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 Dear
Friends and Colleagues,
Were you as busy in May as I was? Meetings, travel, citywide
events...there was a lot going on! Not to mention graduation season,
Mother's Day and the kickoff of summer activities.
All of which is to say, our spring newsletter is coming to you just a
bit late, but we hope you'll forgive us when you see the rich content
packed into this issue.
In this time of close budgets and fast-moving economic news, it's
even more important to understand the rhythms of our local economy.
Two of our articles this month focus on just that: The tax revenue
and positive ripple effects of integrating new workers, and the
shared prosperity that comes when revitalized commercial corridors
provide much-needed goods and services to local residents.
These are not simple issues. They can be tough to summarize in a
short newsletter article or presentation. But we think they are
important, especially as Pennsylvania tries to hold its own in this
national recession.
We hope you agree. Please be in touch and let us know your thoughts.
Anne O'Callaghan
Executive Director
www.welcomingcenter.org
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 New Econsult
Study Shows Economic Benefits of Immigrant Integration
Does investing in immigrant workers bring dividends? That's
the question that Econsult Corporation set
out to answer. After reviewing a full year's worth of data from the
Welcoming Center's employment program, the answer was a resounding
yes.
Specifically, both the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of
Philadelphia receive higher tax revenues, and local employers benefit
from a wider pool of talented and qualified employees. As individual
workers earn higher wages, there is also a "ripple effect"
of their spending within neighborhoods and communities.
For more details, please check out the study. Shared
Prosperity: How the Integration of Immigrant Workers Benefits All
Pennsylvanians is available on our website in both an Executive Summary and full report format.
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State Legislators Explore
Workforce Issues
Also in May, the state House of Representatives held a hearing on how
Pennsylvania's metro areas can benefit from better integrating
immigrant workers. Representatives of both the Labor Relations and
Urban Affairs committees met in Philadelphia to hear testimony from
four local experts.
Econsult Corp. director Lee
Huang explained a key reason that our state needs new workers:
Among native-born Pennsylvanians, 56% are of working age, in contrast
to more than 70% of immigrant residents. Of course, demographics
alone are not enough: Huang outlined his firm's rigorous statistical
study, which verified the value to our state of making sure that all
workers are at their fullest capacity.
Next, Steve Herzenberg of the
Keystone Research Center provided a detailed examination of
macro-level trends, as well as a moment of levity when he -- a native
of England -- joked with the Welcoming Center's Irish-born executive
director about historic relations between their countries.
Cherylle Corpuz of Blank Rome
represented the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Her
testimony focused on AILA's support for clear and fair immigration
laws, and concerns about potential state mandates for use of the
controversial federal e-Verify system.
Finally, the Welcoming Center's own Anne O'Callaghan provided some
nuts-and-bolts context as she explained to legislators exactly what
"integrating" a worker can mean. Whether helping an
electrical engineer transfer his professional credentials to the
U.S., or making sure a healthcare worker is solidly prepared for her
exams, the benefits of connecting qualified workers to high-demand
jobs are clear.
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Town Hall Meeting Brings Together
Native-Born Americans and Immigrants
On May 18, the Welcoming Center collaborated with WHYY and the Penn Project for Civic
Engagement to hold a town hall meeting on immigrant
integration.
Funded by the William Penn Foundation,
the event drew nearly 100 people to the WHYY studios in Old
City, Philadelphia. The evening began with small-group discussions
about attendees' personal experiences with integration in their
neighborhoods.
Next, Welcoming Center executive director Anne O'Callaghan presented
a condensed version of the agency's research over the last four
years. This express tour outlined the remarkable presence of
immigrant entrepreneurs on commercial corridors -- as many as 50-70%
of all storeowners -- and the surprising consistency of merchants'
questions and issues across our city.
Both native-born Americans and newcomers have misperceptions about
each other, O'Callaghan noted, and it is important to
acknowledge both real concerns, and false assumptions, as groups
work together to improve safety, good business practices, and retail
traffic along corridors.
The evening continued with a panel discussion featuring:
- Kevin
Dow, City of Philadelphia Commerce Department
- Nina
Ahmed, Mayor's Commission on Asian American Affairs
- Enerolina
Melendez, Dominican Grocers Association
- Stanley
Straughter, Mayor's Commission on African & Caribbean
Immigrant Affairs
- Alfred
Dorman, Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation
Participants then rejoined their small groups to
discuss potential next steps for supporting shared economic
prosperity on commercial corridors. Moderator Harris Sokoloff wrapped
up the evening with a review of the small-group results.
Did you miss the event? Video clips are available online! Check the
WHYY website to see both Anne O'Callaghan's
presentation and the panel discussion.
And please stay tuned for more small business updates and resources
over the summer. Our discussion is ongoing.
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There is a Season
 As the season shifts from spring to
summer, so too is there a shift in the "seasons" of
Welcoming Center staff. We are pleased that our growing Employment
Department now includes Rocky Citro (in photo at right) and Jeff
Chen. Born in Taiwan, Jeff was raised in the Philadelphia suburbs
and brings a varied vocational background to his work with us.
Rocky's background includes several years in Latin America, most
recently in Ecuador.
We are saddened to say farewell to two other colleagues. Fatimah
Muhammad was instrumental in the birth of our Welcoming Center
West office, while Natalie Montella has been a powerful and
compassionate advocate in our Vocational Literacy program. We send
them both our heartfelt well wishes.
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A University's Global Reach
You might know that our region has more than 90 colleges and
universities. You might even know that these institutions of higher
education are a beacon that draws thousands of ambitious young people
to Philadelphia from around the world.
But did you know that many of our local universities are sending
their resources right back out around the world? For example, Temple
University is engaged in more than 120 projects and partnerships in
30 countries. They include:
- Faculty exchange,
research and collaborative projects with a Master's in Public
Health program in Liberia, West Africa. (Philadelphia has
one of the largest communities of Liberians in the U.S.)
- A series of symposia on
dentistry in Greece.
- A five-week study
abroad program designing and constructing a portable schoolhouse
in Mumbai, India. The program includes the design
project, two upper-level architecture courses taught in English,
and class excursions.
And that doesn't even include
the six projects in France and another three in Korea! For more
information, see this searchable database of Temple
projects.
Is your university or organization doing something exciting
abroad? Please let us know! Contact Isabelle Rambo at 215-557-2845 or
isabelle@welcomingcenter.org.
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 Legal Talent
on Tap
Are you an international student wondering if you're eligible for a
work visa? Maybe you met the love of your life overseas, and are just
starting the long saga of the immigration process.
Either way, you should know that the Welcoming Center offers free,
private consultations with expert immigration attorneys. Each
month, well-informed and dedicated attorneys from around our region
generously donate their time at our legal clinic.
Clinics are held on the second Tuesday of every month, from 3-6 p.m.
Our next clinic will be Tuesday, June 9. To make an
appointment, please call Sara Hutcheson at 215-557-2626.
Please note that these are one-time consultations. If you need
a lawyer to represent you in an ongoing case, you may wish to contact
an organization such as Nationalities Service Center (215-893-8400),
HIAS and Council Migration Services (215-832-0900) or Catholic Social
Services (215-854-7019). You may also search the AILA website
for an attorney in private practice.
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Activist to
Speak on Social Change in US Cities
The Multicultural Collaborative at Drexel University invites you to
"Remaking Urban America: The Past, Present, and Future
of Social Change," a lecture and dialogue with Professor
Scott Kurashige and Philadelphia community leaders.
When: June 5, 2009, 6 p.m.
Where: Drexel University's AJ Drexel Gallery
Main Building, 3rd Floor
3141 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia
RSVP via Facebook
Community respondents:
- Helen
Gym, Parents United for Public Education
- Anita
Colon, Reconstruction Inc.
- Louis
Massiah, Scribe Video Center
- Phuong
Nimh, Philadelphia Student Union
University of Michigan Professor Scott Kurashige is an award-winning
historian and community organizer with more than twenty years of
experience as a grassroots activist. As an undergraduate at the
University of Pennsylvania, he worked on organizing the university's
Asian American Studies program.
His most recent book is The Shifting Grounds of Race: Black and
Japanese Americans in the Making of Multiethnic Los Angeles
(Princeton University Press, 2008).
Of his work, Professor Kurashige writes: "In his inaugural
address, President Obama, a former urban community organizer, focused
on 'the work of remaking America.' My research focuses on the
critical role cities have played in the ongoing transformation of the
United States with a particular emphasis on the impact of grassroots
social movements."
For more information, please visit the Drexel Multicultural
Collaborative.
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Research
Corner
This month our research corner focuses on one study very close to
home, and another that is broader in scope.
First, the nearby Family Services of Montgomery
County conducted a startlingly detailed series of interviews to
come up with profile of Korean and Asian Indian immigrants in the
county.
Researcher
Larry Fiebert's trailblazing report is valuable to several audiences:
- Surburban
Philadelphia public officials trying to understand issues among
immigrant constituents
- Nonprofit
service providers and public agencies working to discover how
they can serve all residents of their communities
- Ethnic-specific
organizations whose funders or boards of directors are
requesting solid data on community needs
- Researchers
in other jurisdictions who wish to create a similar profile of
the perspective, concerns, and needs of ethnic group(s) in their
areas.
Koreans and Asian Indians in the
North Penn Area: A Needs Assessment is available online (pdf).
On a national level, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
has funded a very detailed 66-page report on immigrant domestic
violence.
Please note that this report has a macro-level focus. It describes
the problem and lists policy and funding solutions. However, it is
not a "how to" for direct services to survivors of
violence.
Titled Intimate Partner Violence in Immigrant and Refugee
Communities: Challenges, Promising Practices, and Recommendations,
the report is available online via a brief description as well as the
full report.
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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.
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