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 Dear Friends and
Colleagues,
It's starting to feel
like spring...and green is the new color in more
ways than one. During Vice President Biden's
recent
visit to announce the federal Green Jobs
initiative, Philadelphians had a chance to show
just how "green" our city already is. Our region's
numerous
alternative-energy-related businesses are saving energy
while simultaneously creating jobs. They're
a sign of our resilience -- even in times of
tough economic news.
Here at the Welcoming
Center, we sometimes think of ourselves as
gardeners. We have to make sure the ground is
prepared for planting, select the right seedlings
for the climate, and make sure to keep our crops
diversified.
Right now, that means
lots of conversations with area business owners,
to understand their needs in this time of
uncertainty.
It means intense one-on-one consultations with
jobseekers and would-be entrepreneurs, making sure
they're the right fit for the opportunities they
want to pursue. And it means not
allowing ourselves to think that all of tomorrow's
jobs will be found in any one industry or
sector.
Recently, the
Welcoming Center became a supporter of the
national Skills2Compete campaign. This effort
recognizes that many of today's jobs -- including
51% of Pennsylvania's jobs -- are middle-skill
jobs, requiring more than a high-school diploma
but not a four-year degree.
We were moved to join
the campaign because it so well describes what
we're already seeing, as we place jobseekers in
positions such as phlebotomist and skilled machine
operator. As policymakers and business owners
react to a shifting landscape, it's clear that
support for meaningful training programs in
certified and licensed professions is critical.
(Find out more about Skills2Compete, and the Rutgers
University research (pdf) that underlies
it.)
Read on for more
stories about the garden of economic possibilities
in our region. This
month's newsletter features a West African
restaurateur, a video project featuring Asian
elders, and two exciting new conferences
-- close
to home in Bryn Mawr, and mile-high in Denver.
What ideas do these
efforts spark in you? Be sure to let us
know.
Anne
O'Callaghan
Executive
Director
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An
Entrepreneur Comes to America
Have you ever eaten Malian
food? Now you can -- at Michael Dara and
Habi Lee's restaurant, Soleil de Minuit. Located
in the heart of West Philadelphia at 5148 Locust
Street, the restaurant underwent a year of
renovations before opening to the public.
Originally from Mali, Michael has
been in the U.S. for 10 years, the last eight in
Philadelphia. He hails from an
entrepreneurial family -- in Mali, his
family has owned and operated a restaurant
and hotel for over 25 years. In the U.S,
Michael was involved in real estate investment,
janitorial services and other business ventures
before opening Soleil de Minuit in 2005. (The name
translates to "Midnight Sun.")
The
Philadelphia City
Paper praised
the "exciting mainstays" of Soleil's stews and
sauces, declaring: "They're just plain
good." Numerous customers agree. The
restaurant attracts patrons from the suburbs of
Delaware and Chester counties, and even as far
away as Harrisburg and New Jersey. People from all
backgrounds relish the delicious flavors --
customers include everyone from native-born West
Philadelphia residents to newcomers from Asia and
Africa.
Michael attributes his
success to the unique seasonings in his food and
his passion for the business. His advice to
any new entrepreneur? "Business is full of
surprises, it's hard to predict. It takes
courage, determination and consistency -- you
don't get rich quickly. If you don't like what
you do, you'll never make it."
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New Routes to
Community Health
 What do Vietnamese
and Laotian elders and a camera have to do with
healthcare? That's the question we asked ourselves
when we came across the website of a local
immigrant health initiative with a picture
captioned: "Elders
Learning Camera Work." We were excited to
see the fresh approach of this Philadelphia-based
project, called Our
Stories, Our Health. Funded by the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a consortium of
Philadelphia organizations are participating in
this project as part of the larger New Routes to
Community Health initiative. The project engages
Laotian and Vietnamese seniors in the process of
identifying and describing
health needs through personal
storytelling, video production,
and discussion about health in the Southeast Asian
community. At the Welcoming
Center, we are particularly interested in how
access to information impacts immigrants' health
practices and how language and cross-cultural
communication affect quality of care.
By developing a
project that is led by immigrants and has strong
immigrant participation, Our Stories, Our Health
not only tackles such issues, but helps immigrants
integrate into their communities and reduces
cultural and geographic isolation. Information about
this initiative and how to participate can be
found at www.newroutes.org.
Photo credit:
New Routes to Community
Health.
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Changing of the
Guard
 Organizations perform
better when there is an expert on hand. Even
better, organizations thrive when the expert is
willing to do work beyond her specialty. The
Welcoming Center has been fortunate over the past
year to have Sara Hutcheson as a consultant and
now staff member.
As a
literacy expert, Sara supports the development of
our vocational literacy program, including
curriculum design, staff training, and program
assessment. She also provides instructional
support and expertise to Project Bridging Cultures
and Welcoming Center West.
But in addition, after the return of
our colleague Margaret Hildson to England, Sara
has taken on the responsibilities of coordinating
our monthly
legal clinic. Sara's friendly energy and
strong appetite for legal complexities have made
her the ideal candidate for the giant
jigsaw-puzzle that is our monthly client/lawyer
match-up.
Each month, Sara oversees
the screening of dozens of legal questions,
assessing which ones need ongoing assistance (and
should be referred to our nonprofit partners in
the region) and which are well suited to brief,
one-time consultations. At the same time, she
juggles the availability of our terrific volunteer
lawyers, ensuring that the right match is
available for even the most unusual questions.
Like Margaret, Sara is a bike
commuter. She also favors bright-hued clothing. So
keep an eye out for a cheerful orange or hot-pink
blur -- that flash of color may be our newest
staffer!
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 A Poet is Born
Have you ever looked
for one thing, and then discovered something
else? Or unearthed an unexpected talent
without even trying to find it?
At the Welcoming
Center, we recently met Kadiatu Daramy, a young
student from Sierra Leone. Through our
conversation about her career aspirations and her
skills and experience, she told us about her
poetry and showed us her collection of poems,
Cry
No More.
The
book contains works about Kadiatu's home
country
in "I Cry for Sierra Leone," about her experience
as a refugee in "The Two Worlds," and about the
world around her in "Nature."
Kadiatu remarked
about her book, "I talk about daily life struggles
and the struggles of refugees and war
victims. I also talk about the effect of
losing a loved one. Most
of all this book talks about being a strong,
independent individual, loving yourself, being
yourself, and appreciating life and the people
around you."
Regardless of what
you are looking for, when you find Kadiatu, you
find a natural artist who writes truly touching
and candid poetry. To experience her work
for yourself, you may purchase
her book.
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Conference
Opportunities
Bryn Mawr and
Denver: Two Chances to Learn
Are you a social worker, case manager,
educator, lawyer, clergyperson, or medical
professional? You're invited!
On Monday, April 13, 2009 Family Services of
Montgomery County and the Bryn Mawr College
Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research
will present a half-day conference, A Day
About Immigrants. The event will
pack a host of high-impact presentations into just
a few hours. April 13,
20098:30 a.m. - 12 noon Bryn Mawr
College $50 for nonprofits; $75 for others
(scholarships available) Pre-registration is
required. To obtain a registration
form or for more information, please call Family
Services at 610-630-2111, ext. 238.
******************* Are you
feeling more ambitious? Is the beautiful photo of
the Rocky Mountains above inspiring you? Consider
visiting Denver, CO, for a National Conference on
Immigrant Integration, "Moving Forward in a
New Era," June 24-26, 2009. This
first-of-its-kind conference is sponsored by the
Illinois
Coalition for Refugee and Immigrant Rights and
the Spring
Institute for Intercultural Learning. It will
bring together the immigrant integration field,
convening key leaders at the national, state and
local levels, including policymakers,
practitioners, funders, researchers, business
representatives and others. Join us to
explore best practices, assess the current
environment and develop priorities that will chart
the course for a growing national movement.
Learn
more about the conference, or register
here. Photo by
Joiseyshowaa, used by permission under a Creative
Commons license. | |
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 Research Corner
"Something should be
done!" That's the instinct that state
lawmakers are often responding to. Even though
national immigration policy is set in Washington,
last year there were more than 200 laws and
resolutions dealing with immigrants passed
at the state
level.
This represents a huge boom
in activity -- more than quadruple
the number passed in 2005. From Alabama's
efforts to restrict professional licenses to
Iowa's efforts to encourage
internationally educated doctors, states are
experimenting with different solutions to
hot-button community issues.
Also in 2008,
several states mandated the use of the
controversial federal E-Verify database, while
another state actively forbade it.
Georgia restricted foreign-born students' access
to in-state tuition rates for college, while
Wisconsin sought to protect immigrants from
fraudulent notaries who pretend that they are
licensed to practice law.
For more, see the
full
report from the National Conference of State
Legislatures.
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Support Our Work!
Did something in this newsletter intrigue or
inspire you? Please make a donation. The
Welcoming Center is able to provide services
through the generous financial support of
foundations, corporations, public agencies, and
individuals. We are a 501(c)3 organization
and a member of the United Way. Our United Way
donor option number is 14726. We
appreciate donations at all levels. You can also
make a donation via credit card through our
website. The official
registration and financial information of
Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians may be
obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State
by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1 (800)
732-0999. Registration does not imply
endorsement. | | |
