MAYOR WALSH TO HOST ‘WE ARE
BOSTON 2019: UNITED WE THRIVE,’ HIGHLIGHT CONTRIBUTIONS OF IMMIGRANTS AND
REFUGEES
Event
will highlight accomplishments and vision for supporting the City’s immigrants
BOSTON – Thursday, November 21, 2019 –
Tomorrow, Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA)
will host “We Are Boston: United We Thrive” at Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Massachusetts, a day-long event of interactive workshops to connect
immigrant-serving nonprofit organizations with philanthropic foundations and
corporate partners, followed by a reception to recognize Veronica Serrato of
Project Citizenship and the Irish International Immigrant Center for their work
in immigrant advancement.
“At this time in our nation’s history, this
event is a reminder of how much we have accomplished through working together
and of the tangible steps we should take to make our City even more welcoming
and inclusive," said Mayor Walsh. “I am thrilled that we are honoring
Veronica Serrato of Project Citizenship, the City’s partner for our annual
Citizenship Day in Boston, and the Irish International Immigrant Center, a
leading advocate for immigrants from every corner of the world.”
Prior to the reception with Mayor Walsh at 5:30
p.m., there will be a presentation on the contributions of immigrants to
Boston’s economy. The interactive workshops for attendees will include the
“Welcoming Economies” workshop by Welcoming
America
that reviews programs and strategies that other communities have pioneered to
help include immigrants in the local community and economic development
efforts. The International
Institute of New England will also give a demonstration with local
storytellers to help attendees consider how migration and culture shape both
personal identity and workplace communities.
Mayor Walsh will give remarks and recognize
Veronica Serrato of Project Citizenship and the Irish International Immigrant
Center for their work in immigrant advancement. Veronica Serrato joined Project
Citizenship in 2014 as its first executive director. In her first year, she
formed a partnership with the City of Boston to offer Citizenship Day, the
largest event of its kind in New England. Over the past six years, volunteers
have served over 1,900 eligible immigrants with their naturalization
applications through Citizenship Day and provided screenings to thousands more.
In 2019 alone, low and moderate-income applicants saved more than $166,000 in
application fees through fee waiver application assistance.
“It is a privilege to partner with the City of
Boston through my role at Project Citizenship to ensure that all immigrants
understand and have access to the path to citizenship,” Veronica Serrato,
founding executive director of Project Citizenship. “Immigrants are the Pride
of Boston, and I am deeply honored to accept this honor on their behalf.”
Along with Project Citizenship, Mayor Walsh
will recognize the Irish International Immigrant Center (IIIC) for their work
with immigrant and refugee families, providing a comprehensive, multi-service
approach to supporting families from more than 126 countries. The Center
provides the legal, wellness and educational support immigrants need to gain
stability, security, and build pathways to success. The IIIC was recently
recognized at the national level for its advocacy for children affected by the
federal government’s sudden termination of “medical deferred action” for
immigrants undergoing treatment for life-threatening medical conditions.
"It is an honor to be recognized with the
City of Boston's Community Champion Award from Mayor Martin J. Walsh for our
support of immigrant families from all nations,” said Ronnie Millar, executive
director of the Irish International Immigrant Center. “Building a society where
all are welcomed and valued requires the devoted support of government, and the
City of Boston has been a tremendous leader across the country in welcoming
immigrants and partnering with immigrant support agencies. Over the past 30
years we've received strong support from the City of Boston, and we are very
grateful for this award."
At the reception, Mayor Walsh will share
accomplishments of the Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) and highlight
his vision for MOIA moving forward. Launched in 2017, the City partnered with
private donors and philanthropic foundations to form the Greater Boston
Immigrant Defense Fund, which strives to increase education and access to legal
services to defend its many immigrant communities, refugees, and temporary
status holders. Over the past two years, the Fund has raised over $1.11
million, which has allowed nonprofits to create new positions for six
immigration attorneys and eight community advocates. The fund has increased the
region’s capacity to serve immigrants, and as a result, 363 legal cases have
been opened and nearly 54,000 people have attended 796 community education
events. In its third year, the fund has raised $515,900, including $50,000 in City funds.
Mayor Walsh has been outspoken in supporting
federal policies that recognize immigrants as full members of our society. Most
recently, he has signed onto an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in
support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and provided economic
analyses on the harmful effects of proposed changes to the public charge rules
under immigration law to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S.
Department of Justice, and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
Proceeds from We are Boston last year gave 10
immigrant-led community organizations the capacity to host immigration legal
screening clinics, support hurricane evacuees, and organize family preparedness
workshops through a total award of $100,000. This year’s event will fund
capacity building trainings in the short term, while MOIA will partner with
philanthropic foundations to better support this capacity building work
collectively in the long term.
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