Marcuss Fellow Isabella Paris ’25 Researches Immigrant Community Development in New York City and Barcelona

Isabella Paris is an Urban Studies and International Studies double major and one of the 2025 Marcuss Fellows. On April 10, 2025, she presented her project “Transnational Lives and Opportunities: An Analysis of Immigrant Experiences in New York City and Barcelona.” Paris describes the bulk of her project as analyzing immigrant community development and assimilation in both cities. Marcuss Fellows conduct research on issues faced by urban communities with the goal of producing a senior honors theses or capstone independent research project that is submitted for publication. This year’s other Marcuss Fellow, Rio Smith, conducted research on how statistics and policy affect Tokyo’s homeless population.

Paris’s time spent studying away in Barcelona, Spain, and New York City inspired her to pursue research on immigrant communities in these cities. As an International Studies and Urban Studies major, her research as part of the Marcuss Fellows Program combined her two academic fields, serving as a culmination of Paris’s academic career at Trinity College.

When studying away in Barcelona, Paris’s urban studies background influenced her perception of the city and its immigrant communities. “I was on the outskirts of the city, so it was very interesting to see how that related to my thesis,” Paris explains as she described the Pakistani neighborhood she lived in while studying away in Barcelona.

While in New York City, Paris explored non-profits and community groups working with immigrant communities through connections that other students participating in the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program had, in addition to her personal network in the city. Both New York City and Barcelona are large cities with complex histories of immigration which Paris explored through her time living and researching in these two cities.

Paris’s research focused on the work of nonprofits and local organizations and their role in facilitating assimilation and immigrant welcoming. Paris describes the first part of her research as, “taking into account the history of immigration to create a background of necessary knowledge” to have a rich history of immigration historically in these cities to how it operates today.

When conducting her research in both cities, Paris faced the challenges of limited time and the evolving nature of her research project. “I’m proud that I have had that opportunity, but I also wish I had so much more time in both cities to work more,” Paris explains. In the beginning of her research last spring in Barcelona, Paris was just at the start of the process and struggled to narrow down the scope of her project. Paris wants to continue to explore how immigrant communities are welcomed in Barcelona as she begins the next steps in her project.

When applying to become a Marcuss Fellow, Paris explains, “I was really interested in the fact that I could potentially publish at some point or work towards that.” The possibility of a deep engagement with one research topic over the course of a year, with the ultimate goal of publishing, was an exciting element of the Marcuss Fellowship for Paris.

This experience conducting research for a Marcuss Fellows project taught her to be much more observant in the cities where she was living and studying. It prompted her to think more broadly about city demographics’ spatial layout and how this fosters community among immigrant groups. “Spending this much time dedicated to one research topic and interest of mine was really interesting,” Paris describes as she reflects on her experience as a Marcuss Fellow.

Paris hopes to continue working on her research over the summer and says, “I’m now able to leave with a significant piece of work that I’m proud I was able to put together.” When giving advice to future Marcuss Fellows Paris said, “I think your research can evolve as you discover new materials and be able to adapt your project, but also, have fun with your research.” Paris enjoyed the challenges and learning experiences of conducting a yearlong project and is grateful to be able to explore immigrant communities and assimilation as a Marcuss Fellow.