As we step into 2025, the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy reflects on a year of groundbreaking research, meaningful collaborations, and critical discussions shaping immigrant integration across New York State. The insights and initiatives from 2024 remain more relevant than ever, as ongoing events highlight the urgent need for informed policy solutions.
With immigration, immigration reform, and immigrant integration taking center stage in public discourse and policy formulation, the research and policy solutions outlined below provide timely guidance for leaders across all sectors. As we move forward, we remain committed to fostering, through research and new knowledge, a New York where all residents—regardless of origin—can thrive and contribute to our collective success.
This work we are sharing with you advances the vision of a thriving immigrant community that is socially and economically integrated into the fabric of our society, and a community that maintains its dignity and full human rights.
Our Immigrant Integration Data Gateway is an innovative tool that provides comprehensive data and insights on the state of immigrant integration in New York State. This resource offers both individual- and system-level perspectives, helping policymakers, researchers, and community organizations make data-informed decisions.
Data is the gateway to responsive policies and informed practice. The Data Gateway deepens the understanding of the immigrant integration context and outcomes in New York State; evaluates; maps the infrastructure of immigrant services; and assesses policy and practice implications.
The Gateway tracks critical immigrant integration indicators in 10 regions of our state in unemployment, poverty, English proficiency, and provides an individual score card with additional data to compare all the regions. This platform includes enhanced visualization tools and expanded datasets for regional and statewide analysis.
Unique to this tool is the mapping of immigrant integration services in New York. Immigrant services are mapped to provide awareness of services that are culturally and linguistically appropriate in every region of the State. Users can access the services on the map, calculate the distance between where they are located to the nearest service provider, access directions, and identify characteristics of the service providers near them.
The Institute provided a training on how to use the Data Gateway to legislative staff of the New York State Legislature in the fall. We were honored that the training was cohosted by New York State Senator Robert Jackson and New York State Assemblywoman Phara Souffrant Forrest, Chair of the Assembly Task Force on New Americans.
👉 Explore the Data Gateway to learn more and leverage this resource.
In 2024, we launched a collaborative initiative to measure the social integration of immigrant New Yorkers. This project focuses on understanding immigrants’ perceptions of community belonging, feelings of acceptance, and access to opportunities that help them thrive.
Ten Community-based organizations (CBOs) are playing a pivotal role in this initiative by sharing a survey on social integration with their service recipients, encouraging foreign-born participants to complete an online survey that is provided in ten languages. Each CBO represents a region of New York State. Results of the survey will be made available in late spring of 2025 via a customized report analyzing regional and county-level data, and recommendations for policy and practice tailored to their specific communities.
This effort is helping to build a clearer picture of how immigrants navigate their lives in New York State and what can be done to enhance their sense of belonging and access to essential resources.
📺 Read the press releases announcing this initiative
The Institute on Immigrant Integration Research & Policy (IIIRP) is excited to have selected five exceptional PhD students to its 2025 Fellowship on Immigrant Integration. This intensive program, running from January to May 2025, brings together graduate students from SUNY and CUNY to engage in comprehensive research on the economic, social, and civic integration of immigrants.
Shiyue Cui
Ken Irish-Bramble
Jeong Taek Lim
Adriana R. Mintarsih
David Monda
The selected fellows were chosen from a competitive pool of applicants across SUNY and CUNY campuses. Their diverse academic backgrounds and research interests will significantly contribute to advancing the understanding of immigrant integration in New York State.
Fellowship Focus: The theme for the 2025 Fellowship is “Engineering an Inclusive Society” and will focuses on the Social Integration of Immigrants. Fellows will produce a series of webinars to raise awareness about models and interventions that foster trust, access, sense of belonging, community connectedness, social capital, and peaceful communities. Their overall research will aim to synthesize current practices and inform policy implications in these areas.
By participating in this Fellowship, these emerging scholars will contribute to IIIRP’s mission to accelerate the adoption of promising practices, stimulate responsive policies, reduce the cost of integration efforts, and improve outcomes for foreign-born New Yorkers. Their work will assist in shaping policies that enhance the lives of immigrants across the state.
We look forward to the insights and contributions these fellows will bring to the Institute and the broader community.
📋 Learn More About the Fellowship on Immigrant Integration
On May 22, 2024, the Institute hosted its Inaugural Annual Conference on Immigrant Integration at the University at Albany. This landmark event brought together over 200 attendees, including practitioners, policymakers, and researchers, to discuss innovative strategies for integrating immigrants into New York State’s social, economic, and political systems.
Key Topics Discussed
This event was co-hosted by the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society at the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
Visit the Conference Webpage to access session recordings and resources.
The Institute on Immigrant Integration Research & Policy is proud to highlight its Scholars-in-Residence (SIR) initiative, which brings together accomplished academics and practitioners to contribute their expertise to the advancement of immigrant integration research and policy.
The Scholars-in-Residence program recognizes individuals with a distinguished record of achievement in advancing scholarship on immigrant integration. Appointed Scholars collaborate with IIIRP staff and stakeholders to deepen the understanding of immigrant integration, mentor emerging scholars, and shape actionable policy recommendations.
We are honored to work with these dedicated individuals whose expertise enriches the Institute’s mission and drives meaningful progress for immigrant communities.
Our Scholars-in-Residence—Scott Fein, Rey Koslowski, Hongseok Lee, and Sarah Rogerson—published a series of essays this year focusing on the economic integration of immigrants. These thought-provoking essays provide research-based insights into the value and impact of immigrants’ contributions to New York State’s economy and society.
Each essay addresses a unique aspect of integration, from workforce participation to economic mobility, offering actionable recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders.
📖 Read the Essays to explore these perspectives.
Our 2024 Webinar Series offered a platform to share findings from cutting-edge research and innovative practices in immigrant integration. Highlights include:
The webinar “Research Findings: English Language Learning Practices and Programs in New York State” explored the critical role of English proficiency in economic mobility, social integration, and civic engagement. Experts examined the structure and accessibility of English language learning programs across New York State and beyond, identifying key barriers that limit participation and highlighting promising models that can inform future policy improvements.
The webinar “Research Findings: Programs and Practices Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Healthcare Access” underscored how factors such as poverty, housing insecurity, transportation barriers, and the lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services negatively impact health outcomes for immigrants. Speakers shared research-driven insights on effective programs that address these challenges and discussed policy recommendations to improve healthcare access and equity for immigrant communities.
Credentialing and Licensing for Foreign Degree Holders
This webinar addressed barriers immigrants face in leveraging foreign credentials for employment and showcased innovative workforce development models that promote economic mobility.
Higher Education’s Role in Immigrant Integration
Highlighting SUNY and CUNY’s best practices, this session explored how higher education institutions support immigrant-origin students through tutoring, mentoring, and case management.
📺 Watch the Webinars to dive deeper into these topics.
As we look ahead, the Institute remains dedicated to fostering immigrant integration through research, collaboration, and advocacy. Thank you for supporting our mission to make New York State a welcoming and inclusive place for all.
