ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that immigrants' "right to the city" is difficult to realize when there is no institutionalized recognition of their unique needs and interests. Protests might help, but immigrant organizations also need to work collaboratively with local government officials if they want to secure both material and participatory equality for immigrants. Using the case of San Francisco, the chapter shows that immigrant organizations and local government officials have become mutually constitutive around issues that are advantageous to marginalized immigrants. It argues that without public-private partnerships between city government and immigrant organizations, immigrants in San Francisco would not enjoy the degree of socio-economic and political inclusion. The chapter provides an overview of the role immigrant organizations had in improving the everyday conditions of marginalized immigrants in American cities in the past and how they continue to do so today despite added challenges.
