‘Politics Without the Politics’: The Evolving Political Cultures of Ethnic Non-Profits in Koreatown, Los Angelesстатья из журнала
Аннотация: Abstract One of the emerging issues in the current non-profit literature is concerned with 'political' activity and advocacy work among 501(c)(3) organisations. Particularly in the case of Asian immigrant communities where electoral participation is relatively low, the study finds that social-service agencies and advocacy groups have played an integral role in mediating between the ethnic population and mainstream political institutions. The primary goal of this article is to understand how such ethnic organisations are able to achieve their political goals within the constraint of US non-profit regulations. Based on participant observation and 80 interviews with community members, this article examines the political dimensions of ethnic organisational cultures within two 1.5- and second-generation Korean-American organisations in Koreatown, Los Angeles. I begin by tracing the historical evolution of ethnic power structures within the Korean-American community with specific attention to intergenerational relations among the political leadership. I then show how two such organisations have been able to navigate their non-profit status within existing power structures and how this has led to divergent strategies of political expression and participation. Keywords: Asian Immigrant CommunitiesSocial-Service AgenciesAdvocacy GroupsUS Non-Profit Regulations An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian American Studies, Salt Lake City, UT (24–28 April 2002). Special thanks to Edward J.W. Park for his enormous help with this article. The author would also like to thank Min Zhou, Walter R. Allen, Eric C. Liu, and the reviewers of JEMS for their comments and support during this study. The research was assisted by a fellowship from the International Migration Program of the Social Science Research Council (with funds provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation), resources from the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, and a grant from the Institute of American Cultures and UCLA Asian American Studies Center. Special thanks to KIWA and KYCC for their assistance with the research. Notes 1. The classification of community organisations as '1.5 and second generation' versus 'first generation' is determined by the generational status of the executive director and the majority of full-time staff members. More often than not, such organisations are also more likely to be bilingual or English-only and have stronger ties to mainstream institutions. 2. The Korean American Coalition (KAC) is a non-partisan organisation that focuses on various issues related to mainstream electoral politics, such as voter-registration drives. Although it is not officially affiliated with any political party, the executive director is known to be politically conservative and has been active on this front. Additional informationNotes on contributorsAngie Y. ChungAngie Y. Chung is Assistant Professor in the Sociology Department at the University at Albany State University of New York
Год издания: 2005
Авторы: Angie Y. Chung
Издательство: Taylor & Francis
Источник: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
Ключевые слова: Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering, Religion, Society, and Development, Homelessness and Social Issues
Открытый доступ: closed
Том: 31
Выпуск: 5
Страницы: 911–929