cell phones. Unbeknownst to the majority of the population, indoor air quality is generally assumed to be quite clean;

81 however, despite the false sense of security, indoor pollution does exist and can harm the general health of those most susceptible, such as children and the elderly alike.

Increasing the numbers of mixed-use buildings will expand work opportunities and homes in the same area that will encourage Coptic women and many American women to work. This way they will be close by to their children’s school and avoid driving on the freeway, which will reduce traffic. Increased biking and walkability will reduce cars and pollution, which will, in turn, help the environment.

Education

First generation parents discussed the importance of the school district.

Encouraging parents to be involved and participate in their kids’ school will help improve individual education as well as the whole school performance. We should teach diversity in schools. Students should be taught not to shy away from understanding children’s diverse backgrounds; but instead, to celebrate them. By showing children to be accepting, diversity at a young age helps them to grow up to be worldly citizens. Also increasing cultural awareness in the universities and work force will make people familiar with each other’s cultures and help them respect their differences. By giving a chance to each race to express their thoughts, differences, similarities in warm sessions avoids misunderstanding.

While many may think that children from diverse communities are missing many essential things, they actually have many advantages over their native peers. Children from the real diverse communities will have the great advantage of cultural exchange and positive integration. The population of our universe is diverse by nature. Segregation of races in the past decades has contributed to conflicts, abuse ignorance of each other's

82 cultural achievements and more. Children without cultural barriers will gain a mutual respect and understanding for children from different races, cultures, and financial class.

A child integrating with someone from a different financial class will naturally teach them not to take what they have for granted. He or she will also learn gratitude and eventually learn to give and help those who are in need. Experiencing life in a certain financial class, race or culture from a local perspective shelters us and automatically puts us behind others.

To every group in our society, there are the positives and the negatives. Without true integration in our communities, one could never choose and adopt the best in every culture to finally achieve a better way of life. Discrimination has left many at a disadvantage and segregation contributes to it more and more every day. Acceptance of others’ weaknesses, strength and differences is the first step in becoming more united as a community and even a nation. Culture is important for children’s identity and well-being because it gives them a sense of self-worth and a sense of who they are.

Many mothers cannot work before their children begin kindergarten at age five.

Providing affordable preschools allows a way for kids to learn new skills and mastery of the English language at an early age. This will encourage moms to work, reduce the generation gap, and will allow mothers to be more integrated to society. Increasing the availability of preschools in the same building of the mom’s work would be helpful.

In speaking with the Second Generation Focus Group, many stated that safety was a major concern when taking night classes. This group stated that increasing lamp-posts and visible security at night on school campus would decrease the level of fear as one member stated, “nothing generates a sense of fear like dark areas”. Also, increasing the

83 amount of night courses, would increase availability of classes, which would also increase the number of students causing more students to walk together. In addition, it was recommended to scatter well-lit kiosks/vendors to “create eyes” on the campus, or like Jane Jacob stated, “eyes on the street”. Fixing broken light on campus and increasing lighting in parking lots, pathways, halls, and lobbies would also address campus safety.

Unlike the second generation focus group, the first generation focus group had a different concern. They stated that to improve education, college counselors need to be able to understand their educational background by transferring their international programs of study (certificates, transcripts and degrees) to an equivalent U.S. course of study. Universities that have specialization from the beginning of matriculation would lower students’ costs and expand the workforce.

Business Ownership

Newcomers need somebody to help them to find volunteers’ opportunities in their careers. Having professionals to help them open new business and work in their career will support growth in the community. As immigrants open these new businesses, they employ other immigrants, as well as native-born American. As more businesses open, there will be a greater need for employees that can speak multiple languages and understand a variety of cultures (Kim, 2015). This will further increase connections between immigrant business communities and mainstream business, through networking, marketing and promotion, and business assistance.

City economies must have a workforce that matches their needs, can speak multiple languages, and have unique skill sets to set them apart from others. Encouraging

84 the development of strong workforce can be done through local hiring incentives at the city governance level that aims to reflect the diversity. Increasing part time opportunities for women will allow for a balance between work and family commitments. Connecting new foreign-born residents to key resources and networks through community on- boarding programs ensures equitable access to business networks and capita. Connecting refugee/immigrant agencies with employers expands hiring opportunities.

Many Copts admitted that they faced challenges when they apply to the work force. They said the expertise they brought with them to southern California often goes to waste. Lengthy recertification processes, language barriers, and employers' unfamiliarity with foreign credentials hinder immigrants' efforts to find work in their fields. They take jobs as cashiers, babysitters, and security guards. The Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, calls it brain waste. Nearly two million college- educated immigrants and refugees in the U.S. are unemployed or working in low-skill jobs, despite years of education and work experience. The Trump administration has not made any policy announcements about what a merit-based immigration system might entail. A White House spokesman said only that the president has tweeted about the concept generally. President Trump sent a tweet March 3 that said: “The merit-based system is the way to go.” Facing licensing tests that require hundreds of dollars, or having to repeat an entire course of study, many immigrants with advanced skills take lower-paying “survival jobs” to pay rent and buy groceries. Highly skilled immigrants, like many Coptic newcomers, often encounter a labyrinth of obstacles when they try to find jobs in southern California, crippling not only their ambitions but also their earning

85 potential as they settle for lower-skill positions. It is important to ensure that there is equal opportunity in the work force.

According to The City Reader, “Madanipour argues that exclusion of groups from the prospects of jobs is both harmful to individual members of the group and to the society at large, as the experience and resources offered by that group are excluded from employment.”...Just as Arnstein sees citizen participation in decision-making as a

"ladder" with rungs ascending from degrees of nonparticipation to full citizen power,

Madanipour sees social exclusion as a continuum from complete lack of integration at one end of the spectrum to full integration into society at the other.” (LeGates and Stout,

2016).

Civic Participations

Providing workshops will help to educate people in dealing with complex issues.

It is important that we know that people are being educated along the way before being asked for their input. Participation in social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, would ease the public’s access to information and providing graphs, pictures, and simple language would help. Online educational methods would educate and increase the level of participation.

To increase Coptic immigrant participation in local community events, city planners and leaders should reach out to churches (which is viewed as a home away from home to many immigrants) to advertise and explain the upcoming city events and projects. Many immigrants will then feel safe to attend and participate by asking questions and providing essential feedback. While this may be beneficial for the

86 immigrants, the city may also benefit from residents who wish to volunteer time and efforts back into their community.

Educational sessions can be held at local gathering places, like churches or community centers. A sense of community can be established by providing educational sessions followed by social gathering events and trips. Making a fun community event, with food and entertainment, would encourage participation. Neighborhood art installations, like sculptures or paintings, would also aid in beautification and community pride. Vacant lots could also be turned into gardens, parks, or other community assets, in order to negate their hazardous spillover effects (Kim, 2015).

Newcomers face significant disadvantages. Further efforts to reach out to the

Coptic immigrant will benefit southern California by further enhancing the business environment, allowing for greater population in civic life, increasing trust, and helping its immigrant residents build better lives for themselves. Coptic immigrants are underrepresented in all levels of government and civic participation. Active engagement with the city can help them feel more connected. This connection can help them invest time, money, and energy into the city at all levels, from individual residential property upkeep to large investment in new business and better schools. This also encourages active civic engagement within their cities.

Sadly, some millennials and some first generations have begun to leave California because it is so competitive to find job opportunities or affordable homes. As mentioned earlier, the data indicated that California was number one to receive immigrant but nowadays California is number two. Southern California leaders need to think seriously

87 to increase work opportunities, affordable rents and homes, affordable preschools, rapid and convenient transportations, improving the sense of community between all races.

Encouraging immigrants and having them become involved in the city and community will make them proud to be a part of society. We need more research in the area of immigrant and public participation and integration in southern California, in order to show they integrate and what they need in their cities. Large numbers of immigrants stated that they prefer to live in southern California because of the weather and the connections to friends and family already present within the area. Improving culture awareness can happen by providing gatherings in community centers, city hall, work places, and churches. Coptic churches all over southern California host carnivals and feasts to welcome neighbors, but still the number of non-congregants at these events is very low.

Planners and city leaders must recognize that Copts are already engaged at their churches but need to figure out a way to connect with them there, rather than asking them to always come to City Hall. They can promote local schools as places for community development. Residents who do not feel comfortable going to City Hall may be more amenable to meeting at the common ground of their children’s schools. They may organize meet-and-greets where community members get to meet political and community leaders at informal gatherings tied into the schools. Southern California leaders should establish collaborations and partnerships with local community nonprofit organization which already serve and successfully reach immigrants. They can also provide voter registration forms to all city departments to distribute to immigrants and all citizens when conducting city business. There should be more communication between

88 the city leaders and the Coptic community. This however is a challenge for the Copts as they have immigrated from a place where they are not used to having such liberty in political participation.

In this thesis the writer established the channel of communication with the Coptic community individuals by conducting surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Also, she interviewed different generation from the Coptic Orthodox churches to gather information and to listen to them. The first goal of the surveys and interviews was to identify the Coptic community, measure the level of their integrations, and listen to their concerns, interests, and needs. It is important to finally ask them if they participate in their city council to express their concerns, in the broad planning issues facing the communities in which they have settled. The finding that they have concerns but do not express them is troubling. This is especially so, considering their successful level of integrations, as first generations, in other areas of their communities. For example, they vote and volunteer in different places, most often in the churches. Naturalized Coptic immigrants are proud of being Americans just as they are proud of being Egyptians.

Finally, recommendations have been made to help this immigrant group to be more integrated into their cities and assess their understanding of urban and regional planning and their ability to play a role in decision making. By addressing the needs of the Coptic immigrants inside their community, cities in southern California would have the opportunity to improve not only their futures but also the lives of thousands of new residents. Findings from this research can be related to other ethnic groups as well. This research supports findings from many other studies in this field and that the level of integrations is a two-way process between the immigrants and the society.

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Communication with immigrants is vital to integration, as less communication will create misunderstanding. Becoming familiar with each other’s cultures and traditions and respecting our differences is also vital. The effects of racism and discrimination can make life more difficult for anybody and create undue stress and social disadvantage.

Planners, need to consider the needs of all ethnic groups and encourage people to participate by making it simple for them to understand. Following the code and the safety compliance is very important too. We can take Mr. Rojas and Dr. Kim as role models and learn how they handled the issues of immigrants. As Dr. Kim stated about immigrants,

“they want more of the same thing from native-born residents, to build safe places to live, access to jobs, chances to spend time with family and friends, and education opportunities for their children.” Also, we can replicate what Mayor Tait has created. He created the “Hi Neighbor” program, which simply encourages neighbors to get to know one another through acts of kindness and to build the social infrastructure that leads to stronger, more resilient communities.

As planners, part of the job is to help people by listening to them and applying their concerns by advocating for people in the community. Helping Egyptians and listening to their concerns, needs, and interests will only be a start to help more people from different backgrounds. Conducting surveys and hosting focus groups will help pinpoint local issues. These initiatives can become a model for others to follow. All people, especially Coptic immigrants, should be encouraged to participate in democracy, starting in the ballot box and through city council planning meetings. As planners, we cannot forecast the future but we can plan for our future plan. That’s what we strive for ourselves and, most importantly, for generation to follow.

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APPENDIX A

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APPENDIX B

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APPENDIX C

Interview Consent Form

You are being invited to participate in a research study, which the Cal Poly Pomona

Institutional Review Board (IRB) has reviewed and approved for conduct by the investigator Yvette Shenouda. This form is designed to provide you - as a human subject/participant - with information about this study. The investigator will describe this study to you and answer any of your questions. You are entitled to an Experimental

Research Subject’s Bill of Rights and a copy of this form. If you have any questions about your rights as a subject or participant, complaints about the informed consent process of this research study or experience an adverse event (something goes wrong), please contact the Research Compliance Office within Cal Poly Pomona’s Office of

Research at 909.869.4215. More information is available at the IRB website, http://www.cpp.edu/~research/irb/index.shtmlYou are being invited to participate in a thesis study about Coptic “Egyptian” Immigrant Integration In Southern California. The study is being conducted as part of a graduate thesis. You were selected as a possible participant in this study because you are member of the Coptic orthodox churches over 18 years old and first, second or third generation Coptic Egyptian. This is a research project being conducted by Yvette Shenouda, a master student at Cal Poly Pomona. It should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Your participation in this interview is voluntary. You may refuse to take part in the research. You are free to decline to answer any particular question you do not wish to answer for any reason. You will receive no direct benefits from participating in this interview. However, your responses may help us learn more about the Coptic Immigrant

98 integration in southern California, take note of the Coptic leaders’ concerns, measure their integration in the community, and most importantly help Copts be more engaged in their cities. Although there are no foreseeable risks involved in participating in this study, you may find some of the questions to be sensitive or may cause emotional discomfort.

Your interview answers will be confidential, and your responses will remain anonymous.

No one will be able to identify you or your answers, and no one will know whether or not you participated in the study. If at any point you feel uncomfortable with the interview, we can end it at any time. I give consent to be audio recorded and understand that the recorded information will be used in the thesis “Coptic Immigrant integration in southern

California,” and that it will be permanently discarded as soon as the information is transferred to a word document. I also understand that I have the option, after the study is over, to contact the researcher to withdraw permission for continued use. I also understand that I have the option, after the study is over, to contact the researcher to withdraw permission for continued use. I have read the above information and am aware of the potential risks and complications. I fully understand that I may withdraw from this research project at any time or choose not to answer any specific item or items without penalty. I also understand that I am free to ask questions about techniques or procedures that will be undertaken. I am aware that there is no compensation for my participation. Finally, I understand that information obtained about me during the course of the study will be kept anonymous and cannot be traced back to me.

______Participant’s initial (18+ years of age) Date I hereby certify that I have given an explanation to the above individual of the contemplated study and its risks and potential complications. ______Principal investigator/Date Witness/Date

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APPENDIX D

Focus Group Consent Form

Title of Project: Planning for Coptic Immigrant Integration in southern California

You are being invited to participate in a research study, which the Cal Poly Pomona

Institutional Review Board (IRB) has reviewed and approved for conduct by the investigator Yvette Shenouda. This form is designed to provide you - as a human subject/participant - with information about this study. The investigator will describe this study to you and answer any of your questions. You are entitled to an Experimental

Research Subject’s Bill of Rights and a copy of this form. If you have any questions about your rights as a subject or participant, complaints about the informed consent process of this research study or experience an adverse event (something goes wrong), please contact the Research Compliance Office within Cal Poly Pomona’s Office of

Research at 909.869.4215. More information is available at the IRB website, http://www.cpp.edu/~research/irb/index.shtml

You are being invited to participate in a thesis study about Coptic “Egyptian” Immigrant

Integration in southern California, from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning,

Cal Poly Pomona University. The study is being conducted as part of a graduate thesis.

You were selected as a possible participant in this study because you are a leader or a member of the Coptic orthodox churches over 18 years old and first, second or third generation Coptic Egyptian. This is a research project being conducted by Yvette

Shenouda, a student at Cal Poly Pomona. It should take approximately 60 minutes to complete.

Participation

100

Your participation in this focus group is voluntary. You may refuse to take part in the research. You are free to decline to answer any particular question you do not wish to answer for any reason.

Benefits

You will receive no direct benefits from participating in this interview. However, your responses may help us learn more about the Coptic immigrant integration in southern

California, take note of the Coptic leaders’ concerns, measure their integration in the community, and most importantly help Copts be more engaged in their cities.

Risks

Although there are no foreseeable risks involved in participating in this study, you may find some of the questions to be sensitive or may cause emotional discomfort.

Confidentiality

Your answers will be confidential. No one will be able to identify you or your answers, and no one will know whether or not you participated in the study. If at any point you feel uncomfortable with the focus group, we can end it at any time.

Audio Recording

I give consent to be audio recorded and understand that the recorded information will be used in the thesis “Planning for Coptic Immigrant integration in southern

California,” and that it will be permanently discarded as soon as the information is transferred to a word document.

I also understand that I have the option, after the study is over, to contact the researcher to withdraw permission for continued use.

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I have read the above information and am aware of the potential risks and complications.

I fully understand that I may withdraw from this research project at any time or choose not to answer any specific item or items without penalty. I also understand that I am free to ask questions about techniques or procedures that will be undertaken. I am aware that there is no compensation for my participation. Finally, I understand that information obtained about me during the course of the study will be kept confidential and cannot be traced back to me.

______

Participant’s initial (18+ years of age) Date

I hereby certify that I have given an explanation to the above individual of the contemplated study and its risks and potential complications.

______

Principal investigator/Date Witness/Date

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APPENDIX E

Coptic immigrant interview/focus group questions

Questions:

What kind of challenges do Coptic immigrants face in the city they live in?

What major problem they have in their cities?

What they most need to improve their quality of life?

Why you picked southern CA “the city to live”? Finding the location attractive, enjoy being - close to family and friends, enjoy the atmosphere, *coming from a more conservative - -- culture, some Egyptians find the United States can bring new opportunities — and problems

- Do you feel welcome in your city?

- How you integrate in your city? (Volunteer, open business,)

Language

Is language barrier considered a significant challenge to the Coptic immigrants? Do they have easy access to translators for public services? (e.g. Register children at school,

DMV, Medical, etc.)

Is language makes it hard to apply for a job?

Transportations

Is it easy for Coptic immigrants to use the public transportation system? What are the challenges for Coptic immigrants to apply for Driver’s license?

Have you heard about any issue?

Are you living within walking distance to a transportation or to your work?

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Homeownership & Rent

Do newcomers typically afford the rent of an apartment? Do they receive financial help?

If yes how do they receive help?

Are they interest in homeownership?

Educational

What is the difference between the first wave of immigrants and the current wave?

Are Copts well educated, having at least bachelor, is it easy for Copts to work in their profession with their degree?

What are the challenges they face when they try to earn their professional licenses?

What are the challenges for Coptic immigrants? What is the % of acceptance in universities?

Do Coptic immigrants face barriers to educational access, financial aid, and cultural competency?

Why you live in your city?

Good School district, Close to work, Safe, Close to church, Close to family, Close to friend

Safety in school (school shooting is a big concern)

Business & Employment

Do Coptic immigrants face challenges when they apply for the workforce? (skills)

(Formal and informal)

What type of businesses do Coptic immigrants generally start?

What obstacles/ challenges do Coptic immigrants face when starting a private business?

Has there been a significant difference before and/or after the recession in 2008?

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If you have business what kind of business do you have? Which city?

Stakeholder interviews also indicated that immigrant business owners fared better or worse during the recession???

Civic Participations

Active in religious organizations

Within your children’s schools (PTA, volunteer in your kids’ classes) community organizations (library, community center, AYSO)

Planning commissions & City council:

Are Coptic immigrants aware of their city board meeting? Do they get involved with city planning design and making process?

What supports do they need to become active participants in their city? (e.g. online classes, classes in their churches, etc.)

How can we build sense of community for them?

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APPENDIX F

English survey questions

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APPENDIX G

Arabic survey questions

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APPENDIX H

Memorandum

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Institutional Review Board -- Office of Research Compliance

Federal wide Assurance 00001759 -- IRB principles: respect for persons, beneficence,

and justice

Date: October 12, 2018

PI Name: Yvette Shenouda; Department/College: Environmental Design

Co-PI(s): Alvaro Huerta

IRB protocol number: IRB-18-97

Protocol Title: Planning for Coptic "Egyptian" immigrant integration In southern

California

Submission Type: Initial ; Review Board Type: by CPP IRB members

Review Type: Full committee

Decision Date:

Decision: Approved

Dear Investigator(s),

The protocol as described above has been reviewed by the Cal Poly Pomona Institutional

Review Board (IRB) by the Full Board review method. It was found to be in compliance with applicable federal and state regulations and Cal Poly Pomona policies regarding the protection of human subjects used in research. Thus, the Cal Poly Pomona IRB grants

118 you approval to conduct the research. On its behalf, I thank you for your adherence to established policies meant to ensure the safety and privacy of your study participants.

You may wish to keep a copy of this memo with you while conducting your research project.

You may initiate the project as of October 12, 2018, and it must be completed by October

12, 2019. Federal regulations limit the IRB approval of studies for up to one year. If you find the need to renew your protocol, please remember to submit a request to the IRB at least six (6) weeks before this end date to ensure continuous human subjects’ protection and IRB approval. The Cayuse system will remind you, however the responsibility lies with the study investigators.

It would be appreciated that you advise the IRB upon the completion of your project involving the interaction with human subjects. Please use the "Closure or termination of the protocol" form in the Cayuse system.

Approval is conditional upon your willingness to carry out your responsibilities as the principal investigator under University policy. Your research project must be conducted according to the methods described in the final approved protocol. Should there be any changes to your research plan as described, please advise the IRB, because you may be required to submit an amendment (with re-certification). Additionally, should you as the investigator or any of your subjects’ experience any “problems which involve an undescribed element of risk” (adverse events in regulatory terms), please immediately inform the IRB of the circumstances. There are forms for both in the Cayuse system.

These are additional notes, if any, from the Board:

The committee wishes you success in your future research endeavors. If you need further

119 assistance, you are encouraged to contact the IRB.

Sincerely,

Heather Taylor Wizikowski, Ph.D.

Chair, Institutional Review Board

Assistant Professor, Education

College of Education and Integrative Studies

This message has been automatically generated by the Cayuse system installed at Cal

Poly Pomona by Evisions. Please contact the IRB office ([email protected] or 909.869.4215 or .3713) if you have questions or you believe you have received this message in error.

Thanks for your compliance with the regulations while conducting human subjects research. [2/16]

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APPENDIX I

From: H.G. Bishop Serapion

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 1:09 AM

To: Yvette A. Shenouda

Subject: Re: Authorized email

Dear Yvette A. Shenouda

This is confirming my acceptance to your study. I wish you all success in your study and confirm our willingness to offer you any help you need to complete your study successfully

May Our Lord grant you success

Metropolitan Serapion

On Aug 28, 2018, at 22:19, Yvette A. Shenouda wrote:

Salam Anba Serapion,

This is Yvette Shenouda, I met you last June regarding my thesis topic "Planning for

Coptic immigrant integration in southern California". Your eminence accepted my study and invited me to the priests meeting to talk about my thesis topic. All what I need that

You email me back that you accept my study and you accept that I can conduct a survey, interviews, and focus group in the churches in southern California. The IRB needs this authorizing email before they accepting my application. Please email me back that you accept my study.

Please keep me in your Prayers!

Thank you so much!

Best regards,

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Yvette Shenouda

Master's Student, URP

Cal Poly Pomona [email protected]

(310)365-9566

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