Immigration and Political Participation

Political Engagement as a Mechanism of Integration

Debates about immigration and the integration of immigrants have dominated political discourse in the United States and Germany for decades. As the subject of these debates, immigrants and their children are increasingly using their own political capital to influence elections and policy. This seminar, the final in a three-part series on integration, will examine the political engagement and activity of young people with a migration background as a gauge of integration. Prof. Dr. Haci-Halil Uslucan, professor for Modern Turkish Studies at the University of Duisburg Essen and head of the Center for Turkish Studies and Research on Integration in Essen, will present the German perspective and Dr. Mark Lopez, director of global migration and demography research at Pew Research Center, will discuss the U.S. experience.

Dr. Mark Hugo Lopez is director of global migration and demography research at Pew Research Center. He leads planning of the Center’s research agenda on international demographic trends, international migration, U.S. immigration trends and the U.S. Latino community. He is an expert on immigration globally and in the U.S., world demography, U.S. Hispanics and Asian Americans. Dr. Lopez was previously the Center’s director of Hispanic research, and prior to that served as the associate director.

Dr. Lopez is the co-editor of “Adjusting to a World in Motion: Trends in Global Migration and Migration Policy.” He is a co-author of “The Future of the First Amendment” and has contributed chapters to several books about voting and young Latinos.

Prior to joining Pew Research Center, Dr. Lopez served as a research assistant professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy and as research director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).

Dr. Lopez received his doctorate in economics from Princeton University. He is an author of reports about the Hispanic electorate, Hispanic identity and immigration. He frequently appears in national and international media in both Spanish and English.

Prof. Dr. Haci-Halil Uslucan has been professor for Modern Turkish Studies at the University of Duisburg Essen and the head of the Center for Turkish Studies and Research on Integration in Essen since August 2010. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Expert Council on Integration and Migration of German Foundations and member of many scientific advisory boards. He held interim professorships in psychology (educational and motivational psychology) in Potsdam, Vienna, and Hamburg between 2006 and 2010.

He received a diploma in psychology, a certificate in semiotics, a M.A. in comparative literature sciences and philosophy, and a Ph.D. in psychology from the Free University in Berlin, His main research areas are intellectual development, juvenile violence, parenting in diverse cultural contexts, Islam and social integration, psychological health and migration.

A light luncheon will be served following the seminar. Please contact Elizabeth Caruth at ecaruth@aicgs.org with any questions.

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