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!
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NIIC IN THE NEWS
- National Immigrant Conference Held in Music City. Brandon Marshall on News Channel 5. December 11, 2016
- Largest immigration conference in US meets in Nashville. Nick Caloway on WKRN. December 11, 2016
- Restaurateur Eddie Huang talks immigrant rights in Nashville. Stacey Barchenger in the Tennessean. December 11, 2016
- Letter: America, refugees, immigrants need each other. Drocella Mugorewera in the Knoxville News Sentinel. December 11, 2016
- America still a welcoming land for refugees, immigrants. Mai Orsino in the Commercial Appeal. December 10, 2016
- Keeping Diversity, Inclusion in America. Mauricio Calvo in the Memphis Daily News. December 10, 2016
- Immigration conference held in Nashville as 'model gateway city'. Ariana Sawyer in the Tennessean. December 9, 2016
- Trump administration politics embolden immigrants . Stephanie Teatro and Tara Raghuveer in the Tennessean. December 8, 2016