Submit a manuscript to the Journal of Urban Affairs for a special issue on Immigration and the Metropolis
/ / / DEADLINES / / /
- Abstract deadline: August 30, 2025
- Manuscript deadline: February 15, 2026
/ / / IMMIGRATION & THE METROPOLIS / / /
Throughout modern history, immigration has shaped urban spaces by driving economic revitalization, transforming the demographic landscape, and enriching the cultural fabric of metropolitan areas worldwide (Alba, 2005; Alba and Nee, 2003; Kasinitz et al., 2008). Furthermore, the social mobility trajectories of second- and third-generation immigrants play a crucial role in shaping urban diversity, economic opportunities, and social cohesion (Alba, 2020; Alba and Waters, 2011; Portes and Rumbaut, 2001). Because immigrants fill labor shortages, stimulate entrepreneurship, and boost economic vitality in metropolises (Portes & Rumbaut, 2001, 2014), they frequently fill critical roles in construction, hospitality, healthcare, agriculture, beauty, and childcare work (Hanlon and Vicino, 2014). Moreover, immigrants often take jobs – routinely labeled as “dirty, dangerous and demanding work” or “3-D” – that native-born residents are typically reluctant to take (Oakley, 2025). For example, day labor markets provide opportunities for immigrant workers (with much precarity), reflecting broader economic demands, social dynamics, and local political climates (Meléndez et al., 2014; Theodore, 2023). Contrary to widespread myths, immigration correlates with reduced crime rates in urban areas, fostering safer and revitalized communities (Adelman et al., 2020; Ousey and Kubrin, 2018; Sampson, 2008). Immigrants also contribute to urban culture through diverse culinary traditions, festivals, and cultural practices, attracting tourism and providing urban authenticity (Alba, 2005; Zukin, 2010). In addition, immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to urban economies, offering employment opportunities, as well as economic innovation (Light and Gold, 2000; Waldinger et al., 1991).
Despite these and other significant contributions immigrants make to their host destinations, global migration continues to generate political contention, marked by the ebbs and flows of restrictive entry and deportation policies, and large-scale xenophobia (Benton-Cohen, 2018). Immigrants of color face systemic racism and discrimination, shaping their experiences, spatial mobility, and socioeconomic opportunities (Alba, 2020; Beaman, 2017). And deportation policies and rising xenophobia significantly disrupt immigrant communities and the broader economy, fostering fear, instability, and the fragmentation of social cohesion (De Genova, 2005; Chavez, 2008).
We invite papers for this special issue that reflect on both the contributions of immigrants and the challenges they face. This issue will honor the life and work of Richard Alba (1942-2025), a distinguished urban demographer and sociologist who consistently challenged conventional thinking on immigration in the United States and Western Europe. Over the course of his career, Alba authored or edited 14 books and more than 200 articles and book chapters. He retired from the CUNY Graduate Center in 2022, concluding a long and dedicated career in public higher education. His scholarly achievements were recognized through his election to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
We welcome conceptual, theoretical, and empirical research papers that build on the themes and scholarship outlined above, as well as those that engage with any of the topics listed below. We also encourage submissions that explore related issues beyond the scope of these themes, particularly those offering new perspectives on immigration and urban change. This special issue is not focused on any specific country, and we define urban areas as city centers and their surrounding metropolitan areas, broadly construed.
- Assimilation and Blurred Boundaries
- Crime
- Deportation and Xenophobia
- Economic Revitalization
- Entrepreneurs and Economic Innovation
- Ethnic Food, Tourism, and Cultural Enrichment
- Fluctuations in Immigration Policy around the World
- Historical Context (U.S. and Global)
- Labor Needs
- Queer Immigration
- Second and Third Generations
- Social Dynamics: Cities and Suburbs
- Social Networks and Non-Profit Advocacy Groups
- Survival Migration and Climate Change
References
Adelman, R.M., Yang, Y., Reid, L., Bachmeier, J. & Maciag, M. (2020): Using estimates of undocumented immigrants to study the immigration crime relationship, Journal of Crime and Justice. https://doi.org/10.1080/0735648X.2020.1819375
/ / / SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS / / /
Please submit a 500-word abstract of your paper no later than August 30, 2025 to Robert Adelman ([email protected]) and/or Deirdre Oakley([email protected]).
For accepted abstracts, final papers will be due on February 15, 2026. All papers submitted for the special issue would then undergo the normal JUA review process.
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