The New New Yorkers’ Civil Action Guide, a recent publication by the New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) in Jackson Heights, Queens, outlines ways in which community ought to organize and mobilize, while advising immigrants to exercise their constitutional rights.

Shirley Lin, a political coordinator at NICE, pointed out that the right of association is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Many new immigrants, however, come from countries where they have not known such rights, making them naturally hesitant to exercise them in their adopted country.

Lin points out that the right of that association is a political right, as powerful as the right to vote. According to Lin, it is not infrequent that ordinary people discover societal problems and mobilize to solve them before politicians take action. Many problems are discovered by laypeople first and mobilize to solve it before politicians jump in.

The guide was created to help immigrants understand their rights and know how to exercise them, Lin said. It offers easy-to-follow introductions that will help new immigrants organize and solve problems in their community.

Information ranges from how to identify a problem, how to organize, and how to fundraise. It also explains how the three branches of City governments function and explain all elected offices on the municipal levels, including how they are elected and what their responsibilities are.