The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security, is a strong leader in promoting the value of receiving communities strategies and is helping grantees to infuse these new approaches into their work, in order to achieve more successful outcomes.

Welcoming America recently conducted a webinar for USCIS Office of Citizenship grantees on how to incorporate receiving communities principles into citizenship programs. Citizenship programs are ripe for bringing together newcomers and native born residents, attracting the involvement of local leaders, and promoting positive and unifying messages in the community about the contributions of our newest citizens. One USCIS-funded program using a receiving communities approach involves local high school students as volunteer tutors for their civics tutoring program. Another established a partnership with the local police department on a civic engagement initiative to help the immigrant population set up neighborhood crime watch programs.

USCIS also incorporated receiving communities engagement in their funding application for citizenship programs, signaling the importance of this approach. Welcoming America is delighted to be working with USCIS as a partner in the growing receiving communities movement.

To learn more about the Receiving Communities Initiative, visit www.receivingcommunities.org.

Click here to read the most recent RCI e-news.

Welcoming America has been chosen by Starbucks to partner in the Vote.Give.Grow program in recognition ofour efforts to make communities around the country more welcoming places for everyone who lives in them.

During the month of April, you can support our affiliates in Long Island, Boise, St. Louis, and Chicago by voting for them online with your Starbucks card.  Each is in the running for up to $35,000 through the program.

Welcoming America is proud to be partnering with Starbucks, who will be giving away a total of $4 million in grants to non-profits around the country that are working to build stronger communities. 

Have you cast your first vote?  Here’s how to participate:

1. Go to  http://www.votegivegrow.com/

2. Click on “Find an Organization” and search for “Welcoming”

3. Vote for one of our Welcoming affiliates!

4. Each account can vote once a week, throughout April.  So, sign up for email reminders to vote again each week.

What you need:

In order to vote you need a Starbucks Community Card, or customer rewards card.  Don’t have one?  You can get one online, or at any Starbucks location.  Once you have your card, you just need to register your account online at http://www.votegivegrow.com/ and start voting!

How else you can help:

• Send an email to your contacts!
• Post on Facebook, Twitter (#votegivegrow)
• Talk about it on your blog, text your friend, tell your neighbor
• Come back and vote once a week, for the rest of April!

The You’re Welcome! campaign, organized by Welcoming America, will kick-off on March 15th as part of the official South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin, TX with a day of music, comedy, dance parties and other creative approaches designed to fuel a cultural shift in the U.S. in support of immigrants and their contributions to the country.

Welcoming America and its affiliates across the U.S. are launching the campaign to engage the creative community and younger generations in a movement that celebrates the fusion of cultures and creates a more welcoming America, community by community.

The You’re Welcome! campaign kick off will include a free day of entertainment and dialogue on the official program of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival. The events will include live music, comedy, and a dance party to celebrate the fusion of cultures in America. The event will also feature a panel discussion and invitation-only workshop, where artists and activists will discuss their role in creating a more welcoming culture in the U.S..

The confirmed performers include a diverse spectrum of artists that embody the concept of cultural fusion, and range from one of the hottest bands in Kenya to nationally acclaimed comedians from New York City and Austin. Musicians include Sauti Sol, Invincible, Martin Perna, Oliver Rajamani, and Riders Against the Storm. Comedians include Negin Farsad (recently named one of the 50 Funniest Women by the Huffington Post), Lucas Molandes, and Chris Cubas. Details on performers are listed below. A complete program is available at www.welcomingamerica.org/urwelcome.

The goals of the You’re Welcome! campaign, which is in development, are to:

• Engage artists, musicians, and comedians in a creative campaign that will highlight the positive influence of immigrants on American life and promote the value of foreign-born and native-born communities working together creatively to create art and social change.
• Inspire younger generations to be part of the Welcoming movement, and engage them as leaders in making their communities more welcoming places.
• Shift the dialogue on immigrants from one of fear-mongering to one of welcoming. A Welcoming climate is one that celebrates positive contributions, and reflects a vibrant sense of community that emerges from building mutual respect and cooperation between foreign-born and native-born Americans.

You’re Welcome Performers

Musicians:

Sauti Sol –a captivating Kenyan band comprised of three vocalists and a guitarist, Sauti Sol possesses an unequaled sound difficult to confine to one genre. By blending a recognizably pop sound with the traditional Kenyan music of their youth and influences ranging from African artists Lokua Kanza, Fadhili Williams, Daudi Kabaka, Fally Ipupa and Salif Keita to British and American artists Coldplay and Jason Mraz, Sauti Sol offers an accessible and internationally appealing spin on world music.
Riders Against the Storm – Jbro and Tiger make up this husband-wife hip hop duo and dance party hosts, who use music and art as a vehicle for upliftment, social change and sustainable living.

Martin Perna –Founder of the musical groups Antibalas and Ocote Soul Sounds, Perna is an Austin-based educator, social entrepreneur, and multidisciplinary artist.

Invincible – The Detroit based Hip-Hop artist Invincible is well-known for her blend of spitfire wordplay

Oliver Rajamani – Rajamani’s music defies borders to create a unique style described as Texas Indian Gypsy. Rajamani blends eastern and western musical elements such as Texas blues and Roma swing, along with social activism.

Comedians:
Negin Farsad – Recently named one of the 50 Funniest Women by the Huffington Post, Farsad is no stranger to SXSW; her Nerdcore Rising film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival to sold-out houses and critical praise.

Lucas Molandes – A defining talent of the Austin comedy scene, Molandes’ appearances include Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham” and the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival.

Chris Cubas – Called “…one of the funniest and most cogent people you’re ever going to witness” by the Austin Chronicle, Chris Cubas is a favorite of the Austin comedy scene and recently won second place in the 2011 Funniest Person in Austin contest.

Maggie Maye – Maggie has been called one of the funniest up and coming comics in Austin, has been a finalist in the Funniest Person in Austin contest and was featured in Austin Monthly magazine. She’s also been a featured performer at Fun Fun Fun Fest, the Women in Comedy Festival, and the New Orleans Comedy Arts Festival.

Ramin Nazer – A stand-up comedian based in Austin, in 2011 he performed as one of the New Faces of Comedy at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal recently as a featured comic guest on The Late Late Show.

• Building meaningful connections between newcomers and immigrant receiving communities?
• Fostering and supporting local leadership in receiving communities?
• Learning about low-cost media strategies to change the conversation about immigrants in your town?

Join us at the National Immigrant Integration Conference in Seattle this fall!

Download or listen to the full conference call here.

Here’s the description of the event from the Campaign for Stronger Democracy:

Over sixty democracy reformers and interested callers participated in July’s Democracy Exchange, which featured speakers from Welcoming America and the Institute for Local Government in California. David Lubell and Jessy Molina spoke about the work that Welcoming America has done to work with communities and help create a smoother integration process both for new Americans and for existing residents. Terry Amsler and Mahvash Hassan spoke about the work of the Institute for Local Government in California, which connects local communities with decision makers to create a collaborative approach to immigrant integration. ILG has helped identify two cities where local government is an integral partner in developing multisectoral “Welcoming style” initiatives in their communities. For a description of these efforts see this post from the ILG website: California Communities Plan Initiatives to Strengthen Relationships Between Immigrants and Longer-Term Residents

The conversation was moderated by Carolyn Lukensmeyer of America Speaks.

Download or listen to the full conference call here.

You can play as yourself, with a team, or with your organization. You earn points for doing welcoming activities, which include things like  signing a Welcoming Pledge or organizing an event to bringing immigrants and non-immigrants together, as well other activities like watching a Welcome to Shelbyville interactive video or sharing the site with your friends.

Each month, you can win fabulous prizes with your points, such as $100 to a nonprofit of your choosing, prize packs full of goodies, and more. Every year, the top points-earning individuals and teams will compete for the grand prize of $2500 to the charity of their choice. Beyond prizes, Friends of Welcoming will also be a place for you to connect with people all over the country who are working to make our country welcoming to all.

The following actions are a great way to get situated with Friends of Welcoming and the Welcoming America philosophy. You can also access the full list of actions anytime!

Complete Your User Profile (1000 points) Simply upload an avatar and complete your profile to earn easy points and get started.

Sign the Welcoming Pledge (250 points) Add your name to the growing list of people working to build a more welcoming nation.

Share a Welcoming Story (1,100 points) If you have a personal immigration story, if you ever welcomed an immigrant—or know of an immigrant that was welcomed—into your community, share your story with the help of Shelbyville Multimedia!

Watch & Discuss: “New Neighbors Give Thanks” (750 points) Watch the following Shelbyville Multimedia webisode and earn points by answering the discussion questions. Watch and discuss with friends for even more points.

Refer a Friend (100 points) Refer a friend (or friends!) to Friends of Welcoming to earn points and help grow the site and achieve a more welcoming country for us all.

Give Your Feedback (100 points) We want to hear from you on what you like and dislike about Friends of Welcoming. Let us know–and earn points for it too!

Skip This Step and See All Available Actions >>

The long-awaited day has finally arrived!  Friends of Welcoming is live!  Please join the online Welcoming movement by visiting www.friendsofwelcoming.org today and getting started.

Although the climate for immigrants is currently quite challenging in the U.S., on the local level more and more Americans are recognizing that our communities are strongest when everyone living in them feels like they belong. At Welcoming America we are getting phone calls and emails daily from people who want to join our expanding network and make their communities more welcoming.

In response to this unprecedented interest, we’ve launched a new online platform called Friends of Welcoming. Before the development of this site, the only way people could interact directly with our organization was to partner with an existing Welcoming affiliate or apply to form their own affiliate. Unfortunately, our affiliates are not located in every state, and not anyone has the time or  desire to start their own.  Now, for individuals, groups of friends, and organizations there’s an easy way to get involved.

ANYONE can use Friends of Welcoming to make their community a more welcoming place for all.  You can sign up as an individual or a team and complete activities that make a difference in your neighborhood, like passing a Welcoming resolution or hosting a potluck that brings together immigrants and non-immigrants.  You will earn points for each activity you complete and be eligible for fun prizes including t-shirts, books, jump drives and even cash prizes (to be donated to your favorite charity).  If you are affiliated with an organization, your organization can participate as a team on our Affiliate Track and be eligible to win a $5,000 grant to start its own Welcoming initiative!

Join Friends of Welcoming today!  Its an easy, fun, interactive way to change your community for the better. Get started. Join the Movement!

Consolidated Information on the Documentary “Welcome to Shelbyville”

Click here to go to the official ITVS website

“Welcome to Shelbyville” is a documentary directed and produced by Kim A. Snyder and executive produced by the BeCause Foundation in association with Active Voice. There’s a lot of information out there related to this film. Here’s our best effort to consolidate it:

Welcoming America’s Connection to the film:Set against the backdrop of a shaky economy, Welcome to Shelbyville takes an intimate look at a southern town as its residents – whites and African Americans, Latinos and Somalis – grapple with their beliefs, their histories and their evolving ways of life. The film features the efforts of Welcoming Tennessee, the model for all subsequent Welcoming America campaigns, as its local partners in Shelbyville, TN work to unite a community dealing with rapid demographic change. Welcoming America is working to replicate initiatives such as the one in Shelbyville across the United States. For more info on how you can get involved with Welcoming America go to our get involved page or contact us.

To Purchase a Copy of the Film: Copies of the film can be ordered from the Because Foundation website. Click here to go to the order page. You can also purchase it on itunes.

Shelbyville Multimedia: Developed by Active Voice, Shelbyville Multimedia is a platform to promote community-building and harmony between native-born Americans, immigrants and refugees nationwide. Many of its components have been adapted from Welcome to Shelbyville.

Friends of Welcoming: On June 15, Welcoming America will be launching “Friends of Welcoming” a new online platform that allows individuals, groups of friends, and organizations inspired by “Welcome to Shelbyville” to earn points for engaging in similar activities in their communities. Points can be used to earn prizes (books, dvds, t-shirts, jump drives, etc.) , and even the opportunity to win cash to start a Welcoming initiative or donate to your favorite immigrant/refugee serving non-profit. Friends of Welcoming is a sister site of Shelbyville Multimedia. To register now, click here