Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Restricted Thesis

Terms of Use

© 2026 Greta Nicole Matthies. All rights reserved. Access to this work is restricted to users within the Swarthmore College network and may only be used for non-commercial, educational, and research purposes. Sharing with users outside of the Swarthmore College network is expressly prohibited. For all other uses, including reproduction and distribution, please contact the copyright holder.

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Sociology & Anthropology Department, Medical Anthropology

First Advisor

Christy Schuetze

Second Advisor

Maya Nadkarni

Abstract

This thesis examines how community-based nonprofits shape access to services and relationships between immigrant groups in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Drawing on ten weeks of ethnographic fieldwork at Sunset Health Collective (SHC), including participant observation and staff interviews, I analyze how programs such as food distribution, health screenings, and education initiatives operate in practice and influence engagement among Chinese and Latinx residents. I show that nonprofits are not neutral service providers. Funding requirements, reporting demands, and staffing constraints shape which programs are prioritized, how success is measured, and which populations are reached. These conditions contribute to uneven participation across groups and can produce perceptions of favoritism, especially in resource-scarce environments. Language barriers, work schedules, and immigration-related fears further affect who is able to access services. At the same time, nonprofit spaces can create opportunities for interaction across groups, but these moments are inconsistent. I argue that shared space alone does not produce solidarity. Instead, building connections across racial and linguistic groups requires deliberate program design, political education, and coordination across organizations. Without this, nonprofits risk reinforcing existing divisions even as they attempt to address immediate needs.

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