Immigrant Integration and Gateways for Growth: Comparative Perspectives

This movement of peoples, and the consequent mixing of cultures and traditions, present both opportunities and challenges, and cities and regions are still struggling with the new realities. [...] But it also requires careful attention to public perceptions of the impacts of immigration and the dissemination of facts, and the understanding that all major sectors of society—including government, business and schools-- can and should play a role. [...] The conference, organized by the Yankelovich Center for Social Science Research and the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, assembled international, national and local experts from academia, business and the advocacy world to advance our understanding of immigrant integration on the local level. [...] at some point, and 21 percent of 9th and 10th grade students in the San Diego Unified and border-straddling Sweetwater school districts have lived and studied in Mexico. [...] ~ A clear message from the speakers and participants in the workshop was the importance of communication— clarity and honesty in dealing with the opportunities and challenges of large-scale immigration.