Abigail Williamson
Harvard University
»Integration Policy Beyond “the Passage of Time”: Immigrant Political Incorporation in New Destinations«
ABSTRACT
Abby Williamson’s dissertation examines the processes of contemporary immigrant political incorporation in the United States, particularly in small cities for which immigration is a new phenomenon. Unlike some other immigrant-receiver nations, the United States lacks a uniform immigrant incorporation policy. Federal immigration policy specifies conditions of entry, while naturalization policy specifies conditions of citizenship. Between these milestones, immigrants and the localities where they settle must negotiate their own systems of interaction, which in turn influence subsequent incorporation. Examining new destinations offers unique insight into the development of local immigrant-related policies and their role in shaping how immigrants become members of the polity. Through quantitative data analysis and detailed qualitative case studies, Abby’s dissertation leverages variation in civic and governmental responses to immigrants across four new destinations to better identify the circumstances and interventions that foster contemporary immigrant political incorporation.
BIOGRAPHY
Abby Williamson is a PhD candidate in Public Policy at Harvard University, where she also received a Master of Arts in Public Policy. Her research interests include civic engagement, urban politics, and immigration policy. Her dissertation focuses on the processes of immigrant political incorporation in new immigrant destinations in the United States. From 2003-2005, she served as a Research Associate and then as Associate Director of the Saguaro Seminar for Civic Engagement at Harvard’s Kennedy School. From 1998-2001, Abby worked for the Eurasia Foundation in the South Caucasus, ultimately as Associate Country Director for the Tbilisi, Georgia Office. Abby received her Bachelors of Arts from Williams College in Political Science and Russian.
PUBLICATIONS
Fung, Archon and Abby Williamson (2004): Public Deliberation: Where Are We, Where Can We Go?, National Civic Review, 93, 4: 3-15.