Welcoming Network members receive over $1 million to strengthen welcoming infrastructure for Afghan arrivals

Welcoming America is pleased to announce $1.25 million in grants from the Open Society Foundations to select local governments that support community efforts to meet the needs of new Afghan arrivals. Rachel Perić, executive director of Welcoming America, co-chaired the selection committee with Rich André of the American Immigration Council. Each grantee will receive amounts…

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Announcing the plenary speakers for 2022 Welcoming Interactive

Welcoming America is thrilled to announce the three speakers to present at the plenary sessions of the 2022 Welcoming Interactive taking place in-person in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Westin hotel from May 18-20: Jerry Hawkins is the Executive Director of Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (DTRHT) in Texas. As part of a national…

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Welcoming America designates the City of Detroit as Certified Welcoming, the first in Michigan

DECATUR, GA — Welcoming America announces today the City of Detroit, Michigan as Certified Welcoming, the first in the Wolverine State to achieve the designation. Rachel Perić, executive director of Welcoming America, said: “I’m especially proud to congratulate Detroit on its designation as a Certified Welcoming city. As a city shaped by migration, and as…

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Welcoming America designates the City of San José as Certified Welcoming

DECATUR, GA — Welcoming America announces today the City of San José, California, as Certified Welcoming, the second in the Golden State to achieve the status. Rachel Perić, executive director of Welcoming America, said: “As the largest city in our nation’s center of technology and innovation, San José’s designation as Certified Welcoming sends a strong…

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New Report Shows Immigrants in Montgomery County Paid Over $219 Million in Taxes and Held Over $562 Million in Spending Power in 2019

Immigrants in Montgomery County make up 7.1% of business owners and 10.9% of STEM workers DAYTON, OH – A new report, New Americans in Montgomery and the City of Dayton, by New American Economy — now the American Immigration Council — in partnership with the City of Dayton Human Relations Council (HRC), underscores the crucial role immigrants play in the…

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Meet the #WomenOfWelcoming 2022

For Women’s History Month, we are highlighting some individuals that have dedicated their lives to building more inclusive and equitable communities where all people can feel as though they belong, including immigrants. They come from diverse backgrounds and work in fields ranging from inclusion experts to local government work. These women represent what it means…

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Tulsa makes long-term plans to include immigrants in economic development through the Welcoming Economies program

In 2021, the Welcoming Economies program entered its second phase with five participating organizations. We sat down with one of the participants, Diane Eason Contreras, Director of Immigrant and Refugee Services for the YWCA Tulsa – East Community Center, to dig into their experience in the cohort on creating a more welcoming business environment in…

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New Report Shows Immigrants in Southwest Kansas Paid Over $192 Million in Taxes and Held More than $595 Million in Spending Power in 2019

Immigrants in Southwest Kansas made up 21.6% of business owners and generated $63.7 million in business income. DODGE CITY, KS – A new report, New Americans in Southwest Kansas and Ford County, released today by New American Economy—now the American Immigration Council—in partnership with Dodge City and Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas, underscores the crucial role immigrants play in the…

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What we hope to hear on immigration in Biden’s first State of the Union address

A year ago, I wrote this celebratory post, commending the Biden Administration’s announcement that it would stand up the Task Force on New Americans, a mechanism for the federal government to advance a vision of full belonging for immigrant Americans and one that has existed since the Bush administration. A year later, the Administration faces…

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A message on Ukraine and welcoming

Dear welcomers, Our thoughts today are with the people of Ukraine, and all those whose lives are uprooted because of the ever- present forces in our world that believe that domination — rather than democracy — is the path forward. As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors from Europe, and as the spouse of a survivor…

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