From Social Service to Civic Action: How NGOs Facilitate Immigrant Political Incorporation in a Global City

Abstract

This study examines how immigrant-serving NGOs in Hong Kong connect social service provision and civic advocacy, and how practitioners understand that work as supporting the political incorporation of mainland Chinese newcomers. Drawing on 18 interviews and participant observation across 12 organizations, the research shows how NGOs operate as hybrid actors, combining care and advocacy roles to expand civic opportunities in constrained political environments. Social workers in these organizations serve as civic intermediaries, translating everyday service encounters into opportunities for empowerment, rights awareness, and community participation. Findings reveal three domains of NGO engagement: (1) empowerment and political socialization; (2) community engagement and destigmatization; and (3) institutional negotiation and advocacy. Practices also differed across social service, faith-based, and advocacy-oriented NGOs. This article contributes to nonprofit and social work scholarship by illustrating how NGOs integrate civic learning into service provision, contest stigmatizing narratives, and negotiate institutional barriers under constrained political conditions.