Community-Based Nonprofits Serving Ethnic Populations in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area

The dramatic rise in the number of foreignborn residents in the United States has increased attention to issues related to immigrants and immigration. Numerous studies document the number of immigrants in the United States, their countries of origin, and the impact of immigration on the labor force, schools, and social welfare systems. But little attention has been given to the community-based groups that serve immigrants and help them incorporate into American life. This brief profiles community-based nonprofits in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area that are helping newcomers adjust to their new social and political environment and, in some cases, preserve their cultural identities. This brief focuses on nonprofit groups that serve Asian, Middle Eastern, and African populations; a companion brief focuses on Latino organizations.1 Together the two studies look at the characteristics and growth of small, locally based groups that are expanding and transforming civil society in the D.C. region.