Immigrant Integration Task Force Meeting
December 18, 2014
The Belmont Center
700 Parkwood Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
MINUTES
Attendance:
Task Force Members: Diego Anselmo, Nancy Carter, Keri Carver, Mariana De Luca, Owen
Furuseth, Steven Garfinkel, Mo Idlibby, Stefan Latorre, Thanh-Thu Luong, Marianne LyallKnusel, Victoria Manning, Jennifer Pearsall, Jennifer Roberts, Robert Shore, Kim Vazquez,
Kristin Wade, Sam Wazan, Emily Zimmern
City Staff: Bill Cronin, Alexis Gordon, Krystal King
Absent: Monica Colin, Gautam Desai, Ellen Dubin, Daniel Hernandez, Omar Jorge, Anika
Khan, Amy Michelone, Tin Nguyen, Wil Russell, Curt White, Lacey Williams
1. Welcome and Approval of Minutes
Mr. Latorre (Chair) called the meeting to order at 3:18 p.m.
Mr. Latorre presented the November 20, 2014, meeting minutes to be voted on. Ms.
Roberts moved to approve the minutes. Mr. Garfinkel seconded the motion. All voted in
favor. The motion carried.
2. Clarify Prioritized Recommendations
Mr. Latorre explained that all the Task Force members should have a copy of the draft
recommendations (see Appendix A) and a list of the draft recommendations prioritized by
the number of votes received by the Task Force members at the November meeting (see
Appendix B). These are the proposed recommendations that will be presented at the
community feedback forum in January.
Ms. Zimmern explained that some of the recommendations have had changes made to them
since the November Task Force meeting. Ms. Gordon spoke with several city staff about
what is already being done in the city to ensure that there would not be any duplication of
efforts, as well as how to frame some of the recommendations so as to better ensure their
reception at the City Council meeting in February.
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Ms. Gordon then highlighted which recommendations had been revised.
 The recommendation to create a Small Business Council and revise the Business
Advisory Committee was modified to include reviewing the charges and makeup of
all city advisory boards. The recommendation also mentioned adding workshops
and other programming to assist small business owners and entrepreneurs, some of
which the city is already undertaking or is in discussion about undertaking. For
example, there are already plans to have CharlotteBusinessResources.com
translated, grow the International Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
Meeting, and increase the representation of minorities on the Business Advisory
Committee.
 Regarding the “Shop Local” recommendation, the part about waiving certification
fees was removed because the city does not currently charge a fee to become
certified as a small business. Additionally, the portion about creating a “shop local”
list was flushed out in order to make clear that it is a separate list from the Charlotte
Business INClusion list, which is strictly about being certified as a vendor with the
City of Charlotte.
 The recommendation about creating an “International District” along Central
Avenue was revised after speaking with the Director of Community Engagement, as
well as community leaders all around the city (north, south, east, and west
Charlotte). Immigrants are located throughout the entire city, not just east Charlotte.
These individuals expressed interest in celebrating diversity as a whole and
increasing grassroots leadership within these communities, as opposed to
designating one place in Charlotte as being “international.”
 The recommendation to “Create a going global campaign…” was added. At a recent
conference in Los Angeles, the U.S. Department of Commerce mentioned that no city
has formalized a way to expand exports and trade among the immigrant population
and the local businesses they run. One way Charlotte can do this is by creating a
campaign to match companies interested in exporting and expanding overseas with
immigrants in the local community who are originally from the locations companies
are looking into.
 The recommendation to create an awareness campaign regarding the changes in
USCIS detention policies, the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA) program, and the creation of the Deferred Action for Parents of
Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) was added. Two common
themes heard during the listening sessions and seen throughout the surveys were
issues related to work permits and 287G. These federal changes will help with these
issues and Charlotte can play a role by informing its citizens of these changes.
 Instead of creating a new city advisory board, the Immigrant Affairs Council, this
recommendation was revised to encompass evaluating the composition and charges
of all existing and newly-created city boards to include the representation of
immigrants. Specifically, the Business Advisory Committee and Charlotte
International Cabinet were mentioned because these are the two advisory boards
that will likely be called upon to support an Office of New Charlotteans should it be
created under the Office of International Relations.
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The recommendation regarding city programs for youth was expanded to include
the Mayor’s Youth Employment Program in particular, as well as growth and
partnership with existing organizations.
Partnering with the Mecklenburg and North Carolina Bar Associations was added to
the recommendation about notario fraud investigation. Even though this might not
have been as high a priority on the local level, it is a very high priority at the national
level. With the expansion of DACA and creation of DAPA, there is concern that more
fraud will take place, so it will be important to be proactive on this issue.
The recommendation to “Align new/expanding programs with current community
initiatives such as the Livable Communities Plan and the Task Force on Economic
Opportunity” was added. The Livable Communities Plan is a county initiative, on
which Heidi Pruess presented at the September Task Force meeting, and the Task
Force on Economic Opportunity was recently created to address upward mobility in
the community.
A recommendation to promote citizenship was added, specifically for Charlotte to
sign on to become a participating city in the Cities for Citizenship initiative.
As a tie-in to launching community-wide “Places of Welcome,” the idea of getting
buy-in from the community by creating a compact or pledge they can sign on to was
added. Such a compact would be open to anyone to sign, including the city, county,
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), religious organizations, schools, community
organizations, individuals, and others. A copy of The Utah Compact (see Appendix
C), which was presented at a conference Ms. Gordon attended and is where the idea
stemmed from, was provided for each Task Force member to review. It is vital to get
buy-in from the entire community when implementing policies regarding
immigration, and The Utah Compact is how Utah decided to go about gathering such
support.
Ms. Gordon reiterated that these draft recommendations were developed by the subgroup
of Task Force members who met in early December. Ms. Zimmern pointed out that while
these recommendations focus primarily on what specifically City Council can act on, City
Council will be informed that there are other recommendations fall under the purview of
the county or CMS, such as healthcare and education issues.
Ms. Zimmern also explained that citizenship was the major focus of the immigration
conference in Los Angeles earlier in the month. Research shows that once people become
citizens, they become more engaged. For example, they are able to vote and their civic
engagement increases. Additionally, research shows that people earn more when they
become citizens, generating more tax revenue and resulting in a real economic benefit.
One of the common themes discussed at the listening sessions was how to win support for
immigrant integration. Ms. Zimmern explained that a culture shift is absolutely central and
this has to be done through winning hearts and minds; just recommending policies is not
going to make a difference. It is vital to create an understanding and awareness among the
broader community that this benefits everyone. For this reason, the language used in the
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recommendations and compact or pledge is vitally important and needs to focus on “we”
instead of “them.”
The Task Force divided into three groups to discuss the draft recommendations. Mr.
Latorre asked the groups to think about and discuss the following three questions:
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What do you think are the strengths/benefits of this set of recommendations for
immigrants and Charlotte as a whole?
What concerns do you have about this set of recommendations for immigrants and
Charlotte as a whole?
Are any critical recommendations missing from this set?
The first group regarded the following as strengths of the draft recommendations:
 The focus on attracting talent to the city
 Promoting Charlotte as a progressive city, and that the recommendations will
benefit the whole city, not just immigrants
 Pointing out that some of these activities exist already and highlighting and
improving upon those
 Promoting citizenship
However, they felt that the recommendations had been watered down. The group
understands that there are political forces at play, but believes the Task Force was
established to make recommendations they deem appropriate for helping the immigrant
community. If the Task Force is going to make recommendations, they should be specific
and detailed, not broad statements.
Additionally, the first group disagreed with the city’s viewpoint that an International
District is not beneficial. The group believes that an International District would be a
positive thing, enabling the immigrants there to feel acknowledged and serving as a tourist
destination.
The group also discussed the concerns presented by law enforcement regarding the
creation of an International Relations Unit within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police
Department (CMPD). The group’s view is that the city is changing and there are more
immigrants living in Charlotte-Mecklenburg than ever before, therefore creating a unit that
would focus more on the populations as opposed to geographies would be beneficial.
Mr. Anselmo, who is a Major with CMPD, explained that the city had an International
Relations Unit for seven or eight years in the 2000s. While the unit did many positive
things, the Chief of Police believes that every officer should be accessible to all populations,
not just a small group of officers. He noted that he never heard of anyone mentioning
having the International Relations Unit reinstated at the listening sessions. Ms. Luong
stated that it was mentioned at the Southeast Asian Coalition’s listening session, and that
people expressed feeling very comfortable reaching out to their assigned officer. Mr.
Anselmo commented that one of the issues that arose, however, during the tenure of the
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previous International Relations Unit was that community members felt comfortable
contacting only their assigned officer, whereas CMPD wants citizens to feel comfortable
calling on all police officers.
Mr. Garfinkel suggested that it might be an idea worth reconsidering. Ms. Wade pointed out
that there were obviously reasons why something put in place 15 years ago was
discontinued. Having two or three people express interest in something is not
representative of the immigrant community as a whole. Charlotte does not have one
immigrant community, but has immigrant communities throughout the entire county.
Targeting one corridor and putting a sign in one place would not be reflective of the City of
Charlotte.
Mr. Garfinkel responded that the group’s position is that there are higher concentrations of
immigrants in certain corridors. Ms. Lyall-Knusel pointed out that corridors change
constantly, especially with the gentrification of areas, which pushes out people who can
afford to live in these areas, many of whom are immigrants. This is currently happening to
Central Avenue.
Mr. Latorre asked Ms. Gordon to expand upon the city and community members’ views
regarding the International District topic. Ms. Gordon stated that the city’s Community
Engagement Director explained that there are several neighborhoods in east Charlotte that
do not necessarily identify as being “international.” The area as a whole considers itself
“highly diverse,” but also recognizes that the area is changing and shifting, and Community
Engagement supports this stance. However, if the community came forth and requested
city support, such as through a neighborhood matching grant to brand a neighborhood,
then this would be supported by the city. The city should not tell the community that it is
going to designate a district in a certain way; the community should approach the city if it
is something they want. This is why the recommendation was reworded to incorporate
strengthening neighborhood leadership, so that the communities can approach the city
with such ideas.
Ms. Carter pointed out that branding an area can be both positive and negative. When you
brand an area, some people will be excluded. This is why it has to come from the
community, not from the city.
The second group suggested the following changes to the draft recommendations:
 Making sure the “Shop Local” list encompasses all small businesses, not just
immigrant-owned small businesses;
 All neighborhoods should be educated about this work so they can provide support
and engage their communities in shifting their cultural understanding and attitude;
 Focusing more on developing diverse neighborhood and community leadership as
opposed to strengthening leadership in general;
 Under the Office of New Americans, add language about the services currently being
provided by community organizations in addition to government services;
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The Community Relations Committee (CRC) should be specifically included in the
recommendation regarding the charges and composition of city boards;
Add weekly hotel rentals to the Fair Housing/Code Enforcement pre-inspection
recommendation;
In the recommendation about expanding youth programs, it would be helpful to
provide examples of some of the organizations currently doing such work;
With regard to the CRC overseeing notario fraud investigations, the question was
raised as to whether the Better Business Bureau is involved in this issue;
For the recommendation to create Places of welcome, change “community-wide
initiative” to “community-wide call to action”
With regard to the pledge:
o The phrase “stronger together” sounds too militant and a new phrase should
be considered
o It is important to recognize immigrants as individuals. Revising the pledge to
read (second paragraph) “….working toward a safe and welcoming city for
each individual, longtime residents, immigrants….” should be considered.
o It should not only explain what organizations/individuals are committing to
do when they sign on to the pledge, but it should also challenge them to
encourage others to sign on.
One item of critical importance to the second group is having an opportunity to present any
recommendations that involve Mecklenburg County or CMS directly to these entities. Ms.
Gordon suggested adding a statement in the final report to City Council that any
recommendations related to the work of Mecklenburg County, CMS, or other entities will
be shared directly with those entities.
The third group commented that the recommendations are very strong on business and
economic growth, but that less emphasis was given to other areas. The group had the
following concerns about the draft recommendations:
 There is a lack of detail and specifics. Where does the information about timeframe,
costs, partners, etc. fit in?
 Funding – how will any marketing and awareness raising be accomplished if the
Task Force is not sure where the funding will come from and how much will be
available, if any at all;
 How can dissent be expressed? There were many recommendations that did not
reach consensus among Task Force but were strongly voiced as needs and wants by
the community. The Task Force needs to figure out an appropriate way to present
these issues to City Council as well.
 How can the Task Force recommend items that the city does not have control over?
Will a presentation be scheduled with the relevant entities, such as the school
board, county, public health department, hospital system, etc.?
 The issue of driver’s licenses was a huge concern among the immigrant community.
The group understands that this is not a city issue, but asked if the Task Force
would be presenting this to the city as a recommendation for a legislative agenda
item?
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What items can the Task Force recommend that the city serve as a convener for
(i.e., health care, education, etc.)? Can the city create a Task Force or committee to
serve as a convener for such issues?
The group had the following suggestions for the recommendations:
 Adding “collaborative job fairs” to one of the economic growth recommendations
 Changing “Office of New Americans” to “Office of New Charlotteans” so as not to
place too much emphasis on immigrants and being only for American citizens
 Adding language about an awareness campaign under the Office of New Americans
 Including the nonprofit community when mentioning informing immigrants of their
rights and services available
 Adding weekly hotel rentals to the Fair Housing/Code Enforcement pre-inspection
recommendation
 Including informing immigrants of their rights with regard to fair housing
 Is CRC the right entity to handle notario fraud issues
 With regard to transportation, there is nothing in the recommendations that
reflected the need to expand bus routes
 One opportunity for the city to serve as a convener would be the multi-agency task
force for incoming refugees that had been previously suggested
 With regard to the recommendation to promote citizenship, adding language about
working with existing groups that have citizenship programs and information
about people’s rights
 Concerned that issues such as education and civic engagement have gotten lost
 The phrase “stronger together” is used by many groups around the country;
consider using a different phrase that can specifically relate to Charlotte
Ms. Gordon reminded the Task Force that no recommendations or suggestions will be
excluded. Everything will be in the final report, but only the top priority recommendations
will be presented to City Council in February. Ms. Zimmern reminded the Task Force that
they were instructed not to bring 50 recommendations to City Council, which is why
prioritizing the recommendations is such a necessity.
Ms. Wade asked if the pledge will be discussed at the next meeting as it was not discussed
much today. Ms. Gordon suggested that a subgroup be created to discuss the pledge and
bring the results to the entire Task Force at the next meeting for discussion and a vote.
Ms. Zimmern reminded the Task Force that these draft recommendations are what will be
presented to the community at the public feedback forum, which needs to be scheduled.
Ms. Gordon challenged the Task Force to think about who they would be inviting to the
public forum, as well as the City Council meeting in February. It will be important to have
immigrant representation from every district to show Council that this is important to the
Charlotte community.
Ms. Lyall-Knusel offered to reach out to Central Piedmont Community College as a potential
venue, and Ms. Roberts said she would look into the Midwood International Cultural
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Center’s availability as well. It was decided to hold the public feedback forum on January
15, 2015, at 6:30 p.m.
Ms. Zimmern then asked for Task Force members to volunteer to serve on the subgroup to
work on the pledge and revise the recommendations. The following individuals offered to
serve on this committee: Stefan Latorre, Emily Zimmern, Jennifer Roberts, Kristen Wade,
and Steven Garfinkel. The group decided to meet on January 7, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. at Mr.
Lattore’s office.
The Task Force’s next meeting is scheduled for January 27, 2015, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the
Belmont Center.
Ms. Gordon explained that the Task Force will be presenting the recommendations to City
Council at a dinner meeting. If there are any recommendations that can be accepted
without changing any city policies, the Council can vote on these if they choose to. For any
recommendation that would require a policy change, the Council will likely send this to the
Council Committee that focuses on that specific topic. This committee would review and
discuss the recommendation and determine any necessary policy changes. These changes
would then come back to the full City Council to vote on. According to the resolution that
created the Task Force, the Task Force is charged with meeting quarterly after the
recommendations are presented to City Council to follow up on this process.
Mr. Latorre closed the meeting at 5:18 p.m.
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Appendix A:
Charlotte Immigrant Integration Task Force Recommendations
Based on community feedback from listening sessions and surveys and research on best practices
in other new immigrant gateways, the Immigrant Integration Task Force makes the following
recommendations. These were prioritized as the most important for creating a safe and
welcoming city that will maximize the role of immigrants in expanding the local economy and
enriching civic and cultural life. Additional recommendations, including many that focus on
areas supervised by the County and CMS, are included in the appendices and would also
promote effective integration.
Support Immigrant and Refugee Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses by
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Supporting small business growth by utilizing the resources and programing
offered by the Charlotte Business Resources Partners, Business Advisory
Committee, Charlotte International Cabinet, Small Business Services and the
office of International Relations to grow immigrant community oriented
programing and hold targeted workshops on how to start and run a business,
connect underserved populations with services, professional networks and
chambers of commerce.
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Creating a Shop Local list and increase Small Business Certification of
immigrant owned business. Charlotte Business Inclusion (CBI) would create a
campaign to encourage small immigrant owned businesses to become certified by
increasing outreach to that portion of the population. Create a list that could be
shared with the public of local small business to facilitate “shop local” campaign.
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Prototyping economic development strategies such as a “start up row” in a
vacant strip mall with immigrant entrepreneurs or pilot pop up markets for
immigrant entrepreneurs using parking lots not in use on the weekend. Encourage
application for neighborhood matching grants and installation of immigrantthemed public art.
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Create stronger neighborhoods, business corridors and encourage grassroots
leadership by adding a neighborhood board retreat that focused on communities
with high growth in immigrant population to encourage cooperation of all
residents, work on building a united identity in highly diverse neighborhoods, and
foster the growth of grassroots leadership in the immigrant community.
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Create a going global campaign that matches Charlotte businesses looking to
export and expand in global markets with immigrants in our community to help
advise on the markets they came from and make global connections between
charlotte and the community our newcomers left.
Promote Public Safety by
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Creating an awareness campaign to disseminate information on the changes in
USCIS detention policies and the opportunities brought to the eligible population
with the recent expansion the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
and the creation of Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful
Permanent Residents (DAPA).
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Creating a Community ID card. The card will improve public safety by helping
immigrants become more willing to report crimes and also allow law enforcement
to identify individuals who may not otherwise be able to obtain photo
identification. With multiple functions it can benefit all Charlotte residents. The
Community ID card would streamline many city and county services since the
card could serve as a library card, a way to access and pay for public
transportation and parking, a school ID, and proof of county residency. The
multiple uses would reduce the costs for multiple municipal agencies and could
also allow the city and county to more accurately track how services are being
used to help better allocated resources in the future. Partnerships with cultural
institutions and businesses, such as restaurants and museums, could be formed to
provide benefits to all Charlotte residents and subsidize the cost of the ID cards.
The card would also spur economic activity as many immigrants would be able to
open bank accounts and more easily start businesses.
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Increasing collaboration and communication between law enforcement and
immigrant communities. Hosting information sessions in neighborhoods with
high concentrations of immigrants about neighborhood safety and emergency
preparedness. Recruit and hire bilingual police officers and include an
introduction to cultural competency in training of all officers.
Ensure and enhance access to city services by immigrant Charlotteans by
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Creating an “Office of New Americans.” Hire a bilingual staff member with
community development expertise in Neighborhood and Business Services
Department to coordinate with city agencies to engage, inform and serve new
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residents and promote effective service delivery. Expand cultural and language
training for city employees, especially those providing direct services to
Charlotteans with limited English proficiency. Ensure interpretation and
translation services. Create information about government services that can be
distributed and accessed online. Translate print and online material. Partner with
community-based organizations, chambers of commerce and ethnic media.
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Evaluating the charges and composition of existing and newly created city
boards to ensure they include immigrant representatives and reflect immigrant
concerns. Specifically, look at how to change the charges and representation of
the Business Advisory Committee and Charlotte International Cabinet to better
reflect the face of diversity in our community and support the work of immigrant
integration in business and our community as a whole. This will help support the
work of the Office of New Americans and the recommendations for economic
growth.
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Creating a “Fair Housing/Code Enforcement” team that can respond to
immigrants’ housing issues and can conduct pre-occupancy inspections for
apartment renters to ensure they comply with the city and county codes.
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Expanding City programs for youth to include more diverse groups and ensure
access in all youth programming. Broaden outreach and language access as well
as add cultural competency to the training of MYEP interns. Track number of
immigrant youth impacted by all youth programming. Grow partnerships with
immigrant community organizations.
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Having CRC oversee Notario fraud investigation/enforcement. With recent
executive action by the President, this problem could become widespread as
eligible residents seek counsel on how to proceed. Build a partnership with the
Mecklenburg and North Carolina Bar Associations to create a plan of addressing
notario fraud.
Promote inclusion by
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Align new/expanding programs with current community initiatives such as
the Livable Communities Plan and the Task Force on Economic opportunity.
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Launching a community-wide initiative to create places of welcome across the
city and demonstrate how effective immigrant integration can benefit the entire
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community. Enlist stakeholders from all sectors—business, education, nonprofits,
the faith community, government—to sign on and pledge to work on behalf of
creating opportunity for all. A couple of possible approaches are below.*
Promote citizenship by
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Encouraging eligible Legal Permanent Residents to naturalize and become
citizens. Draw on USCIS resources, work with community organizations to
translate and distribute materials and increase number of naturalization
workshops, create partnerships with credit unions and banks to establish low- or
no- interest loan programs to help residents pay application feeds. Research
shows that citizenship leads to benefits for individuals including better paying
jobs, the right to vote, access to scholarships and government programs and
economic growth for the communities in which the new citizens live. Sign on to
become a participating city in Cities for Citizenship (C4C), a national initiative
aimed at increasing citizenship among eligible U.S. permanent residents to forge
more inclusive and economically robust cities.
*Stronger Together: Opportunity for All OR One Charlotte: Opportunity for All
Whether white or black, Latino or Asian, we are committed to creating opportunity for all of Charlotte’s
residents. To grow the economy and create a shared prosperity, we commit to carrying on our city’s
tradition of welcoming newcomers with new ideas and new energy. As we work together to build a
thriving 21st century city, immigrants are crucial participants in creating economic growth and cultural
vitality. We commit to supporting policies and programs that engage and empower longtime residents and
newcomers alike to contribute to our community and our economy. We believe we are all better off when
everyone who lives in Charlotte feels like a part of it. We are stronger together.
The Stronger Together Pledge OR The One Charlotte Pledge
(Name of organization/congregation/business/nonprofit/school, etc) commits to creating opportunity and
working toward a safe and welcoming city for longtime residents, immigrants and other newcomers. We
will implement strategies within our mission, within our regular work, to grow opportunity—economic,
educational, civic, social and/or cultural.
We will display the Stronger Together (or One Charlotte) decal onsite and online. We will attend
convenings or submit online to share what our organization is doing and how it is accomplishing its work.
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Appendix B:
Draft Recommendations Prioritized by Number of Votes Received
Number Recommended
Recommendation
of Votes Time Frame
Working Group(s)
21
2 year
Create a Municipal ID
Public Safety
16
2 year
Ombudsman/Office of New Americans/Charlotteans/Residents
Econ. Development & Civic
Engagement/Rec'g Comm.
15
1 year
Create an International District along Central Avenue
Econ. Development
13
1-2 yrs
Welcoming Centers/Kiosks
Civic Engagement/Rec'g Comm &
Transportation/ Housing
12
2-5 yrs
Create a “Fair Housing/Code Enforcement” team that can respond to immigrants’
housing issues
Transportation/Housing
12
1 year
Expand cultural and language training for all public sector employees
Transportation/Housing
8
1 year
Small Business Council - Revise current Business Advisory Committee
Econ. Development
8
5 year
Awareness raising campaign to inform immigrants of their rights and services provided
by City, County, schools, partners, etc.
Civic Engagement/Rec'g Comm.
6
1 year
Re-evaluate diversity of City Boards and Commissions
Econ. Development (tied to Small
Business Council?)
5
2-5 yrs
Pre-occupancy inspections for apartment renters
Transportation/Housing
5
2 year
Collaborative job fairs to recruit multilingual health/social services workforce
Healthcare/Social Services
5
1 year
Advocate with County Commissioners and the School Board of Education
Education
5
2 year
Shop Local/Small Business Certifications
Econ. Development
5
1 year
Multi-agency task force to meet the needs of incoming refugees
Healthcare/Social Services
4
1 year
Medicaid expansion, advocacy, education
Healthcare/Social Services
4
1 year
Endorse partnership between Welcoming America, the Center for Applied Linguistics,
and CMS to establish a framework to create Welcoming Schools
Education
4
5 year
Charlotte 101, acculturation and information for new residents
Civic Engagement/Rec'g Comm.
Immigrant Outreach/International Relations Unit in CMPD
Public Safety
Business/Student Matching Program
Econ. Development
4
4
2 year
Number Recommended
Recommendation
of Votes Time Frame
Working Group(s)
3
2 year
Expand City programs for youth to include more diverse groups and ensure access
Education
3
1-2 year
Expand CATS routes in areas immigrants live and work
Transportation/Housing
2
1 year
Create an Interagency Council for Education
Education
2
1 year
Notario fraud investigation/enforcement through the CRC
Public Safety
Create/Expand world language programs in CMS, CPCC, etc.
Education
Acculturate receiving communities through a City of Charlotte Neighborhood Summit
focusing on this topic
Civic Engagement/Rec'g Comm.
2
1
1 year
Non-recommendation-specific suggestions
2
Protect the vulnerable
1
Have elected officals make a strong decree to be welcoming to all people (Welcoming
City, County and Schools)
1
Arts in Transit
1
Ethnic Chambers
1
Bike to the International District
1
Immigrant Business Census
1
Collaborative events
1
Healthcare advocacy locally and at state-level
1
Welcoming Campaign
1
Use the city as a convener for education, health, business, civic engagement to continue
to task force work and collaboration across areas
Appendix C:
The Utah Compact
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1/28/2015
The Utah Compact ­ Read the Utah Compact
The Utah Compact
READ THE UTAH COMPACT
SIGN THE COMPACT
ABOUT THE COMPACT
MEDIA
SHARE THE COMPACT
THE UTAH COMPACT
A DECLARATION OF FIVE PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE UTAH’S
IMMIGRATION DISCUSSION
Immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S.
HELPFUL LINKS
FEDERAL SOLUTIONS The Church of Jesus Christ
government and other countries—not Utah and other countries. We urge Utah’s
of Latter­day Saints position
congressional delegation, and others, to lead efforts to strengthen federal laws and
on the Utah Compact
protect our national borders. We urge state leaders to adopt reasonable policies
Former Governor Mike
addressing immigrants in Utah.
Leavitt’s statement
We respect the rule of law and support law enforcement’s
LAW ENFORCEMENT Logan City Council statement
professional judgment and discretion. Local law enforcement resources should focus
(PDF)
on criminal activities, not civil violations of federal code. Salt Lake County Council
Strong families are the foundation of successful communities. We oppose
FAMILIES
policies that unnecessarily separate families. We champion policies that support
families and improve the health, education and well­being of all Utah children.
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Appendix D:
December 18, 2014 Immigrant Integration Task Force Meeting
PowerPoint Presentation
17
Immigrant Integration Task Force Update
December 18, 2014
Draft Recommendations
Support Immigrant and Refugee Entrepreneurship and
Small Businesses by:
Supporting small business growth by utilizing the resources and
programing offered by the Charlotte Business Resources Partners,
Business Advisory Committee, Charlotte International Cabinet, Small
Business Services and the office of International Relations to grow
immigrant community oriented programing and hold targeted workshops
on how to start and run a business, connect underserved populations with
services, professional networks and chambers of commerce.
Creating a Shop Local list and increase Small Business Certification of
immigrant owned business. Charlotte Business Inclusion (CBI) would
create a campaign to encourage small immigrant owned businesses to
become certified by increasing outreach to that portion of the population.
Create a list that could be shared with the public of local small business to
facilitate “shop local” campaign.
Draft Recommendations
Support Immigrant and Refugee Entrepreneurship and
Small Businesses (cont.):
Prototyping economic development strategies such as a “start up row”
in a vacant strip mall with immigrant entrepreneurs or pilot pop up
markets for immigrant entrepreneurs using parking lots not in use on the
weekend. Encourage application for neighborhood matching grants and
installation of immigrant-themed public art.
Create stronger neighborhoods, business corridors and encourage
grassroots leadership by adding a neighborhood board retreat that
focused on communities with high growth in immigrant population to
encourage cooperation of all residents, work on building a united identity
in highly diverse neighborhoods, and foster the growth of grassroots
leadership in the immigrant community.
Draft Recommendations
Support Immigrant and Refugee Entrepreneurship and
Small Businesses (cont.):
Create a going global campaign that matches Charlotte businesses
looking to export and expand in global markets with immigrants in our
community to help advise on the markets they came from and make
global connections between charlotte and the community our newcomers
left.
Draft Recommendations
Promote Public Safety by:
Creating an awareness campaign to disseminate information on the
changes in USCIS detention policies and the opportunities brought to the
eligible population with the recent expansion the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the creation of Deferred Action for Parents
of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA).
Draft Recommendations
Promote Public Safety (cont.):
Creating a Community ID card. The card will improve public safety by
helping immigrants become more willing to report crimes and also allow
law enforcement to identify individuals who may not otherwise be able to
obtain photo identification. With multiple functions it can benefit all
Charlotte residents. The Community ID card would streamline many city
and county services since the card could serve as a library card, a way to
access and pay for public transportation and parking, a school ID, and
proof of county residency. The multiple uses would reduce the costs for
multiple municipal agencies and could also allow the city and county to
more accurately track how services are being used to help better allocated
resources in the future. Partnerships with cultural institutions and
businesses, such as restaurants and museums, could be formed to
provide benefits to all Charlotte residents and subsidize the cost of the ID
cards. The card would also spur economic activity as many immigrants
would be able to open bank accounts and more easily start businesses.
Draft Recommendations
Promote Public Safety (cont.):
Increasing collaboration and communication between law
enforcement and immigrant communities. Hosting information
sessions in neighborhoods with high concentrations of immigrants about
neighborhood safety and emergency preparedness. Recruit and hire
bilingual police officers and include an introduction to cultural competency
in training of all officers.
Draft Recommendations
Ensure and enhance access to city services by immigrant
Charlotteans by:
Creating an “Office of New Americans.” Hire a bilingual staff member
with community development expertise in Neighborhood and Business
Services Department to coordinate with city agencies to engage, inform
and serve new residents and promote effective service delivery. Expand
cultural and language training for city employees, especially those
providing direct services to Charlotteans with limited English proficiency.
Ensure interpretation and translation services. Create information about
government services that can be distributed and accessed online.
Translate print and online material. Partner with community-based
organizations, chambers of commerce and ethnic media.
Draft Recommendations
Ensure and enhance access to city services by immigrant
Charlotteans (cont.):
Evaluating the charges and composition of existing and newly
created city boards to ensure they include immigrant representatives
and reflect immigrant concerns. Specifically, look at how to change the
charges and representation of the Business Advisory Committee and
Charlotte International Cabinet to better reflect the face of diversity in our
community and support the work of immigrant integration in business and
our community as a whole. This will help support the work of the Office of
New Americans and the recommendations for economic growth.
Creating a “Fair Housing/Code Enforcement” team that can respond to
immigrants’ housing issues and can conduct pre-occupancy inspections for
apartment renters to ensure they comply with the city and county codes.
Draft Recommendations
Ensure and enhance access to city services by immigrant
Charlotteans (cont.):
Expanding City programs for youth to include more diverse groups and
ensure access in all youth programming. Broaden outreach and language
access as well as add cultural competency to the training of MYEP interns.
Track number of immigrant youth impacted by all youth programming.
Grow partnerships with immigrant community organizations.
Having CRC oversee Notario fraud investigation/enforcement. With
recent executive action by the President, this problem could become
widespread as eligible residents seek counsel on how to proceed. Build a
partnership with the Mecklenburg and North Carolina Bar Associations to
create a plan of addressing notario fraud.
Draft Recommendations
Promote inclusion by:
Align new/expanding programs with current community initiatives
such as the Livable Communities Plan and the Task Force on Economic
opportunity.
Launching a community-wide initiative to create places of welcome
across the city and demonstrate how effective immigrant integration can
benefit the entire community. Enlist stakeholders from all sectors—
business, education, nonprofits, the faith community, government—to sign
on and pledge to work on behalf of creating opportunity for all.
Draft Recommendations
Promote citizenship by:
Encouraging eligible Legal Permanent Residents to naturalize and
become citizens. Draw on USCIS resources, work with community
organizations to translate and distribute materials and increase number of
naturalization workshops, create partnerships with credit unions and
banks to establish low- or no- interest loan programs to help residents
pay application feeds. Research shows that citizenship leads to benefits
for individuals including better paying jobs, the right to vote, access to
scholarships and government programs and economic growth for the
communities in which the new citizens live. Sign on to become a
participating city in Cities for Citizenship (C4C), a national initiative aimed
at increasing citizenship among eligible U.S. permanent residents to forge
more inclusive and economically robust cities.
Immigrant Integration Task Force
• What do you think are the
strengths/benefits of this set of
recommendations for immigrants and
Charlotte as a whole?
• What concerns do you have about this set
of recommendations for immigrants and
Charlotte as a whole?
• Are any critical recommendations missing
from this set?
Immigrant Integration Task Force
Closing
Next Meeting
•
Tuesday, January 27,
3:00-5:00 p.m.
The Belmont Center
700 Parkwood Ave.
More Information
•
www.CharlotteInternational.org