Our September 2022 Updates

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** September 2022 Newsletter
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FOR OVER 110 YEARS, ADVANCING THE RIGHTS AND LIVES OF REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS
HONORING NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH!

Between September 15 and October 15, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is joining the commemoration of National Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate and uplift the efforts and achievements of the Hispanic American community.

USCRI is committed to assisting the Hispanic American community in their path to success. Our organization provides essential services to Hispanic immigrants hoping to build a better, safer life in the United States. We have, historically, worked to resettle immigrants and refugees from Hispanic and Latin American countries and have provided them with the skills and resources needed to become self-sufficient and have dignified lives.

For example, since January 2021, the USCRI network has resettled people from countries like Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Ecuador.

In order to meet the needs of immigrants of Hispanic origin, USCRI has offices in Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico in addition to the field offices located in the United States. Our USCRI Mexico office located in Tijuana provides vital assistance to migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

We hope the celebrations for Hispanic Heritage Month give you an opportunity to highlight the contributions of members of the Hispanic American community as well as the chance to learn more about how you can work with USCRI to help newly arrived Hispanics in their quest to build their new lives in the United States.

Sincerely,

Kevin Sturtevant, CFRE
VP of Strategic Development
USCRI
NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH UNIDOS: INCLUSIVITY FOR A STRONGER NATION
Poster created by Ily Soares to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in 2022.
USCRI is excited to commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month to elevate the contributions of Hispanic/Latino/Latinx Americans whose heritage is rooted in 20 Latin American countries and territories: Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

According to the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers (NCHEPM), the Hispanic Heritage observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was finally enacted into law on August 17, 1988.

While National Hispanic Heritage Month gives us an opportunity to highlight the achievements of this community, it also gives us a chance to advocate for the visibility of those Hispanic/Latino/Latinx Americans whose successes are not as uplifted due to the legal and immigration challenges they face. Our Hispanic and Latino neighbors from Central American countries deserve a chance to continue building their lives in the U.S. Besides admiring their contributions, we can take a more proactive role by advocating for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for them. TPS protects immigrants currently residing in the U.S. who are unable to return home safely due to dangerous and unsafe conditions or circumstances.

To this end, USCRI is supporting partners like Alianza Americas to encourage others to advocate for TPS for Central American countries. This is how you can support our efforts:

1. First-time voters like Emily Rivas ([link removed]) have a strong message for all candidates running for office. Check out her video ([link removed]) and share it on your social media platforms with the hashtag #TPS4CentralAmerica!
2. Ask your local elected official to join this letter ([link removed]) .

We invite you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by uplifting the stories of Hispanic Americans close to you.

¡Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana!

WE MADE IT! - THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE NORTON MUSEUM AND OUR SHELTER

Between April and May this year, unaccompanied children (UC) at our shelter Rinconcito del Sol (Little Corner of Sunshine) prepared an exhibition sponsored by the Norton Museum. The exhibition was planned in stages and developed over ten weeks.

Our girls learned to recycle and used still life to give life to dream catchers, which they saw as a portal that moved them to another dimension. They left their dreams and goals embodied in each of the dream catchers.

The activity included a field trip to the beach. The experience was beyond magical as many of our young women did not know the sea, and being there became a dream come true.

It was a very special time. The girls had the opportunity to share their art with us as well as the hope that everything they dreamed of it can come true.

The exhibit, which is still on display, officially opened on June 18, 2022.
SUPPORT THE AFGHAN ADJUSTMENT ACT!

The Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA), or “Triple A,” is a proposed piece of legislation introduced in both chambers of Congress. Its primary purpose is to provide a pathway to lawful permanent residency for tens of thousands of Afghans who have resettled in the United States over the past year, when the country’s central government fell to the Taliban.

If the AAA is enacted in its current form, the Department of Homeland Security will adjust the status of eligible Afghan nationals to provide them with lawful permanent resident status. Crucially, Afghans who were paroled into the U.S. on or after July 30, 2021, will be eligible for adjustment, as well as Afghans who were lawfully in the U.S. before the evacuation and Afghans whose travel to the U.S. was facilitated or coordinated by the American government. Afghans who arrive in the U.S. at a future date may also be eligible.

The vast majority of Afghans who have relocated to the U.S. since late last July were admitted into the country on humanitarian parole. Parole is temporary without lasting protections for work or residency in the U.S. Afghans who left behind their homes, jobs, and families are now under a cloud of uncertainty with the prospect of their parole expiring.

AAA proponents are recruiting a diverse list of refugee advocates, veteran’s organizations, faith-based groups, and others to lobby their members of Congress for the passage of the bill into law. To learn more, please visit our website ([link removed]) or contact Daniel Salazar at [email protected].
UPCOMING EVENTS!
CELEBRATING
15 YEARS OF WELCOME
WELCOMING
IOWA
BENEFIT
Join us in celebrating 15 years of new beginnings in North Carolina!

For 15 years, USCRI NC has welcomed those fleeing violence and persecution, providing hundreds of refugees an opportunity for a better life.

Empowered by countless volunteers, dedicated staff, and community champions, our resilient new neighbors have become vital members of the Triangle community.
Join us for a fun evening of global food, entertainment, and inspiration. Celebrate 15 Years of Welcome ([link removed]) on October 22 at Marbles Museum, Raleigh.

Be a part of the Welcome! Purchase a ticket ([link removed]) or donate ([link removed]) to the USCRI NC 15 Years of Welcome to make a difference in the lives of others.
As the largest refugee resettlement agency in Iowa, USCRI Des Moines stands ready to assist our newest neighbors – beginning with welcoming new families at the airport, to helping them find their first job and enroll their children in school.

Join us for our annual benefit to raise support for refugees from around the world arriving in Central Iowa. Welcoming Iowa 2022 will be held on October 20 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at West End Architectural Salvage. Guests will experience what hospitality looks like around the world, enjoying food from local refugee and immigrant-owned restaurants and live entertainment, followed by a short program. This year's event will be emceed by Axios Local reporter Linh Ta and will feature former First Lady of Iowa Christie Vilsack. To register or donate online, click here ([link removed] ) .
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IF YOU MISSED IT
LATEST POLICY & ADVOCACY REPORT
The brief of our latest Policy & Advocacy Report, written by Daniel Salazar, analyzes migration patterns under the Compacts of Free Association, a series of agreements between the United States and the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau. Citizens from these Pacific Island nations can to live and work in the United States indefinitely without a visa.

More than 94,000 migrants and their U.S.-born children or grandchildren live in the United States, particularly in Hawaii and on the West Coast. However, their nonimmigrant, noncitizen status in the United States means Marshallese, Micronesian, and Palauan migrants do not qualify for numerous federal benefits and face various barriers when they resettle in the United States.

To read more, please visit our website ([link removed]) or use the QR code below.
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USCRI, founded in 1911, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit international organization committed to working on behalf of refugees and immigrants and their transition to a dignified life.

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Copyright ©2022 U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. All rights reserved.

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
2231 Crystal Drive, Suite 350, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 310-1130
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U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants . 2231 Crystal Drive, Suite 350 . Arlington, VA 22202 . USA