Abstract

The following article aims to provide a general conceptual definition of participation and its benefits, with immigrants in the process of integration as a reference point. The principal authors mentioned in this article have addressed the phenomenon of associationism with a special focus to study the phenomenon of immigrant associations. These immigrant associations in the last few years have emerged as interlocutors mirroring the needs and interests of recent immigrants, and at the same time they are recognized as spaces and instruments for an active participation in all public areas. The movement of associationism should be studied in order to determine the causes of its presence, and to understand its many contributions to the lives of immigrants, and the role that they play in the society. _Received_: 31 June 2015 _Accepted_: 15 October 2015 _Published online_: 11 December 2017.