Network resources and the political engagement of migrant organisations in Milan

In this article we analyze political engagement by immigrant organizations. Theoretically, we discuss three types of resources which may affect organizations political engagement: institutional resources, group-related resources and network resources. By using data collected on 46 immigrant organizations operating in Milan, we particularly examine the role of network resources in affecting the contacts that immigrant organizations build with Italian political institutions. The empirical study shows that networks among organizations increase the number of political contacts organizations build. However, not all links are significant. While links with autochthonous organizations are relevant, links with immigrant organizations are not. By considering our results vis-à-vis the literature developed in other contexts, we suggest that the political context may affect the type of organizational structure which develops and the network resources immigrant organizations are endowed with. In contexts where ethnic differences are recognized, immigrant organizations seem to have enough resources to organize and act autonomously in the political sphere. In contrast, where social organization around ethnicity is not encouraged, immigrant organizations’ possibilities to mobilize seem to derive from resources mediated by autochthonous organizations which largely prevail in the field of immigration.