Building Welcoming Communities George Mason University Institute for Immigrant Research January 2016

TENNESSEE 2006

TENNESSEE TODAY

THE STORY OF NASHVILLE, TN 2012: Led the country in job growth 3rd best positioned city “to grow and prosper in the coming decade” – Forbes Flush with young new residents and alive with immigrants, tourists and music – NY Times “Nowville” – GQ Magazine

Nashville MyCity Academy

“When immigrants pick your city, that is a great honor.” - Nashville Mayor Karl Dean

"With its high quality of life, central location and welcoming culture, Nashville is an exceptional place for global companies.” - Eduardo Minardi, CEO Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations

WELCOMING COMMUNITES …to 90 communities today From 24 communities in 2013…

WELCOMING AMERICA CONNECTBUILD CHANGE One in eight Americans lives in a welcoming community, and our network is growing.

THE WELCOMING STRATEGY Leadership & Planning

THE WELCOMING STRATEGY Facilitating Contact Photo credit: Episcopal Migration Ministries

THE WELCOMING STRATEGY Strategic Communications

The Welcoming Community Curve Hostile Neutral Tolerant Actively Welcoming  Inclusive policies, practices and programs  Collective impact community response  Receptive climate  Full participation in civic, economic life  Thriving, prosperous community

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As Atlanta positions itself to be a global leader, attracting and retaining talent is imperative. The Welcoming Atlanta initiative builds upon the existing priorities for the city—public safety, welfare, economic development, civic engagement and education—and in so doing, will not only create an environment that is welcoming to new arrivals, but a stronger community for all Atlantans. Why Welcoming Atlanta? Metro Atlanta has the second fastest growing foreign-born population, accounting for 13.5% of the population (compared to 13% nationally). Between , the City’s foreign-born population grew by nearly 22%, from 27,352 to 33,358, while the native-born population grew by less than 1%. In the City of Atlanta, nearly 1 in 5 children under 18 live in a bilingual or non-English speaking household. In Georgia, new immigrant business owners generate business revenue of $2.9 billion a year which equates to more than 12% of all business income in the state.

First Two Years of Welcoming: ✓ Q – The City of Atlanta joins the Welcoming Cities and Counties Initiative and introduces the Welcoming Atlanta resolution. ✓ Q – Mayor Kasim Reed forms the Mayoral Welcoming Atlanta Working Group to develop a set of recommendations to ensure that Atlanta’s newly arrived communities are being integrated and supported. ✓ Q – Mayor Reed announces the first 20 recommendations that the City of Atlanta will implement. ✓ Q – Mayor Reed establishes the Welcoming Atlanta Advisory Committee to provide ongoing guidance on Atlanta’s welcoming strategy. ✓ Q – The City of Atlanta is the 4 th city in the country to enter into a partnership agreement with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to promote citizenship.

First Two Years of Welcoming: ✓ Q – The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, staffed by a Director and a Deputy Director, is created. ✓ Q – launches. ✓ Q – The City of Atlanta to host its first robust Welcoming Week, September 12 – 20, 2015:  Inaugural Mayoral Soccer Festival  Naturalization Ceremony at City Hall  New Americans voter registration  Diversity dialogues with partner organizations  Movie screenings and more!

THE WELCOMING MOVEMENT

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