foreign policy The Global Cities Index 2010

For socioeconomic outcomes, we use 20 indicators that fall into four subcategories: job opportunities economic prosperity livability and civic participation. To evaluate the level of policy support for immigrants in each city, NAE examines policies directed toward or affecting immigrant populations using 38 unique measures across different six subcategories including: government leadership economic empowerment inclusivity community legal support and inclusive emergency management. The Index looks at two categories to assess immigrant integration: 1) local policies-and 2) socioeconomic outcomes-and specifically the disparities in those outcomes between immigrants and their U.S.-born counterparts. This comprehensive framework allows New American Economy to measure and compare immigrant integration across the 100 largest cities in the United States.

New American Economy’s (NAE) Cities Index examines for the first time the landscape of local policy toward immigrants as well as how immigrants are doing in these cities by looking at their economic, social, and political outcomes. Despite this exponential increase in local policies that aim to welcome, attract, and integrate immigrants-from offices of immigrant affairs, to language access programs, to support for immigrant entrepreneurs-we have yet to evaluate these policies across cities, and yet to gauge how immigrants fare in these communities. While Washington remains unable to fix the country’s broken immigration system, local governments have increasingly come to recognize immigrants’ valuable role in their success, and are working to create environments that ensure that all residents are able to fulfill their potential.

The extent to which immigrants are able to become integral parts of American communities around the country-commonly referred to as immigrant integration-is an important part of maximizing the potential of immigrants for the well-being of all residents. It creates business opportunities, spurs job growth, and revitalizes local communities. Immigration is vital to the long-term prosperity of American cities and the U.S.

Foreign policy The Global Cities Index 2010