Citizenship: A Step on the Pathway to Integration
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As Citizenship Week comes to a close, it is worthwhile to remember that naturalization is but one step on the pathway to the larger goal of immigrant integration. Immigrant integration is the creation of something new in the places where we live – a more inclusive community that reflects the needs and wants of all its residents. Immigrant integration takes deliberate and on-going work by both the receiving community and the newcomers, and it requires a community to grow and change as it stretches to allow everyone a chance to access services, make an impact, and participate actively. But, the work required pays off handsomely as we move from living as strangers to living as neighbors.
As you contemplate next steps for your program, pause to consider how you and your program can deliberately create the space within your community to allow integration to flourish. Perhaps some of these ideas, currently in place within our network, will inspire you:
Ideas for Your Agency to Try | Ideas for Your Programs to Try |
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Immigrant integration is happening all across the United States, in communities big and small. The CLINIC network is working to include immigrant integration in its programmatic goals and objectives, and we have much more to accomplish. CLINIC is proud to support its affiliates in this work as we continue to be a network of hope.
For more integration resources, please visit CLINIC’s Center for Immigrant Integration, or contact Leya Speasmaker (lspeasmaker@cliniclegal.org), Integration Program Manager, for more information.