Mobilizing African Americans for immigrant rights: Framing strategies in two multi-racial coalitions

Abstract

Social movement framing is a critical element in bringing together heterogeneous groups as allies in common political struggle. Immigrant rights organizations, like other social movement groups, must construct framing strategies to mobilize potential adherents, including African Americans and other non-immigrant groups. Drawing on interview data with leaders and members of two Los Angeles grassroots multi-racial coalitions, this article examines the framing strategies and negotiations each makes as they attempt to increase Black participation in the immigrant rights movement. Findings indicate that organizers relied on two prominent rhetorical strategies: the “immigrant worker” frame centered on an immigrant work ethic, and a more encompassing social and racial “injustice” frame. Although both carried some appeal, we argue that African Americans’ perceptions of labor market competition with immigrants posed significant challenges to building sustainable coalitions. We further demonstrate how inaction and avoidance by activists inhibited potential Black participation in the movement. We conclude with some implications of our findings for the role of social movement frames in fostering new and effective alliances between African Americans and immigrants.