GUEST EDITORIAL Immigration and the arts: a theoretical inquiry Paul DiMaggio and Patricia Fernández-Kelly (Received 3 February 2015; accepted 3 February 2015) This paper proposes a systematic approach to the study of immigration and art by considering relevant theoretical concepts. We focus on the role of institutions and economic change as forces shaping the expressive alternatives of immigrants and their children. Keywords: immigration; art; immigrant assimilation; cultural incorporation; expressive entrepreneurship Introduction Three things are apparent with respect to immigration and art. First, work in that field is woefully underdeveloped despite the significance of expressive behaviours in processes of immigrant mobility and adaptation. As they cross borders, immigrants rely on a vast repertory of communicative behaviours to meet the challenges of dislocation and settlement in often hostile environments. In lieu of full knowledge about the mores of adopted countries, and often lacking necessary linguistic skills, immigrants resort to aesthetic means – the culinary arts, music, dance, poetry, and so on – to communicate with the wider society. They also use art to assert dignity and claim national membership. Yet little is known about the mechanisms connecting immigrant artistic behaviour and social incorporation. Second, with a few exceptions (Martiniello 2015), texts on art and immigration give scant attention to the role of institutions and organizations that create boundaries and inducements for immigrants to engage in artistic expression. Creative behaviour is not a random occurrence driven solely by personal desires; individuals act in environments shaped by legislative and policy measures. There is, however, a paucity of research about how immigrants in concrete institutional milieus organize and produce art. Third, little is known about the relationship between immigrant art and economic change (DiMaggio and Fernández-Kelly 2010). There is suggestive evidence that expressive behaviour is being used by both immigrants and native-born citizens as means to circumvent the rigours of labour markets affected by neo-liberal economic policies; but almost no work exists on that subject. Below, we discuss these three areas, hoping to stimulate further thinking on art and immigration. The names of the two authors are listed alphabetically; both are equally responsible for the ideas in this paper. © 2015 Taylor & Francis Ethnic and Racial Studies, 2015 Vol. 38, No. 8, 1236–1244, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2015.1016081