Making Immigrant Integration Work: a case study of refugee resettlement in Philadelphia, PA By Karin Leah Brandt B.A. in Political Science & International Studies Iowa State University, 2007 Submitted to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of ARCHIES Master in City Planning ASSACHUSETTS INSTT1JTE OF TECHNOLOGY at the JUN 2 3 2010 MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY June 2010 LIBRARIES @ 2010 Karin L. Brandt. All Rights Reserved The author here by grants to MIT the permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of the thesis document in whole or in part. Author Depar ent of U ban Stud'ies and Planning (May 20, 2010) //I Certified by Professor Alice Amsden Thesis Supervisor Department of Urban Studies and Planning Accepted by ProfessorJoseph Ferreira 1< Chair, MCP Committee Department of Urban Studies and Planning 2 Making Immigrant Integration Work: a case study of refugee resettlement in Philadelphia, PA By: Karin Brandt Submitted to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning on May 20, 2010 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in City Planning Abstract This research seeks to understand what are the conditions under which refugees integrate successfully in urban areas. This question is of particular importance to urban areas despite the fact that refugees account for only 10 percent of total US immigration. Refugee resettlement disproportionately impacts a city's urban fabric and foreign-born profile through the establishment of immigrant enclaves and subsequent chain migration. Moreover, a refugee community's initial resettlement period has long-term effects for integration outcomes. This research examines the institutional development of the refugee resettlement process in the city of Philadelphia, PA and draws on a case study of Liberian refugee resettlement where the presence of an existing community and English language ability did not facilitate integration as would be expected. This research investigates how stakeholders can make integration work for refugee immigrants. Thesis Supervisor: Alice Amsden Title: Barton L Weller Professor of Political Economy Thesis Reader: Tunney Lee Title: Professor of Architecture & Urban Studies and Planning, Emeritus e 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS These research questions began three years ago when arrived to Philadelphia not knowing a single person in the city. By the time I moved to MIT, I left family behind in the city. I am indebted to my friends and former colleagues in Philadelphia, whose wisdom and dedication to immigrant advocacy inspired me to learn more about the relationship between cities and immigrants. I am thankful to all the individuals who took precious time from their schedules for interviews. I am particularly indebted to Michael Blum and Beverly Mallard for sharing their expertise in multiple interviews and answering my ongoing questions. Thanks also to Ben and Nikkii for sharing their home with me during fieldwork. I cannot thank enough the immigrants interviewed in this research who shared their stories and perspectives. Their perseverance and impact in Philadelphia motivated this work. Thanks to the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning for the Emerson Award Travel Fellowship and the Rodwin International Travel Fellowship that supported my research endeavors. Many people enhanced this research with edits and feedback. I am grateful to participants at Harvard's Migration and Immigrant Incorporation Workshop for helpful feedback on an earlier draft. My MCP colleague and friend, James Madden, offered criticism, guidance, and support in our 'thesis group'. My thesis advisor, Alice Amsden, challenged my ideas and offered continual encouragement. Tunney Lee, my thesis reader, always grounded me with his historical knowledge of immigration and motivated me with his intellectual curiosity. Lastly, I give my deepest gratitude to: Judith Tendler, for your model work and for being more like family than only a professor to me; Saeed, for giving me confidence, forinspiring me with your vision, and for being my partner; My family, I thank you for believing in me. This thesis is dedicated to the Liberian community in Philadelphia. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgem ents............................................................................................. 5 List of Tables ...................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1: Introduction.................................................................................... 9 Refugee Integration....................................................................................... 12 Refugee Im migration to the US.................................................................... 15 W hat Does This M ean for Cities?.................................. ............................. 17 Chapter 2: Philadelphia.................................................................................. 22 The Transition of "Form er" Im migrant Gateways....................................... 23 The City of Brotherly Love....................................................................... 26 A hom e for refugees?.......................................... .................................... 26 Im m igrant neighborhoods....................................................................... 27 Why Philadelphia is no longer a high-immigrant city............................30 Im migrant Services................................................................................. 31 N on-profit organizations......................................................................... 32 City governm ent agencies....................................................................... 33 Conclusion..................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 3: Refugee Resettlem ent.................................................................. 37 The Resettlem ent Industry ........................................................................... 37 The Refugee Pathw ay.................................................................................. 39 Refugee Resettlem ent in Philadelphia......................................................... 41 Competition and collaboration.............................................................. 42 Geography of placem ent....................................................................... 46 Socioeconom ic implications.................................................................. 48 Employm ent integration......................................................................... 50 Conclusion.................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 4: The Liberian Case: What went wrong?....................................... 57 The History of the Liberian State................................................................ 58 Ethnicity and Violence: The Liberian Civil W ar......................................... 59 Reconciling the Past in Philadelphia............................................................ 61 Southw est Philadelphia: the next destination......................................... 62 Unexpected challenges........................................................................... 65 The employm ent g p ..................................................... 68 Conclusion..................................................................................................... 71 Chapter 5: M oving Forward............................................................................ 72 The N ational Resettlem ent Process.............................................................. 73 The City as a Receiver.................................................................................. 74 The Local Resettlem ent Agencies................................................................ 76 The Refugee Com m unity.............................................................................. 77 Further Q uestions........................................................................................... 79 References ............................................................................................................ 80 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Annual Number of Refugees Admitted to the US, 1980-2008..............17 Table 2: Metropolitan areas with largest refugee populations, 1983-2004...........19 Table 3: Philadelphia Population, 1790-2000........................................24 Table 4: US Refugee Resettlement Structure.............................................38 Table 5: US Refugee Ceiling and Admissions Numbers............................41 Table 6: Metropolitan Philadelphia Top Ten Countries of Origin for the Refugee Population, 1983-2004.........................................................42 Table 7: Refugee and US Employment Rates, 2002-2007..............................53 Table 8: Top 15 Sending Countries of Refugee Arrivals to Philadelphia, 2003-2007.....................................................................62 Table 9: Southwest Philadelphia Population Percentage by Race, 1980-2000......63 Table 10: Revised Refugee Resettlement Structure.................................75 8 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Approximately 60,000 refugees entered the United