Welcome to Day 2 of #NIIC!

Welcome to the 9th annual National Immigration Integration Conference (NIIC) 2016 -- WE THE PEOPLE-- here in Music City! Thank you to Eva Millona, NPNA Co-Chair and Executive Director of Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, Joshua Hoyt, Executive Director of the National Partnership for New Americans, and Stephanie Teatro, NPNA board member and Co-Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition for starting things off!

We were standing room only on Day 1 with amazing welcoming remarks by Dr Judy Cummings, performance by Vocal Inversion, and the kick-off plenary Breaking Bread: Food, Culture & Immigration. Thank you to Caroline Randall Williams, author of Soul Food Love, and Eddie Huang, chef and owner of Baohaus and author of Fresh Off the Boat and Double Cup Love for their beautiful and thoughtful words. Also, we were grateful for the personal story shared by Julien Ross, Executive Director of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, NPNA board member and former co-chair. 

We look forward to the events coming up here in Day 2! Our morning plenary As the South Goes, will feature introductory remarks by Nashville's own Mayor Megan Barry, country music legend Emmylou Harris, singer/songwriter and Jesuit Refugee Service Ambassador. In the afternoon,  Forces Shaping Our Fight: Global and Domestic Mega-Trends Informing Our Strategy, will feature David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and Ambassador Carlos Sada, Ambassador of Mexico to the United States.

To see what else is happening at NIIC, be sure to check out the conference at EventsXD and search for the National Immigrant Integration Conference. 

-- Tara, Stephanie, Lindsey, Cynthia, Jonathan, Sarah, Emily, Yanying, Larry, Leticia, Cesar, Pratik, Mary, Camila, Rebecca, Erin, Mai, Nancy, Sergio, Aqsa, Lisa, Karla, Rob, Erica, Charlie, Carolina, and the whole NIIC 2016 Team!

 CONNECT WITH US, WE'RE SOCIAL!

We're excited to hear from you--what you're hearing, discussing and capturing over the next few days! Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as use the hashtags #NIIC and #WeThePeople to bring the conversation into cyberspace. 

NIIC IN THE NEWS

See you at the NIIC on Sunday!

NIIC Eblast

We're just 4 days away from the 9th annual National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC) 2016 -- WE THE PEOPLE -- in Nashville,TN! We've got an incredible lineup of speakers, panels, plenaries, workshops, performances, film screenings, and much more. Check our conference schedule page for a full list of events!

Advanced registration for NIIC closes out at midnight (12:00AM CT) -- for your last chance at advanced registration rates, don't delay! Register online here.

Can't way to see you in Music City!
Stephanie Teatro, Tennessee Immigrant and Refuge Rights Coalition
Lindsey Harris, Tennessee Immigrant and Refuge Rights Coalition
Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans
Cynthia Greenberg, National Immigrant Integration Conference

PS. See below for information on our plenaries featuring leaders in immigrant and refugee rights and integration, civil rights, and social justice. 

Coming up at NIIC 2016: WE THE PEOPLE

Sunday, December 11

Breaking Bread: Food, Culture & Immigration

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM (Free)

An introduction by Caroline Randall Williams, Author of Soul Food Love and keynote address from Eddie Huang, chef and owner of Baohaus and author of Fresh Off the Boat.

Monday, December 12

As the South Goes...

9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

A Welcome by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry; introductory Remarks by Emmylou Harris, singer/songwriter and Jesuit Refugee Service Ambassador; and panel discussion moderated by Stephanie Teatro, Co-Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refuge Rights Coaltion featuring: 

  • David Lubell, Executive Director of Welcoming America
  • Suman Raghunathan, Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together
  • Azadeh Shahshahani, Legan and Advocacy Director of the Project South
  • Elandria Williams, Education Coordinator of Highland Research and Education Center

Forces Shaping Our fight: Global and Domestic Mega-Trends Informing Our Strategy

12:15 PM - 1:45 PM

A Keynote address from David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and panel discussion moderated by Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director of the Center for Community Change, featuring:

  • Kalia Abiade, Program Director of the Pillars Fund
  • Maria Elena Durazo, General Vice President for Immigration, Civil Rights, and Diversity of UNITE HERE
  • Ambassador Carlos Sada, Ambassador of Mexico to the United States

Tuesday, December 13

And Justice For All: The State of Black Immigrants and the Movement for Black Lives

8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

An introduction by Elandria Williams

, Education Coordinator of Highland Research and Education Center and panel discussion moderated by Ashantia "Tia" Oso, National Organizer of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration featuring:

  • Francesca Menes, Director of Policy and Advocacy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition
  • Amaha Kassa, Executive Director of African Communities Together
  • Representative-elect Ilhan Omar, Minnesota House Representative
  • Jonathan Jayes-Green, Coordinator of the UndocuBlack Network

Where Do We Go from Here? The Path Forward from Immigrant Integration

3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

An introduction by Tara Raghuveer, Deputy Director of the National Partnership for New Americans and panel discussion moderated by Dr. Manuel Pastor, Director of the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration at the University of Southern California featuring:

  • Nisha Agarwal, Commissioner of the New York City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs
  • Cristina Jimenez, Executive Director and Co-Founder of United We Dream
  • Eva Millona, Executive Director of Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition and NPNA Co-chair
  • Angelica Salas, Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and NPNA Executive Committee Member

And Justice For All: The State of Black Immigrants at the NIIC

The National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC) 2016 begins this Sunday - will you be there?

More than 1000 leaders from across the field will gather in Nashville to cast a vision for our collective future. As we chart our path ahead, it's critical that we center racial justice in our movement for immigrant rights. We're so excited to announce the line-up for one of the critical conversation's we'll be having on the plenary mainstage.

And Justice For All: The State of Black Immigrants and the Movement for Black Lives

This plenary will feature expert panelists exploring the experiences of Black immigrants, including refugees, asylees and those who are undocumented, and discussing the importance of centering racial justice in our work towards creating inclusive, progressive immigration policy. Attendees will also hear key findings and policy recommendations from the groundbreaking report "The State of Black Immigrants" published by the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and New York University Law School.

Amaha Kassa, Founder and Exeuctive Director of African Communities Together (ACT). Amaha is an Ethiopian Immigrant with 22 years of professional experience as a labor and community organizer. For 9 years he directed the East Bay Alliance for Sustainable Economy (EBASE). Prior to launching ACT, Amaha received his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. 

Anshantia "Tia" Oso, National Organizer of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI). Tia is responsible for developing and implementing strategy for BAJI's national campaigns, coalitions and programs as well as manages BAJI's flagship project--the Black Immigration Network (BIN)--a national network of over 40 organizations in communities serving African-Americans and immigrants of African descent to build relationships, develop skills, and advance an agenda for immigrant rights and racial justice.

Francesca Menes, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC). She leads the development and implementation of strategic legislative Policy and voter engagement campaigns at FLIC. In addition, she sits on the National Steering Committee of the Black Immigration Network and co-coordinated the #Rights4ALLinDRcampaign. Francesca was born and raised in Miami's Little Haiti Community.

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Representative-elect Ilhan Omar, Minnesota House Representative. A former refugee, she is the first Somali-American, Muslim women in the nation to hold an office at this level. Representative-elect Omar's interests in politics began at the age of 14, when she was an interpreter for her grandfather and watched neighbors come together to advocate for change at the grassroots level. Through her work as a policy analyst and community advocate, she has advocated for important issues including support for working families, educational access, environmental protection, and racial equality. 

Jonathan Jayes-Green, Coordinator of the UndocuBlack Network. Jonathan is an undocumented Afro-Latino from Panama and was raised in Maryland. He has served as the Administrator of the Governor's Commission on Hispanic and Caribbean Affairs for the Governor of Maryland, lobbied and advocated for the passage of the Maryland Dream Act, and joined a joint campaign with Equality Maryland to advocate for an intersectional understanding of undocumented LGBT folks affected by both the Dream Act and Marriage Equality. 

Also, mark your calendar for a special session hosted by the Advancement Project and the National Immigration Law Center on Sunday evening, December 11th from 5:30pm - 7:30pm for immigrant advocates to sharpen their storytelling skill and strengthen their capacity to engage in solidarity work and intersectional organizing.

Black immigrants are invited to join the Black Alliance for Just Immigration for an informal caucus before the NIIC starts on Sunday, December 11th from 12:00pm - 1:15pm.

See the conference website for more information on these panelists and the all of the other amazing speakers, track leads and performances at the NIIC 2016. Be there in person and join the conversation. Register today!
 

See you in Nashville,
Stephanie Teatro, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Lindsey Harris, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans
Cynthia Greenberg, National Immigrant Integration Conference

Who's Representing at NIIC 2016?

WE THE PEOPLE -- the 9th annual National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC) 2016 -- is just over a week away. The 2016 NIIC will bring together some of the leading voices in the immigrant and refugee rights movement to cast a new vision for our future and chart a path forward.

We're proud to announce that we'll be joined by both long-time and newly elected lawmakers who will be some of our strongest allies and champions in the halls of congress and in the state legislatures, working with immigrant and refugee advocates, business leaders, service providers, in the months and years ahead. In a changing political landscape, that has amplified some of the most anti-immigrant, anti-refugee sentiment in recent history, we are proud that some of the strongest voices to counter that tide will be with us.

Will you? It's not too late to register.

Now in his 12th term, Representative Luis Gutierrez of Illinois is nationally recognized as a tireless champion for immigrants. He has played an instrumental role in advocating for immigration reform and executive actions.

In the November election, Representative-elect Pramila Jayapal became the first woman elected to Washington's 7th Congressional District and the first South Asian woman to ever be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. As former Executive Director of Washington State's largest immigrant advocacy organization, OneAmerica, and one of the founding members of host-organization National Partnership for New Americans, Pramila is part of our family.

Representative-elect Ilhan Omar was recently elected to the Minnesota State House. A former refugee, she is the first Somali-American, Muslim woman in the nation to hold an office of this level. Previously, she served as the Director of Policy Initiatives at Women Organizing Women, where she empowered East African Women to take civic leadership roles in their community.

See you in Nashville, 

Stephanie Teatro, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Lindsey Harris, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans
Cynthia Greenberg, National Immigrant Integration Conference

PS. Check out the latest NIIC schedule with new workshops added to reflect our post-election reality. See the latest on the NIIC 2016 website! 

Country Music Legend Emmylou Harris at NIIC 2016

Ready to make some noise? In less than 2 weeks, the 9th annual National Immigrant Integration Conference -- WE THE PEOPLE -- will take place in Nashville, TN!

Nashville is renowned for its culture-and especially for being the home of country music. Earlier, we announced that the NIIC will feature Abigail Washburn and Wu Fei, an Appalachian and Chinese folk duo. We are thrilled to share that 13-time Grammy winning country music icon Emmylou Harris will also take the stage in her capacity as a Jesuit Refugee Service Ambassador.

Harris's voice and her incomparably expressive lyrics are her hallmarks, and in her forty years of performance, she's worked with luminaries like Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Prine, Gram Parsons and Steve Earle. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Emmylou has also long been active in change-making work, including support for the Vietnam Veterans of American Foundation's work to assist victims of conflict, and advocacy to end the use of landmines globally. She will be with us at NIIC after completing an 11-city tour across the country to support refugees. 

Parallel to an exciting lineup of tracks and performances, we will also host a Community Navigator convening and a municipal gathering at the NIIC.

2016 National Community Navigator Convening will bring together over 100 Community Navigators, staff, and trainers, representing 37 organizations across 25 states. It comes at an opportune moment to share the broad collaboration that has been built to provide community-driven legal services and strategize as a field on immigrant integration organizing and policy moving forward.

The Cities for Citizenship (C4C) Municipal Gathering will bring together over 60 municipal, county, and immigrant rights leaders representing 40 cities and counties across the country, ranging from Anchorage, Alaska to Atlanta, Georgia. In a half-day convening, the C4C Municipal Gathering will discuss the work of naturalization, financial empowerment, immigrant integration, and strategies for 2017.

Register for NIIC 2016: WE THE PEOPLE!

See you in Music City!

Stephanie Teatro, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Lindsey Harris, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans
Cynthia Greenberg, National Immigrant Integration Conference

Break Bread with Eddie Huang at NIIC 2016

Our democracy is stronger when we love our neighbors. It's vibrant when we celebrate and encourage diversity. It prospers when everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

At the 9th annual National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC) 2016 -- which takes place in just two weeks -- we will contend with the aspirations and realities of American democracy. Some our country's leading voices on immigration policy and civil rights will speak. And we will also hear stories of immigrants, refugees, and their families.

Among those joining us to share his family's story is Eddie Huang, who will speak on the NIIC mainstage in our Breaking Bread: Food, Culture and Immigration plenary on Sunday December 11.

Chef, writer, TV host, fashion designer, speaker and producer and American-born child of Taiwanese immigrants, Eddie inspires us with his talent for crossing borders and building bridges through culture, food, music and art. Widely known as the chef and owner of the popular Taiwanese restaurant Baohaus in New York City's East Village, Eddie has produced several projects under the moniker "Fresh Off the Boat," including his ingenious travelogue series with VICE Media, a "genre bending venture of subcultures through the lens of food." In 2013, he adopted the name for his New York Times Bestselling memoir which led to a wildly popular sitcom of the same name. Read more about Eddie's visionary-- and fun-- work here!

Join us as WE THE PEOPLE: NIIC 2016 as we tackle the issues impacting our legislatures and neighborhoods, our airwaves and dining tables.

 Register for NIIC 2016 today.

We can't wait to see you in Nashville,

Stephanie Teatro, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Lindsey Harris, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans
Cynthia Greenberg, National Immigrant Integration Conference

Our Leaders Have a Plan

In just 20 days, the largest field gathering focused on immigrant and refugee integration, civil rights, social and economic justice and equality will be held in Nashville, TN at the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC) -- WE THE PEOPLE. Post-election and pre-inauguration, NIIC is the place to be. 

Register for NIIC now and book your hotel room before the discounted NIIC rate ends on Nov 23! 

You saw some of the heavy hitters we're bringing to this year's NIIC. We are excited that many leaders of the National Partnership for New Americans  (NPNA) will be at NIIC and shaping the conversation. NPNA is a member-driven coalition of the largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations in the country

Here are just some of the NPNA leaders from across the country who will be at the NIIC. They have a plan for the future of our movement -- and we'll learn with them at the NIIC.

Steven Choi,  Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and NPNA Co-Chair. Steve was previously the Executive Director of the MinKwon Center for Community Action. Prior to that, he was a Staff Attorney and the founding Director of the Korean Workers Project at the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund providing free legal services to low-wage Korean immigrants. 

Petra Falcon, Executive Director of Promise Arizona (PAZ). PAZ works to build power for the immigrant and Latino community in Arizona. Petra is a veteran organizer, activist and community leader with a long record of developing powerful grassroots strategies. She is a fourth-generation Arizonan. 

Eva Millona, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) coalition and NPNA Co-Chair. Eva is an immigrant integration expert and helped to found NPNA. She joined MIRA in 1999. Prior to MIRA, she directed the refugee resettlement program in Central Massachusetts. She is a naturalized U.S. citizen, and in her native country of Albania, she practiced civil and criminal law -- the youngest district judge ever appointed. 

Angelica Salas, Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) and NPNA Executive Committee Member. Angelica became CHIRLA's Executive Director in 1999. Since then, she has helped to win in-state tuition for undocumented students, established laborer job centers, and led efforts to allow all California drivers to obtain drivers licenses. As a five year old, Angelica came to the U.S. from Mexico to rejoin her parents.

Rich Stolz, Executive Director of OneAmerica and NPNA Executive Committee Member. OneAmerica is the largest immigrant rights advocacy organization in Washington State. Previously, Rich worked at the Center for Community Change (CCC). Rich was born in South Korea, grew up in California, and lives in Seattle, but has also lived and organized in Maine, Alabama, Arizona, and Washington, D.C. 

Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA and NPNA Board Member. Gustavo first joined CASA's staff as a community organizer and has served as Executive Director since 1994. He has been nationally recognized for his leadership, and in 2001 he received the Ford Foundation's prestigious "Leadership for a Changing World" award. Gustavo was born and raised in Colombia.

Dae Joong (DJ) Yoon, Executive Director of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) and NPNA Board Member. DJ helped to found NAKASEC in 1994. He has over 19 years of community education and organizing experience in areas of immigration policy, health access, civic participation voting rights, environmental justice and economic development. He identifies as a 1.5 generation Korean-American and is bilingual in English and Korean.

Join us, our fiercest leaders, and a thousand others in the immigrant and refugee integration field from across the policy, business, service provision, faith, community, research and philanthropic sectors in Nashville, TN this December. Register today for the NIIC 2016!

The deadline for our deeply discounted rooms at the Omni Nashville Hotel -- our conference hotel -- has been slightly extended to Nov 23. Don't delay. Reserve your room now!

Stephanie Teatro, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Lindsey Harris, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans
Cynthia Greenberg, National Immigrant Integration Conference

The Time is Now -- The Strongest Voices

Today we find ourselves in a very new political reality. If there was ever a time to gather the strongest voices for immigrant and refugee rights and integration, civil rights and liberties, and social and economic justice and equality, that time is now. In January President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in after running one of the most anti-immigrant and anti-refugee platforms in history. At the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC), that will be held December 11-13 in Nashville, we've brought together a lineup that includes some of these leading voices to address how we move together.

Check out some of the heavy hitters we're bringing to Music City...

WHAT ARE LAWMAKERS DOING IN THIS NEW POLITICAL REALITY?

Congressman Luis V Gutierrez (IL) is a longtime champion of immigration reform working with legislators on both sides of the house to support measures that improve the lives of immigrant communities.

HOW ARE GROUPS ORGANIZING FOR THE FIGHTS AHEAD? 

Cristina Jiménez is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation, working to address inequalities faced by immigrant youth and advancing justice for all immigrants.

WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF STATES AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN THE NEW LANDSCAPE? 

Nisha Agarwal is the Commissioner of NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and a leading voice in immigration reform at the local and national level. Commissioner Agarwal led the development of the country's largest municipal identification program and was also instrumental in the creation of Action NYC, providing free, safe immigration legal help to New York's immigrants. 

HOW ARE OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES RESPONDING AND PREPARING FOR WHAT'S AHEAD? 

Tia Oso is the National Organizer of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, coordinating the flagship project, the Black Immigration Network -- a national network of over 40 organizations building relationships, developing skills and advancing an agenda for immigrant rights and racial justice. 

WHAT WILL BE NEEDED FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT ISSUES? 

David Miliband is the President and CEO of theInternational Rescue Committee, an organization that has been described by Times columnist Nicholas Kristof as "the gold standard of aid groups working with refugees." In 2015, the IRC and its partners aided 23 million people around the world.

HOW ARE OUR PARTNERS IN OTHER COUNTRIES RESPONDING?

Carlos Sada Solana is the newly appointed Mexican Ambassador to the United States has broad experience protecting the rights of Mexicans in North America. 

Join us and 1,000 leaders of the immigrant integration field at NIIC in Nashville. Register for the NIIC 2016. The deadline to book a deeply discounted room at the conference hotel is November 21. Reserve your room today! 

The road ahead needs our sharpest, most strategic work ever. Join us, these heavy hitters -- and many more -- to do just that. 

Stephanie Teatro, Tennesee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Lindsey Harris, Tennesee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans
Cynthia Greenberg, National Immigrant Integration Conference

Our New Reality

Just a week after one of the most divisive elections in history, from coast-to-coast we've seen communities band together sharing their anger, fears, and unwavering commitment to upholding fundamental American values of equality, opportunity, and justice. In this new landscape, in which the president-elect rode to electoral college victory on an unapologetically anti-immigrant and anti-refugee platform, it is urgent that all of us in the immigrant integration field come together to strategize and prepare for the road ahead.

At the National Immigrant and Integration Conference 2016 , we have assembled some of the strongest voices for immigrant integration to share their expertise at this critical juncture. From naturalizing the most vulnerable, working to maintain refugee resettlement and advocacy, and pursue the strongest and most effective local and state strategies to protect and integrate immigrants and refugees, NIIC will dig deep. NIIC is the biggest and most comprehensive gathering of our entire immigrant integration field in the days following the election. A thousand of us are expected to attend. Join us.

Our nation's success is rooted in our ability to welcome and integrate newcomers. As the front line of this fight, together we will build a path forward. We're starting in Nashville next month. See you there.

Register for NIIC 2016.

In solidarity,

Stephanie Teatro, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Lindsey Harris, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans
Cynthia Greenberg, National Immigrant Integration Conference

PS. Only 6 days remain to book your discounted room at the Omni Nashville Hotel, where the NIIC will take place, and there are a limited number of rooms left! Reserve your spot today. The deadline for NIIC's discounted rate is November 21st.

 

 

Our Heartbreak and Our Plan

This week the nation's direction changed. Donald J. Trump was elected president, defeating Hillary Clinton, with an unapologetically anti-immigrant and anti-refugee platform. We send our love and solidarity to you, we ask for your support towards our Protection Fund, and we invite you to join our movement in planning to protect our communities at the National Immigrant Integration Conference, December 11-13 in Nashville, TN.

We are heartbroken for our community, for undocumented, Mexican, Muslim, and refugee friends and family members, who are the targets of so much hate. If President-elect Trump keeps his promises, 750,000 undocumented youth whose lives were changed by DACA will lose it; we will no longer resettle refugees fleeing horrendous violence; a "deportation force" will destroy millions of families; and we will build a wall along our border with Mexico.

At NPNA we believe America's success is rooted in our ongoing commitment to welcoming and integrating newcomers into the fabric of our nation, and to upholding equality and opportunity as fundamental American values. We must not forget the beautiful aspirations of our nation, enshrined in our founding documents and on our monuments. America has always been a place of refuge, with an instinct to welcome and include-- not alienate and oppress.  New Americans are central to what has made this country great for generations. Our network will stand up for these values and fight against forces that threaten them.

In the past year, our communities have gained so much strength: nearly one million eligible immigrants applied to become citizens, over 8,000 immigrant women were trained to be Community Navigators, mayors and unions joined our coalitions to serve, defend, and integrate immigrants and refugees. As we chart our course forward with you, our partners and allies, we will work harder than ever to organize, defend, advocate for, express solidarity with, and love our communities. And to reach the tens of millions of our neighbors who want to work towards a more vibrant, just, and welcoming democracy for all.

Our Plan: We are launching a Protection Fund that will be used primarily to regrant to our member organizations and support the following key NPNA interventions during this time:

  • Permanent Protection: Promoting and supporting naturalization among the 8.8 million eligible to apply for the only form of permanent protection from deportation. Also a strategic intervention that will help grow the electorate for 2020.

  • Refugee Protection: Organizing and advocacy to protect refugee communities who will be at risk if a ban is enacted, and may be at risk of backlash locally. We will build community support for our refugee and Muslim neighbors.

  • Deportation Protection: An estimated 15% of the undocumented are eligible for various forms of legal status. All immigrants need to know their rights. Community education, through our  Community Navigator training program, is essential. We will share mental health and legal resources; assist with "Other Forms of Relief" education; and expand our "Know Your Rights" community education and deportation defense.

We need your support more than ever. Please consider making a contribution to our Protection Fund.

We also want to invite you to the National Immigrant Integration Conference . Over 1,000 leaders will gather at the largest immigration conference in the country, for unity and for strategic engagement. We have a wonderful lineup of thought leaders joining us, including but not limited to:

This will be a critical moment to come together, sharing plans and strategies to support our nation's New Americans. 

With love and in solidarity, 

Steve Choi and Eva Millona, Board Co-Chairs
Joshua Hoyt, Executive Director
Tara Raghuveer, Deputy Director

Where to Now America?

Last night the nation's direction changed. Donald J. Trump was elected president, defeating Hillary Clinton with an unapologetically anti-immigrant and anti-refugee platform.

We are heartbroken for our community, for undocumented, Mexican, Muslim, and refugee friends and members, who were the targets of so much hate. If President-elect Trump keeps his promises then 750,000 undocumented youth whose lives were changed by DACA will lose it; we will no longer resettle Muslim refugees fleeing horrendous violence; there will be a "deportation force" destroying millions of families; and we will build a wall along our border with Mexico.

At NPNA we believe America's success is rooted in our ongoing commitment to welcoming and integrating newcomers into the fabric of our nation, and to upholding equality and opportunity as fundamental American values. New Americans are central to what has made this country great for generations. 

We have gained so much strength and our groups contributed to a surge in naturalizations: nearly one million eligible immigrants applied to become citizens in the past year. As we chart our course forward with you, our partners and allies, we will work harder than ever to organize, defend, advocate for, express solidarity with, and love our communities. And to reach the tens of millions of our neighbors who want to work towards a more vibrant, just, and welcoming democracy for all.

We want to invite you to the National Immigrant Integration Conference in Nashville this December 11-13.Over 1,000 leaders will gather for unity and strategic engagement. We have a wonderful lineup of thought leaders joining us, including: Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (IL), Mexican Ambassador Carlos Sada, Deepak Bhargava, Maria Elena Durazo, Nisha Agrawal, Tia Oso , and Cristina Jimenez. This will be a critical moment to come together. 

In solidarity,

Eva Millona, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy  Coalition
Steven Choi, New York Immigration Coalition
Joshua Hoyt and Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans

Whatever happens tomorrow...

Hello friend,

America decides  tomorrow. Like you, we are all eyes on the election outcome. 

But whatever happens, we know the long-haul work on immigrant integration will continue. Together, we will continue to build a shared vision ensuring that our democracy works for everyone, that our society integrates the millions of immigrants and refugees -- our friends and neighbors who are so vitally a part of the fabric of our country. 

During the National Immigrant Integration Conference 2016 -- WE THE PEOPLE-- we will dig deep together in hands on workshops, panel discussions and on the NIIC mainstage, on key issues like Refugee Resettlement and Advocacy, Adult Education and Workforce Development, Criminalization, Detention, and Enforcement, Economic Justice, Education, Health Care and much more. 

Make a plan to vote. And also make your plan to join us and leaders from all across the country at the National Immigrant Integration Conference in Nashville Dec 11-13. Register today.

Make your voice heard for America tomorrow and, whatever happens at the polls, dig in with us at NIIC for the next chapter on immigrant integration.

Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans
Stephanie Teatro, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Lindsey Harris, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
Cynthia Greenberg, National Immigrant Integration Conferenc
Jonathan Lazatin, National Partnership for New Americans

PS. Booking your hotel room at NIIC only takes a minute; the deadline has been extended to Nov 11. Click here and check that off your list!

From Banjos to Guzhengs...

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Can you hear it? The National Immigrant Integration Conference 2016, hosted this year in Music City will be making a lot of noise about immigrant integration. And it won't just be policy makers, advocates, researchers, business and community leaders raising their voices.

We are proud that this year's NIIC will also draw on Nashville's deep roots as a center of culture by featuring musicians and artists whose sounds are fueling our movement for justice and inclusion.We are so excited to announce that NIIC participants will experience a unique performance by Grammy award winners Abigail Washburn and Wu Fei, whose artistry demonstrates how vibrantly music can be a connector across culture.

Wu Fei, a native of Beijing currently residing in Nashville, is a master of the guzheng, a 21-string Chinese zither dating back at least 2,000 years. She plays beautifully in the instrument's traditional style as well as in a contemporary, experimental dialect nurtured by her time at Mills College and honed in the New York Downtown improvisation scene. Her mix of classical craft and contemporary sound bridge cultural divides to create a universally moving sound.

Abigail Washburn is a singer, songwriter and clawhammer banjo player based in Nashville, TN, whose music often meshes traditional Appalachian and Chinese folk tunes. She is also a TED Fellow, giving a talk at the 2012 TED Convention in Long Beach titled "Building US-China Relations...by Banjo" detailing how her path to becoming an international lawyer was sidetracked through an adventure in music, and how her love of Mandarin and Chinese culture allowed her to make connections at home and abroad in unexpected ways.

Together as a entirely unique banjo-guzheng duo, Abigail and Fei will sing and perform, traditional tunes, improvised pieces and original compositions inspired by the commingling of Appalachian and Chinese folk songs.

 
 

We are so excited to welcome Abigail and Wu Fei to the NIIC stage. We're inspired by their collaboration and can't think of a better embodiment of the values we'll celebrate through the conference.

Join us at NIIC 2016. Register Today!

We can't wait to see you in Music City!

Tara Raghuveer, National Partnership for New Americans
Stephanie Teatro, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition

PS. Last call to book your hotel room before November 7th- the deadline to access our deeply discounted rates!. Reserve your room now!

 
 

NIIC 2015 a Huge Success!

Thank you for helping make NIIC 2015 such a great success! NIIC Co-Hosts, the National Partnership for New Americans and the New York Immigration Coalition, along with our Executive Committee members, Make the Road NY and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, are grateful to you and everyone else for making the largest immigrant integration gathering in the country the greatest one ever. Crown-slider

In case you missed an event or want to share some highlights with friends and colleagues, we have documented NIIC 2015 in many ways. Here is a compilation of videos featuring plenaries, our keynote by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, special remarks by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, and U.S. Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, and the #NIIC Presidential Forum, featuring three candidates vying for the U.S Presidency, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Governor Martin O'Malley, and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. We recorded audio from even more presentations and remarks, so visit NIIC's SoundCloud page to choose from those options.

Catch NIIC 2015 participants like yourself in action in these photo albums of Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Huge thanks to our photography team of Carolina Kroon, Stephen Yang, Anja Hitzenberger, and Danica Mrozinsky for helping capture the power of our community! AfricanDance-slider

Our collective research, advocacy, expertise, and political might generated over 100 media hits across the country, highlights posted here, including The New York Times, Associated Press, The Guardian, The Washington Post, NBC News, Huffington Post, Fox News Latino, and the Wall St. Journal. #NIIC was trending on Twitter in Brooklyn during the conference with over 2,000 Tweets per day sharing what we were learning and who we were meeting.

We'll be in touch later this year with updates for NIIC 2016 whic

Carolina Kroon for NIIC 2015

h we'll host with our friends at the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition!

Sincerely,

Joshua Hoyt Executive Director, National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) Steven Choi Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) Javier Valdes Co-Executive Director, Make the Road New York (MRNY) Eva Millona Executive Director, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition

(Photo Credits: Carolina Kroon, Stephen Yang)

Senator Bernie Sanders to Address the National Immigrant Integration Conference in Brooklyn

The NIIC Executive Committee is excited to announce today that Bernie Sanders, Democratic Party candidate for U.S. President, will address the event on Tuesday, December 15 at 3:00pm. Sanders, a U.S. Senator from Vermont, will address over 1,000 participants from across the country by video conference, including policy makers, advocates, educators, business leaders, culture shapers, community stakeholders, and more. Bernie_Sanders Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Governor Martin O'Malley, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio previously announced that they will address the conference as well. Candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties have been invited to address the conference.

The eighth annual conference - "New American Dreams: Advancing Opportunity, Equality & Justice" – runs from December 13-15, 2015, and is co-hosted by the National Partnership for New Americans and the New York Immigration Coalition, along with Executive Committee members Make the Road NY and Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. NIIC, the largest immigrant integration gathering in the country, will be held at the New York Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge and aims to connect a bold and dynamic immigrant integration movement with a broader group of stakeholders to drive inclusion and impact together.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to address NIIC 2015, the largest national immigrant integration conference in the country," said U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. "In America today, we need to enact immigration policies that will unite families, not tear them apart.  The United States is a great nation when we stand together, embrace our nation's diversity, and work towards an immigration system that is fair and humane. Now is a very important time to be having these conversations."

"We’re excited to welcome Senator Sanders to our national conference which is truly changing the way we shape policy around immigrant integration across the United States," Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans said. "We look forward to hearing his views on immigration issues at this pivotal and historic moment in our nation’s history."

"As the NIIC 2015 co-host, it is with pleasure that we welcome Senator Bernie Sanders to address the largest national immigrant integration conference in the country," said Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, this year's co-host for the conference. "In a time of great concern over intolerance and xenophobia, we are very excited to have three Presidential candidates addressing the 1,100 NIIC participants and give us their perspectives on the future of immigrant integration."

Eva Millona, NPNA Co-Chair and executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition said, "We are delighted to welcome Presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders to address the largest and most dynamic immigrant integration conference in the nation. In a time of great concern over exclusion and vitriolic language, we look forward to hearing from the Senator how he will be part of the conversation to shape sound immigrant integration policy that works for everybody."

Javier H. Valdés, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York, said, "We are thrilled to welcome Senator Sanders to the NIIC, the nation's most important annual event for discussing the issues facing immigrants across the country. We are eager to hear Senator Sanders' views and platform on critical immigrant issues and how they tie into the broader conversation about economic and social justice that he has championed."

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio to Address Over Thousand Attendees at NIIC in Brooklyn

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will give a keynote address at the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC), the largest immigrant integration gathering in the country, on Monday, December 14th at 9:30am in New York City. The Mayor’s keynote will speak towards why cities like New York will continue to invest in immigrants communities. Mayor Bill de Blasio photographed during a portrait sitting on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. Credit: Rob Bennett for the Office of Mayor Bill de Blasio

The eighth annual conference - "New American Dreams: Advancing Opportunity, Equality & Justice" – runs from December 13-15, 2015, and is co-hosted by the National Partnership for New Americans and the New York Immigration Coalition, along with Executive Committee members Make the Road NY and Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. NIIC will be held at the New York Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge and aims to connect a bold and dynamic immigrant integration movement with a broader group of stakeholders to drive inclusion and impact together.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "It is an honor to have the National Immigrant Integration Conference here in New York City and to be its keynote speaker. New York City is proud to be home to more than three million immigrants and to residents from every background and belief who speak about 200 languages. These cross-cultural exchanges enrich our daily lives, and are the source of our strength and our singularity. It is a privilege to welcome the NIIC and its attendees from across the country who are working to create the same welcoming environments in their communities. I applaud the NIIC Conference co-hosts, the New York Immigration Coalition and the National Partnership for New Americans, Executive Committee members, Make the Road New York and the Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, and all of their tireless community partners for promoting inclusivity and equality and, in so doing, upholding our most significant traditions as a city and a country.”

“As the NIIC 2015 co-host, we're delighted to have New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio address this year’s conference,” said Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. "This is the first year that NIIC will be held in New York City, America's historical port of entry for immigrants and the cultural and financial capital of the nation. Together with our Executive Committee partners, we believe the NIIC in New York will help influence major policy, cultural, political, and business trends across the country, and we look forward to having our city’s leaders’ in the conversation about key integration issues facing America's immigrant communities."

Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans said, “New York City has always been a beacon to the entire world with its shining example of how to build a successful nation of immigrants. Mayor de Blasio’s administration is a continuation of this fine tradition, and we applaud the Mayor for his national leadership on immigration reform and immigrant integration. We are thrilled to host this year’s conference in New York and to feature the Mayor as a keynote speaker.

Eva Millona, NPNA Co-Chair and executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition said, "We welcome NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio to address over a thousand attendees at this year's NIIC. We look forward to hearing from New York City's Mayor on how we can successfully shape immigrant integration policy that makes our country greater."

Javier Valdes, executive director of Make the Road New York said, "Under Mayor de Blasio's leadership, New York City has stood at the forefront of immigrant integration efforts by implementing policies such as municipal identification cards for all New Yorkers and universal immigration representation. There is no better place than the NIIC for the Mayor to highlight the progress that our City has made and engage in the important dialogue about how to advance immigrant integration in cities and states across the country."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Address National Immigrant Integration Conference

The NIIC Executive Committee is excited to announce that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Democratic Party candidate for U.S. President, will address the group on Monday, December 14 at 4:30pm in Brooklyn, NY. Candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties have bHRCeen invited to address the nearly one thousand participants from across the country, including policy makers, advocates, educators, business leaders, culture shapers, community stakeholders, and more. Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez will introduce the Secretary. The eighth annual conference - "New American Dreams: Advancing Opportunity, Equality & Justice" – runs from December 13-15, 2015, and is co-hosted by the National Partnership for New Americans and the New York Immigration Coalition, along with Executive Committee members Make the Road NY and Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. NIIC will be held at the New York Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge and aims to connect a bold and dynamic immigrant integration movement with a broader group of stakeholders to drive inclusion and impact together.

Conference organizers, who include leaders from the largest regional immigrant rights organizations in over 30 states, have invited 2016 presidential candidates to discuss and respond to the New American Dreams Platform. The Platform aims to broaden and deepen the current political discourse about immigration and, in the long run, ensure that all candidates be genuinely, robustly pro-immigrant. "We are very pleased to welcome Secretary Hillary Clinton to the largest and most dynamic NIIC yet to address our communities and be part of critical conversations on shaping a platform for New Americans that includes a robust plan for immigrant integration," Eva Millona, NPNA Co-Chair and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.

"In this moment when other political figures are engaging the politics of fear, it is extremely significant that Secretary Clinton is joining us to defend American values and to strengthen our nation of immigrants," said Joshua Hoyt, Executive Director of the National Partnership for New Americans. "We thank Representative Luis Gutiérrez for personally encouraging Secretary Clinton to attend our flagship event." Gutierrez

The New American Dreams Platform will be launched at the conference which offers an opportunity for elected officials, policymakers, academics, community organizers, and national partners to engage in robust discussion and strategic planning. The Platform is comprised of six planks - citizenship, English language learning, education, the economy, health, and an inclusive society - and meet the needs of various New American constituencies, including naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents, undocumented immigrants, children of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and people of various countries of origin, skill, and education levels.

"We are delighted to have Secretary Hillary Clinton join us at NIIC to address over a thousand attendees from across the country who are eager to find solutions to some of the key integration issues facing America's immigrant communiteis today," said Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition, the co-host for the 8th annual National Immigrant Integration Conference. "This year's NIIC in New York will help influence major policy decisions heading into 2016 and we look forward to discussing the future of immigrant integration with Secretary Clinton, Governor O'Malley, and all the Presidential candidates for our nation's highest office."

Javier Valdes, Executive Director of Make the Road New York said, "The NIIC is the nation’s premier event for addressing the critical issue of immigrant integration. We’re thrilled that Secretary Clinton will join us to hear from community members and share her platform on how to ensure that immigrants can realize their dreams."

Insider Suggestions for Your #NIIC NYC visit

Manhattan-skyline-NIIC

The New York Immigration Coalition is looking forward to welcoming participants like you to the 2015 National Immigrant Integration Conference. To make the most of your visit to the Big Apple, we asked our staff for insider tips on things to see and places to eat outside the Marriott. We've listed most of them below (We know you won't have time to do them all). Here's a printable two-pager checklist to carry with you. Let us know if you have any feedback or further suggestions by commenting below.

BROOKLYN

Brooklyn Heights & DUMBO (walking distance)

Food near the Marriott:

Further afield in Brooklyn:

Food further afield in Brooklyn:

 

MANHATTAN Downtown: below 14th Street

Food:

MANHATTAN Midtown: 14th to 59th Streets

Food:

MANHATTAN Uptown: 59th-125th Streets

Central Park:

Eastside:

Food: E.J.’s Luncheonette, 1271 3rd Ave @ 73rd Street

Upper Westside

Food:

MANHATTAN Far Uptown: 125th Street and up

Food:

QUEENS

Food:  Salt and Fat, 41-16 Queens Blvd, Sunnyside

Food: Bohemian Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Ave, Astoria

Food: Dosa Delight, 35-66 73rd St, Jackson Heights

Food: Rockaway Beach Surf Club, 302 Beach 87th Street

BRONX

Food: La Morada (Mexican) 308 Willis Ave

Compiled by Will Coley and Tuqa Youssef 

Presidential Candidate Gov. Martin O'Malley to Address National Immigrant Integration Conference

We're excited to announce that Presidential candidate Governor O'Malley will join us at the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC) to address our community and help us jumpstart a vision for immigrant integration that will help define the future of America.
We have invited all 2016 presidential candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties to address the largest immigrant integration gathering in the country and Gov. O'Malley is the first to accept our invitation. We're asking candidates to discuss and respond to the New American Dreams Platform which seeks to define from an immigrant perspective what it means to be a successful nation of immigrants. The platform will be launched at NIIC and aims to broaden and deepen the current political discourse about immigration and, over the long run, ensure that all candidates be genuinely, robustly pro-immigrant.
You agree? Then register now for NIIC 2015 – New American Dreams: Advancing Opportunity, Equality & Justice – which runs from December 13-15, 2015, in Brooklyn, New York. Check out the complete NIIC schedule here. And prepare for more exciting announcements in the coming days!
We believe the NIIC in New York will help influence major policy, cultural, political, and business trends across the country, and we look forward to all candidates for our nation's highest office following Gov. O'Malley's lead to find solutions to some of the key integration issues facing America's immigrant communities. Join us!

NIIC Will Address Why We Need To Welcome Refugees

In a week’s time, nearly a thousand people from across the country will gather for the National Immigrant Integration Conference 2015 (NIIC 2015). NIIC is taking place in a time of great turmoil: We’ve seen backlashes against immigrant communities from elected officials and presidential candidates. A rise in anti-refugee and Islamophobic rhetoric. And a pernicious culture of fear and intolerance descending upon communities across the nation.

Photo Credit: Thomas Hammond

Against this backdrop, NIIC will address these issues head on by offering plenary presentations, panels and workshops that highlight the best strategies being used across the country to welcome refugees, including:
Will you be at NIIC to make the call for tolerance loud and clear?

Among some of the many leaders who will be joining the NIIC conversation December 13th to the 15th, here are some key speakers who will discuss why we need to welcome refugees:

There’s still time to register by clicking HERE.
Check out the conference schedule HERE.
Share on social media why you will be coming to #NIIC and to join us in welcoming refugees. #refugeeswelcome
Photos of NIIC across this site are the work of our talented team of photographers over the years, including: Carolina Kroon (lead), Oliver Contreras, Anja Hitzenberg, Phil Soto, Marcin Szczepanski and Stephanie Williams.