Travel – Puente Cultural Integration

10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees #1: VOTE!

November 4, 2022

Welcome to the tenth and final post in the “10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees” series!

#1: VOTE!

The conclusion of our 10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees series is quite simple: if you care about immigrants and their rights, vote for candidates who support their rights.

Check out websites such as ISideWith to see how your values align with different candidates’ values. Encourage others in your community to vote and to vote for candidates that will uphold the rights of immigrants and refugees.

How do you stay updated on issues affecting immigrants and refugees in your community and across the globe? Let us know on our social media!

Instagram: @puente.ci

Facebook: @PuenteCulturalIntegration

– Annaliese Fowler, Puente CI Data Analyst

10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees #2: Gain Experience

October 7, 2022

Welcome to the ninth post in the “10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees” series!

#2: Gain Experience

Although immigration and refugee issues affect many Americans, they do not directly affect all of us. Because of this, it can be difficult for those who care about human rights to feel connected to immigration rights issues. A way to combat this is to gain personal experience volunteering for or communicating with refugees and immigrants. Many organizations offer opportunities to connect one-on-one with refugees, such as Samaritas‘ tutoring program and the Refugee Outreach Collective’s Global Classroom program.

When interacting directly with immigrants and refugees, it can be helpful to learn some basic terms in the language they are most comfortable with. In my experience working with a refugee partner from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, learning a bit of Swahili made her feel included and more comfortable with me. Even a simple “hello” in their primary language will help you build a meaningful relationship with your partner.

How do you stay updated on issues affecting immigrants and refugees in your community and across the globe? Let us know on our social media!

Instagram: @puente.ci

Facebook: @PuenteCulturalIntegration

– Annaliese Fowler, Puente CI Data Analyst

10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees #3: Share on Social Media

September 2, 2022

Welcome to the eighth post in the “10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees” series!

#3: Share on Social Media

You can be an “influencer” for your friends and family! Make it easy for your loved ones to participate in advocacy for immigrants and refugees by sharing templates for emails and phone calls to representatives. You can also create infographic posts that your followers can repost. As long as you are sharing reliable data and including sources, you can be an impactful social media advocate.

Another effective type of social media advocacy is the sharing of petitions. Create your own on Change.org or reshare already-existing petitions. In order to access the petitions that already exist, try subscribing to the Change.org newsletter or following social media accounts that often post the links to the petitions.

How do you stay updated on issues affecting immigrants and refugees in your community and across the globe? Let us know on our social media!

Instagram: @puente.ci

Facebook: @PuenteCulturalIntegration

– Annaliese Fowler, Puente CI Data Analyst

10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees #4: Take Action in Numbers

August 5, 2022

Welcome to the seventh post in the “10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees” series!

#4: Take Action in Numbers

An important right as Americans is the ability to assemble in protest. Exercise this right by organizing a protest of your own or joining a protest in your area. Find local protest events here on Indivisible.

If you are not yet ready to participate in a protest, another choice could be a documentary screening. Invite family and friends to watch a documentary with you, and provide a chance for conversation afterward. Informative options for documentaries and docuseries include Living Undocumented (2019), Targeting El Paso (2020), and Immigration Nation (2020).

Another option is to assemble a group or join a group that focuses on refugee outreach, such as the Refugee Outreach Collective (ROC). Groups like ROC give you an opportunity to be in contact with refugees in order to create cross-cultural and cross-continental bonds.

How do you stay updated on issues affecting immigrants and refugees in your community and across the globe? Let us know on our social media!

Instagram: @puente.ci

Facebook: @PuenteCulturalIntegration

– Annaliese Fowler, Puente CI Data Analyst

10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees # 5: Contribute to “Freedom Funds”

July 1, 2022

Welcome to the sixth post in the “10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees” series!

#5: Contribute to “Freedom Funds”

When I.C.E. detains someone, they impose an “immigration bond”, which is essentially the same as bail in the U.S. court system. The bond amount must be paid to Homeland Security in order for the person to be released while their case is processed through court.

There are organizations called “Freedom Funds” that donate these bail amounts to both immigrants and American protestors who have been detained. To support immigrants that have been detained by I.C.E., donate to or volunteer for organizations such as the Minnesota Freedom Fund.

How do you stay updated on issues affecting immigrants and refugees in your community and across the globe? Let us know on our social media!

Instagram: @puente.ci

Facebook: @PuenteCulturalIntegration

– Annaliese Fowler, Puente CI Data Analyst

10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees #6: Stay Informed

June 3, 2022

Welcome to the fifth post in the “10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees” series!

#6: Stay Informed

Although we have already discussed educating yourself in this blog series, refugee and immigration rights and situations are constantly changing. New information is essential when it comes to staying up to date on social issues such as those impacting refugees and immigrants in the United States and across the globe. When you become passionate about these issues, it can be tempting to immediately talk about them to everyone you know. However, it is important to stay informed with these topics if you wish to become a strong advocate for immigrants and refugees.

The following resources may be helpful on your journey to becoming an informed immigrant and refugee advocate:

How do you stay updated on issues affecting immigrants and refugees in your community and across the globe? Let us know on our social media!

Instagram: @puente.ci

Facebook: @PuenteCulturalIntegration

– Annaliese Fowler, Puente CI Data Analyst

10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees #7: Support Direct Service Organizations

May 6, 2022

Welcome to the fourth post in the “10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees” series!

#7: Support Direct Service Organizations

Nonprofits and other direct service organizations can always use the help of passionate volunteers! To support immigrant and refugee rights, volunteer for or work with a human rights-based nonprofit, such as the International Rescue Committee, the American Civil Liberties Union, or Samaritas.

Another way to directly support nonprofits and service organizations is to organize fundraising campaigns through platforms such as GoFundMe, Givebutter, or Facebook Fundraisers.

If you are interested in donating to or volunteering for local nonprofits, here are some options in Michigan:

How do you stay updated on issues affecting immigrants and refugees in your community and across the globe? Let us know on our social media!

Instagram: @puente.ci

Facebook: @PuenteCulturalIntegration

– Annaliese Fowler, Puente CI Data Analyst

10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees #8: Write

April 1, 2022

Welcome to the third post in the “10 Ways to Support Immigrants and Refugees” series!

#8: Write

Another method of advocating for immigrant and refugee rights is communicating with your elected officials. Writing letters and emails to your local, state, and federal-level officials can be highly effective, especially if the effort is coordinated with many other people from your area. To find out who to write to, find your House Representative here, and your Senators here.

Elected officials are not the only option for outreach. Writing to newspapers or other media outlets can also be an effective advocacy tool. For example, try reaching out to your local newspaper, school news, or an editorial website.

If you are religious and are a part of a church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious community, you may want to try writing to or speaking with your religious leaders about the importance of advocating for immigrants and refugees and how it ties into your religion.

How do you stay updated on issues affecting immigrants and refugees in your community and across the globe? Let us know on our social media!

Instagram: @puente.ci

Facebook: @PuenteCulturalIntegration

– Annaliese Fowler, Puente CI Data Analyst

Travel to Cuba

May 21, 2018

¡Vamos Pa’ Cuba! Puente Cultural Integration is planning its first trip to Cuba. Government policies keep changing and we have been paying close attention to the latest updates. In the last couple of months, the US has opened bids for domestic airline carriers to provide service to Cuba and has eliminated many restrictions for travel. We, like so many others, are anxious to see Cuba before their doors open to all tourism and trade. Interest has been great in the Metro Detroit area. Because this is unknown territory for US businesses, there is value in seeking out a cultural liaison that can help you to bridge the gap between the US and Cuba.

We are working with strategic partners and our initial trip falls under two categories allowed by the US State Dept. for travel to Cuba.

Educational Activities: exploration of cultural centers, museums, music, art, architecture, and cuisine.
People-to-People: our primary goal is to form relationships with various locals in multiple cities that will provide ongoing mutually beneficial relationships. We aim to eat with the locals, find dance instructors, meet musicians and honor their craft, connect with artisans, and stay in “casas particulares” to embrace the daily life of the Cuban people.

As of March 15th, the Department of Treasury has updated its FAQS page which includes the following, “Travel-related transactions are permitted by general license for certain travel related to the following activities, subject to the criteria and conditions in each general license: family visits; official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations; journalistic activity; professional research and professional meetings; educational activities; religious activities; public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions; support for the Cuban people; humanitarian projects; activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes; exportation, importation, or transmission of information or information materials; and certain authorized export transactions.”

Traveling in Latin America

September 3, 2015

You’ll find dozens of articles and tips about traveling abroad. Some are applicable to our business travel as well as for pleasure. While most tips will focus on Europe, the cultures of Latin America have a deep European influence and can be a source of valuable tips when traveling for work.

Here are a few tips from Puente Cultural Integration for business travel in Latin America:

Dress the part
- Err on the side of formality
- Even (or especially) for social events – Latin Americans will dress up
- No tennis shoes unless it’s an athletic event
- You can always take off the sport coat & tie if you are overdressed
- If everyone else is in business dress & you show up in khakis / polo – what role do you play?
Eat the local cuisine with your hosts
- Nothing can kill a deal faster than your desire to eat at McDonald’s or TGI Friday’s
- Insist that they take you to a local restaurant & let them order for you
- One person (usually the highest exec) always picks up the check (do not offer to split the bill)
- If you are buying the meal say “Les invito” (I’m inviting you all) & you must ASK the waiter for the bill “La cuenta, por favor” – they will never just bring it.
- Enjoy your meal – it is not uncommon for a “business” lunch / dinner to last 2-3 hours.
- Say “Provecho” (Bon Apetit) before eating & “¡Salud!” (Cheers!) before drinking
Business is done after hours
- Relationships matter – ask about their family
- Real conversations matter – find out what they love to do
- Business deals will be sealed the next day, don’t insist on keeping the business talk going out of the office
- Use the out-of-office “social” time to build the relationship & the business will get handled more effectively
Be really careful with taxis
- Only use radio taxis or a business/hotel car service
- Ask the hotel concierge
- Never hail a cab off the street
  Freeimages.com/MiguelEsquivel

More useful tips can be found from on msn.com “How to NOT be an Ugly American Abroad”.

Did you find these tips useful? contact us here.

If your company is in the Metro Detroit or Chicago areas and would like Puente Cultural Integration to provide consulting, cross-cultural or diversity training for your staff, please contact bridget@puenteci.com for a quote.