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Illuminating our shared humanity: Opening remarks from the 2023 Welcoming Interactive
Editor’s note: Following are remarks by Rachel Perić, executive director of Welcoming America, delivered on April 27, 2023 at the opening plenary of the Welcoming Interactive conference in San José, California. It has been edited for web publication. We are so glad to be here in San José and see the incredible leadership of this…
Read MoreRevamped Certified Welcoming program includes star designations, new criteria
Welcoming America is pleased to announce the second iteration of the Certified Welcoming program, its signature program that recognizes U.S. cities, towns, and counties for their welcoming policies and programs. Certified Welcoming is introducing a star designation system that will allow more communities to achieve one of five star designations under the Welcoming Standard version…
Read MoreDallas and Detroit to host 2024 and 2025 Welcoming Interactive conference
Welcoming America is pleased to announce Dallas, Texas, and Detroit, Michigan as the sites for the 2024 and 2025 Welcoming Interactive conference, respectively. The formal announcement was made at the recent Welcoming Interactive conference in San José, California, in which 600 participants from across the globe attended. The City of Dallas will spearhead the conference…
Read MoreImmigrant inclusion network convenes in Silicon Valley for annual conference
Welcoming America and the City of San José are set to host the annual Welcoming Interactive conference this Wednesday in San José, California, the heart of Silicon Valley, with over 600 attendees and special guests including San José Mayor Matt Mahan. “We are excited to welcome people from around the world to experience our vibrant,…
Read MoreFarewell, Isha: Parting words from our deputy director
Editor’s note: Isha Lee, deputy director of Welcoming America, is departing the organization after eight years of service. During her tenure, Americans faced some of the most momentous challenges to our well-being and democracy and witnessed profound transformations within the fields of immigration and belonging. Isha came to Welcoming America in 2015 as the first…
Read More#WomenOfWelcoming: Celebrating history and inclusion for Women’s History Month
In the United States, Women’s History Month takes place during March to celebrate the contributions and achievements of women in a variety of fields, from the past to the present. At Welcoming America, we are proud to lead a membership network of 300+ nonprofits and local government organizations that work to help communities become more…
Read MoreU.S., Australian participants selected for exchange program between rural communities
As part of Welcoming America’s continued work in fostering rural leadership in welcoming and inclusion, we are thrilled to announce the 16 participants selected for the forthcoming Rural Welcoming Communities Exchange program (RWCE): U.S. participants: Celeste Koppe of the West Central Initiative (Fergus Falls, MN) Fatima Said of Project FINE (Winona, MN) David Kramer of…
Read MoreTwelve nonprofits, local governments receive funding for projects to foster, deepen belonging in local communities
Welcoming America is pleased to announce the 12 nonprofit and local government recipients of the second round of funding from the Fund to Foster Belonging, which will continue supporting and expanding the work of local leaders and projects that build meaningful connections between immigrants and non-immigrants: Level 1 recipients: Centro Multicultural (Pontiac, MI) City of…
Read MoreCity of Philadelphia becomes largest U.S. city to gain Certified Welcoming designation by Welcoming America
Welcoming America, a national nonprofit organization, announces today the City of Philadelphia – the largest city and the fourth place in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – to achieve the Certified Welcoming designation. Rachel Perić, Executive Director of Welcoming America, said: “Philadelphia’s leadership as a Certified Welcoming city shows how a principled response to migration, driven…
Read MoreYes, welcoming is hard, but not impossible: a response to the crisis narrative of the migrant situation in the U.S.
When someone chooses to make our community home, flattery — not indignation — should be our response. If they, like my own family, have traveled thousands of miles, fled an oppressive regime, and want to work so they can feed their family, consider yourself doubly flattered, because it means you’ve done great work creating a…
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