ABSTRACT
This chapter is about civic invisibility and the importance of immigrant-origin community organizations. While New York, Boston, and Chicago are iconic immigrant metropolises, immigrants account for a greater proportion of the population in San Jose than in these traditional immigrant gateways. The chapter argues that civic and political visibility depends on having an organizational presence in city life. It reviews various models of urban political inclusion with a focus on immigrant incorporation. The chapter examines the city's organizational landscape and demonstrates that immigrant empowerment is severely hindered by the limited number of formal immigrant organizations in San Jose—many fewer than what people would expect given the city's demography. It explores some of the unfavorable consequences of civic inequality by considering resource allocation, protest politics, and immigrants' civic and political presence in the eyes of local officials. The chapter concludes by outlining some policy suggestions to reduce such inequality.
