The California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) and Immigrants Rising are pleased to announce the launch of Economic Mobility for All (EM4A) – a new statewide campaign dedicated to expanding access to professional licensing and entrepreneurship opportunities for all Californians regardless of their backgrounds, immigration status, or English language proficiency.
In January 2016, California became the first state to allow undocumented immigrants, regardless of status, to apply for various professional licenses. Since then, we and our partners have worked to expand access to licensing and entrepreneurship opportunities even further, including translating licensing examinations for barbering, cosmetology, and insurance in non-English languages, the creation and funding of the Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) Program, and more.
In spite of this progress, more work remains to be done to ensure that language requirements, restrictions on accumulating professional experience, and other barriers do not prevent immigrants from realizing their professional dreams, as doctors, certified nursing assistants, engineers, contractors, educators, and other occupations. As California becomes more culturally and linguistically diverse, and the fate of Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) remains uncertain, EM4A is coming together to ensure that all Californians are able to support themselves and their loved ones on their own terms.
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The Economic Mobility for All Coalition aims to:
- Provide resources and training for organizations and individuals on professional licensing and entrepreneurship in California.
- Research, analyze, and share data on key figures and trends around licensing and entrepreneurship for immigrants in California.
- Engage with state agencies that oversee licensing and entrepreneurship programs to remove barriers to access, connect them with impacted community individuals, and advance recommendations to address access concerns.
- Organize, and advocate for state policy solutions that address barriers to professional licensing and entrepreneurship opportunities.
In partnership with 16 other organizations, we invite you to support our efforts. Take action today!
- Share this email update with your networks.
- Uplift our posts on social media with this toolkit.
- Sign up to join the EM4A coalition and stay tuned for opportunities to get involved.
Thank you, and we look forward to partnership and shared advocacy with you!
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Denea Joseph
Immigrants Rising
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Edgar Ortiz
California Immigrant Policy Center
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