Transforming Collaborative Governing Bodies for Immigrants’ Authentic Engagement

Figures & data

Figure 1. Percentage of foreign-born individuals across Oregon by county. Source: Reprinted with permission from Meléndez et al., 2021.

Table 1 Category data and immigrant representation findings.

Category	No. bodies	No. bodies with 1+ immigrant	% Bodies with 1+ immigrant
Planning bodies
Housing	21	2	9.5
Planning/zoning	120	5	4.2
Parks and recreation	43	5	11.6
Transportation	56	9	16.1
Non-planning bodies
Budget	74	12	16.2
Education	34	7	20.6
Health and human services	69	9	13
Library	34	2	5.9
Race, equity, and human rights	24	6	25
Safety and policing	29	3	10.3
Total	504	60	11.9

Note: The 11.9% total is calculated from the sum totals of “No. bodies” and “no. bodies with 1+ immigrant.”

Table 2 Examples of coded interview excerpts: Culture.

Code	Example 1	Example 2	Example 3
Culture: satisfaction	“It’s been a very pleasant experience. We have had sessions where we’ve tried to get to know each other better so that we’re more comfortable in sharing experiences and creating a safe space for ourselves as well.” (Member of race, equity, and human rights body)	“There’s, like, some informalities, which I think is both really nice in terms of having dinner and also, like, there’s an aspect of…giving some informality to that also, right. It gives, like, a more friendly atmosphere.…I’ve gotten to know everybody…over time, and so then I’m more comfortable with, like, being myself in a space where I know the other people there.” (Member of budget body)	“We used to follow Robert’s Rules of Order, but we don’t so much anymore. But we typically start with approving the minutes from the previous meeting. And the agenda…if there are any changes in the group, we introduce ourselves. And then we briefly, informally, kind of talk to each other about how the last month has been and then usually within the first 15 minutes or so…the representative from the first office comes in.” (Member of budget body)
Culture: productivity	“At the end of every session, we sit down for a day, and we go through what we did and where we had concerns about the process, how things were handled, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to, number one, to kind of reinforce the good and pat each other on the back, and certainly acknowledge the county for its good work.” (Member of planning and zoning body)	“So, we all are, you know, enshrined with that authority as part of the process. And then, you know, if you’re really trying to set priorities and it’s…verbal jujitsu, you know, you have to make…the emotional, the logical,…the human case. You have to appeal to them to…agree to a resource change if you want to change, you know, a resource plan, proposal.” (Member of budget body)	“When it comes to equity, we definitely do have the discussion of where our parks [are] at in our communities, and so, for example, you know, if this park is located in a low-income area, are we paying as much attention to it as we do to the parks on Main Street?” (Member of parks and recreation body)

Table 3 Examples of coded interview excerpts: Influence.

Code	Example 1	Example 2	Example 3
Influence: internal	“We created [a] tool to help us review the different program offers and to rate them. It’s like a Google Sheet.… So that help[s] us…when we vote on what…we should recommend for funding. So now before we meet with commissioners or head[s] of office, we ask them to complete a document that describes their values, their mission, [and] how they look at their work through an equity lens. And we talk about what are the output outcomes. So, it’s just a one-page that kind of frame[s] a little bit more so that when we interview them, we already have that document with us. So, in terms of process with something, also I think we improved over the years.” (Member of a budget body)	“I really wasn’t told anything.… I think I would have benefited from more training to be starting on the budget committee for the [city]. To have a better understanding of what I was actually looking at because the budgets are very daunting.… There’s been real strives from the council itself and the community as a whole to really look at equity and look toward an equity lens. But I think it’s still a slow movement. I think…there is still a learning curve for many of the individuals on the committee. It [has] been predominantly heteronormative, White, and male. There’s a lot of fragility, a lot of lack of understanding that impedes that conversation.” (Member of a budget body)	—
Influence: external	“There isn’t this encouragement of reaching out to people without, you know, reaching out to constituents without keeping [the transportation department] in the loop.… On the other [hand] I see that staff support as controlling the work we do, rather than letting the group or the committee decide how they want to do things, if that makes sense.” (Member of a transportation body)	“I kind of set my own goals. So, I decided to focus on creating more links between affordable housing and transportation, transit-oriented development. Also, working with farm workers…since I’m a veteran working with veterans and affordable housing. So those were the three goals I went in with, and those are the goals I told the senators that I wanted to work on. And that’s what I’ve been working on, those three key things.… I feel like I, you know, like, my voice is being heard.” (Member of a statewide housing body)	“The board is made up of three council members and three citizen members.… We’re two females and the rest are White male, basically.… Historically, there is a perception of what people feel they can and cannot do.… [The city] has a very large Hispanic population. And I don’t know of many Hispanic women that grow up thinking or believe that ‘Hey, I can be a city council member, I can be on the city council, I can be the mayor of [the city].’ It’s just not something that they’re raised with or grow up thinking.” (Member of audit committee body)

Table 4 Examples of coded interview excerpts: Other challenges.

Code	Example 1: Communication barriers	Example 2: Imposter syndrome
Other challenges	“I also had to find a way to communicate. And, you know, a lot of people from South Asia, we have storytellers because, you know, that’s how stories and metaphors is the way some of the Asian countries, we share stories very powerful way. So sometimes when it comes to [the] board, it can lead to people misunderstanding why are you sitting with everybody and sharing [a] story.” (Member of an education body)	“It’s very important people. Based on title and class and age.… You look around the room, and I would say 90% White. You already feel small, right. I already feel small.” (Member of a health and human services body)

Table 5 Examples of barriers to serving.

Communication barriers	Imposter syndrome–related barriers	Other personal barriers
Single representative from community Cultural bias or tokenization Communication norms	Lack of confidence Lack of technical content comprehension Lack of input being valued or influence on decisions Pressure to be expert in technical materials Unfamiliarity with bureaucracy	Lack of childcare Lack of engagement by other members Meeting scheduling Roberts Rules of Order Tech issues related to virtual meetings Time commitment Travel requirements Unclear application Volume of work

Meléndez, J. W., Hoff, C. G., Rausch, L., Graciosa, M. K., & Renirie, A. (2021). The landscape of civic participation among immigrants: Documenting service on decision-making bodies as a third type of civic engagement activities. In R. Bussel (Ed.), “A state of immigrants”: A new look at the immigrant experience in Oregon. Labor Education Research Center, University of Oregon.

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Data Availability Statement

Due to the nature of this research, participants in this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data are not available.