Building an Americanization Movement for the Twenty-first Century is the terrible name for a not particularly helpful report compiled by the Bush Administration and recently released.

It offers an analysis and recommendations for how public and private institutions can help facilitate immigrants participating more in the civic life of our communities, including English-language instruction.

You can also read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about it.

Many of its proposals aren’t half-bad, and it’s good that it recognizes that it’s important to help non-immigrant U.S. citizens recognize the contributions of immigrants. However, many people actively involved in working with immigrants could have probably come-up with the same recommendations.

Of course, there’s no funding attached to the report, and it’s one of the last things the Bush Administration has done — that gives a pretty good indication how seriously they took the issue.

Lets hope the Obama administration decides to actively encourage immigrant political and economic engagement.