Exploring Transnational Civil Society: A Comparative Study of Colombian, Dominican and Mexican Immigrant Organizations in the USA

The study of Colombian, Dominican and Mexican immigrant organizations in the USA shows that variations by nationality are not only the result of differences in the demographic characteristics of the immigrant populations. Immigrant organizations are immersed simultaneously in two civil society/state dynamics: that of the sending country and that of the receiving country, and both shape immigrant organizations. I argue that the patterns of civic and political association in the immigrants' countries of origin and the continuous relations immigrant organizations maintain with institutions, organizations, political parties and/or the state of the country of origin contribute significantly to defining national differences among immigrant organizations.