Inclusion or Isolation? Mosques, Hometown Associations, and Migration to Spain

My dissertation will examine the role of community organizations and religious institutions in facilitating the civic and political integration of African migrants in Spain. I will spend the 2018-2019 academic year in Madrid and Barcelona conducting interviews, collecting survey data, and analyzing social networks to better understand migrants' trajectories. Previous research has focused on the institutions of receiving countries such as churches and trade unions, but has neglected immigrant-led institutions, which may also assist immigrants in their efforts to become civically and politically integrated, or conversely lead to their exclusion. To fill this research gap, I will study mosques, hometown associations, and the diasporic networks that surround them with an intersectional lens to understand how each may affect the civic integration of men and women differently. This project will provide new insights regarding democratic inclusion, minority rights, and human flourishing in countries where immigration is rapidly altering the political landscape.