A New American Story Promoting Opportunity in a Changing America Alan Jenkins The Opportunity Agenda GCYF Annual Conference October, 2012

Attitudes at a Crossroads

A Majority of Americans: Support the Dream Act (54%) Support a Roadmap to Citizenship (72%) Support Arizona’s SB 1070 (61%) Support the principle of citizenship for all American-born children as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution (57%) Are split on whether immigrants strengthen American society (49 percent) Oppose mass deportation (56%)

Millennials are More Welcoming Eighteen to Twenty-Nine Year Olds: More likely (65%) to believe immigrants strengthen America (compared to 49% total). More strongly oppose mass deportation of undocumented immigrants than their elders (67% to 56%). Show greater support for birthright citizenship (73% to 57%). Support in-state college tuition for qualified children of undocumented immigrants (57% to 44%). More supportive of a roadmap to citizenship for undocumented immigrants (81% to 72%), and the DREAM Act (66% to 54%). But just as likely (35%) to say immigrants “threaten their jobs.”

Challenges on Services

6 The Anti-Immigrant Narrative Law and Order Overwhelming of Scarce Resources

Creating a New Narrative

Commonsense Solutions Upholding our National Values Moving Forward together

 Understand your Audience  Lead with Values  Appeal to Common Sense  Frame Thematically  Highlight Solutions  Use a Contribution Model  Don’t “Mythbust” Communicating the New Narrative

Understand Your Audience

11 Leading with Values Section 8 Vouchers Earned Income Tax Credit Secure Communities Immigration Affordable Housing Civil Rights Tax Policy K-12 Education Affirmative Action Policies Equality Community Opportunity Values Issues Policies

Fairness Family Hard Work Common Sense Human Rights Community Opportunity Ingenuity

Focus on Solutions

Tell a Thematic Story Enlightened Insiders Affected Change Agents Group Stories

Tell a Thematic Story

Tell Your Story, Not the Myth

Narrative Discipline Different Roles for Different Spokespeople

Questions? Comments?

Developing Effective Messages

The General Public

Reaching Strategic Audiences Decisionmakers Policymakers Swing Voters Boards of Directors Influencers Constituents Faith Leaders Editorial Boards Stockholders Base To be mobilized Persuadables To be persuaded Opposition To be ignored or marginalized

Understanding Audiences Strategy:  Mobilize/Energize 1-2’s.  Choose messages, spokespeople to move 3’s and 4’s.  Ignore or demobilize 5’s With Us PersuadableOpposed

Who are your target audiences? Decisionmakers President, Congress State Legislature, Governor Immigrants Business owners Swing voters Law enforcement Donors Influencers Base voters Swing voters Faith leaders Business leaders Editorial boards Police chiefs Donors

Crafting a Values Message Our future depends on seeing that all kids have the opportunity to grow up healthy and well educated. But that can’t happen when some kids are singled out, harassed, or excluded because of where their parents came from. We need to invest in all kids so they can thrive and contribute fully to our community. Tell the City Council to protect our future by including all children in education and health services. Value Problem Solution Action

Crafting a Values Message When it comes to immigration, we need commonsense approaches that uphold our values and move us forward together. Trying to deport 11 million families, workers, and children who are our neighbors, co-workers, and friends would be impossible, and would tear our communities apart. We need a roadmap to citizenship for immigrants who are part of our economic engine and our social fabric, starting with students who are Americans in all but the paperwork. We call on Congress to pass the DREAM Act, and to adopt commonsense reform of our immigration laws. Value Problem Solution Action

Questions? Comments?