Immigrant integration in Santa Clara County (SCC) Teresa Castellanos Office of Human Relations Immigrant Relations & Integration Services 2013

Presenter Teresa Castellanos, Immigrant Relations and Integration Services Lead Coordinator

Demographic & Language Diversity in SCC According to MediaNet analysis of Census Data SCC has the largest population of Hindi speakers in the US 2 nd largest population of Vietnamese Speakers 3 rd largest population of Farsi Speakers 5 th largest population of Chinese speakers There are about 40 Asian ethnic media outlets based in the South Bay including multiple newspapers serving South Asians, Vietnamese and Chinese communities.

Languages in SCC SJUSD teaches English to students who speak about 40 languages at home from Arabic to Tigrinya (Language from Eritrea) Spanish remains the most common foreign language in the County Over 49% of the population speaks a language other than English at home

Values in Working with the Immigrant Community Relationships go in two directions Leadership is human nature We have more in common that we have difference Respect means being open to continuous learning about a community Communities are fluid High light & acknowledge contributions Communities speak for themselves

Values in Working with the Immigrant Community Immigrant communities provide the best solutions for immigrant issues A continuous relationship is fruitful Participatory research is insightful Long terms investments & relationships builds knowledge, leadership and infrastructure in the community

The Evolution of Immigrant Programs in SCC Creation of SCC Citizenship Initiative (1996) Expanded Funding for Immigration Legal Services, Citizenship & Immigrant Integration (1998) Summit on Immigrant Needs & Contributions (2000) Publication of ◦Bridging Borders (2000) ◦Knowledge of Immigrant Nationalities (KIN) (2001) ◦Immigrant Resource Guide: Immigrant Rights Responsibilities & Resources ( )

SCC Immigrant Programs Immigrant Leadership Institute Immigrant Hot Line Immigrantinfo.org Community Education Funding Prenatal Care for All Invested in Second Harvest Food Bank Children’s Heath Care Initiative

Accomplishments Literacy for Citizenship in Spanish & Cambodian $100,000 used to pay for the citizenship application Citizenship Day is held in 14 Languages Immigrantinfo.org has received over 2 million hits 129,000+ have received citizenship assistance Signed MOU with Mexican Consulate re: hate incidents Beacon of lights awards

Citizenship Days in SCC Citizenship Day: Citizenship Day provides refugees and other immigrants assistance in navigating the naturalization process. This two- step annual event offers multi- lingual (19-14 languages) workshops, legal assistance, and more.

Santa Clara County Citizenship Collaborative The mission of the Santa Clara County Citizenship Collaborative is to promote citizenship and to assist individuals with services and education needed to successfully complete the citizenship process. The members of the SCC Citizenship Collaborative include: Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN); the Center for Employment Training (CET); the Asian Law Alliance (ALA); Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County (CCSJ); and Immigrant Relations and Integration Services (IRIS), a program of the Santa Clara County Office of Human Relations.

Local Accomplishments Opportunity Fund Saving for Citizenship SVCF Immigrant Integration Fund Secure Communities in SCC Relations with SJPD SJCC Immigrant Leadership Course Alliances and coalitions

Policy Implications of Demographic Shift Acknowledgement of diversity Standardized monitoring and data collection Accountability for results The role of specialized programs US Citizen Only programs negatively impact US citizens. 60% of SCC families are immigrant families

Important Policy Issues ◦Need to address ethnic issues in order to address universal human needs ◦Immigrant communities must be at the table in order to bring their knowledge and experience to the development & implementation of any plan that is to be effective in SCC.

Policy Implications Immigrants and their children comprise a majority of SCC population. Linguistic, cultural and religious diversity must be taken into account when developing an plan for Silicon Valley.