Tag: immigrants

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 #9: Speak Up and Speak Out

March 4, 2022

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

“Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that the immigrants were American history.”

– Oscar Handlin

#9: Speak Up and Speak Out

Advocating for refugees and immigrants involves communicating with others about the importance of immigration rights. Talking with family and friends can be an effective advocacy tool. In order to create impactful conversations, try introducing the subject of immigration in small pieces, over time, in order to avoid making your family and friends feel defensive.

Try to listen more than you talk, and listen with an open heart. Immigration rights are a hot-button topic for many Americans, but the more empathetic you can be in the moment, the more likely someone is to listen to your perspective. Lead the conversation with personal stories and shared values. Although it may be tempting to throw statistics at your conversation partner, data is not as compelling if there is no narrative to go with it. The best advocates invite people into the conversation instead of making people feel intimidated or confronted.

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 #10: Educate Yourself

February 11, 2022

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

“Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself.”

– Robert Green Ingersoll

#10: Educate Yourself

Although immigration and refugee crises do not directly affect all of us, they impact the people in our neighborhoods and our communities as a whole. Immigrants and refugees contribute greatly to the U.S. economy, and they account for 13.7% of the U.S. population, as of 2020.

In order to address issues that impact immigrants in our communities and worldwide, we must educate ourselves. This can be a challenge with all of the information that is constantly thrown at us through social media. It can feel overwhelming to stay informed of all the issues facing our communities in this day and age. We can make it easier on ourselves by choosing to incorporate reliable sources into our social media feeds and media consumption.

The following are examples of ways to stay informed that can be incorporated into the media that you already consume:

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