'We, the People ' in an Age of Migration: Immigrants ' Political Integration in Comparative Perspective"

The past decade has seen the retreat, if not demise, of multiculturalism in numerous Western liberal democracies. Among its flaws, critics have particularly attacked multiculturalism’s apparent failure to integrate immigrants into host societies.1 Some concerns center on socio-economic exclusions. Multiculturalism is believed to encourage immigrants ’ self-segregation and, in doing so, impede their integration into mainstream social and economic structures (e.g., Koopmans, et al. 2005). A second, equally loud complaint centers on civic and political integration. Immigrants ’ cultures, values and insular behaviors are viewed as antithetical to the liberal democratic creed that unites citizens in Western countries. Scholars have consequently noted a shift toward stronger policies of cultural and civic assimilation (Brubaker 2001; Entzinger 2003; Joppke 2004), and some liberal theorists have attacked multiculturalism for its emphasis on collective rights and culture over individual rights and universalism (e.g., Barry 2001). The backlash against multiculturalism can be seen on the ground in many immigrant-receiving countries. The United Kingdom’s Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act of 2002 introduced a citizenship ceremony to mark the importance of and foster pride i