Note
The conversations that we have been having here about immigrants’ commitment to and engagement in the civic life of their new society constitute a recurrent American topic. As the proportion of immigrants reaches notable numbers, this topic of debate is probably inevitable. Such debates arose in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as scholars and the public debated assimilation, the melting pot, and cultural pluralism. And clearly such debates are taking place now. Moreover, the extent of present-day globalization has added another dimension to the conversation. Debates address not only the civic engagement of immigrants in their new society, but also transnational commitments.