International Institute of New England’s Post

Unlocking Key Facts 🔑 ❌ "Immigrants take American jobs." ✅ Immigrants fill much-needed roles in a range of industries, including healthcare, construction, and more, and contribute to our economic growth. Too often, discussions around immigration include harmful myths. Learn the facts backed by statistical research to debunk these inaccuracies. Read the blog to learn more: https://hubs.li/Q02Gfqq_0 #immigrants #USimmigration #immigration #refugees #immigrantswelcome #refugeeswelcome #Newengland

Red Carpet Ready 🪩✨ Harkening back to the cultural festivals IINE hosted in decades past, staff and friends recently gathered for a night of celebrating the rich, diverse cultures of our team and community members. Career Navigator Gordon Parris kicked off the night with cello renditions of national anthems from around the world, including Ukraine, Afghanistan, and the U.S. 🎶 Attendees then enjoyed performances from talented musicians, a stand-up comedy routine, and cultural dances from Cambodia, Ireland, the Dominican Republic, and more! 💃🎭 The evening was a wonderful reminder of how welcoming newcomers to the U.S. enriches our nation for the better. 📸 Photos courtesy of Nestor Yanani. #staffevent #gala #galanight #employeeappreciation #nightout #culturaldiversity #diversity #immigrantswelcome #culturematters #staffappreciation #staffappreciationpost #staffappreciationnight

“There needs to be a better process to welcome them. And that includes giving resources to organizations like ours to teach them English, to help them to find jobs, to help them get employer authorization documents,” IINE President and CEO Jeff Thielman told WFXT Boston 25 News as immigrants at Logan Airport are moved to a shelter. Immigrants deserve stable housing, so they can then send their children to school, find jobs, and build better lives after fleeing violence, political instability, famine, and climate disasters. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eXP7T6Mq #immigrants #loganairport #refugees welcome #immigrantswelcomes #refugees #USimmigration #sheltercrisis

Smart Money Skills 💸 Our refugee and immigrant clients in Manchester learned about financial literacy and investing during their Employment Orientation. Esther E. Fleurant, District Leader for Primerica talked to clients about Primerica’s free financial literacy course titled “How Money Works.” Esther also spoke to clients about the different ways they can invest. A big thank you to Primerica for providing a necessary resource for refugees and immigrants navigating a new life in the U.S. #financialliteracy #financialeducation #financialliteracy101 #financialliteracymatters #immigrantswelcome #refugeeswelcome

“I know driving in the U.S. is not a right, it’s a privilege...I knew if I got a license...now all of a sudden I would be able to provide better for my family,” said Alex, who arrived in the U.S. in 2017 from the Dominican Republic, and applied for a license after the Work and Family Mobility Act became law in Massachusetts in 2023. The law allowed all eligible Massachusetts residents, regardless of immigration status, to apply for a driver’s license by undergoing a vision screening, learner’s permit exam and subsequent road test. Read the MassLive.com article to learn more about how the law benefits drivers and the state as a whole, as well as the continued efforts to improve the process: https://lnkd.in/eKSrmHQd #driverslicense #driversafety #licenseddriver #LicensedAndInsured #immigrantswelcome #immigrantswelcomehere #refugeeswelcome

Happy Fourth of July 🇺🇲🎉 Today, we celebrate U.S. Independence Day, commemorating the birth of a nation founded and continually strengthened by refugees and immigrants, where “all men are created equal” and endowed with unalienable rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” For many of our clients, including Idris and his wife, Marwa, this is the first Fourth of July they will mark as U.S. citizens. Idris and Marwa arrived in the U.S. from Sudan, became permanent residents in 2018, and with the help of our Immigration Legal Services Coordinator and DOJ Accredited Rep. Ashley Wellbrock, recently gained citizenship. “You made our dream a reality...There were many joys that we will never forget forever,” Idris told Ashley. We are grateful for Idris and Marwa, and for all immigrants who seek to call the U.S. home; by putting down roots in our nation, they shape it for the better. #fourthofjuly #4thofjuly #4thofjuly2024 #IndependenceDay #USIndependenceDay #immigrantswelcome #usimmigrants #america #americanimmigrant #americancitizen #americancitizenship #uscitizen #uscitizenship🇺🇸 #AmericanValues #usa🇺🇸

IINE celebrates the Biden administration's recent decision to extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to over 300,000 Haitians in the U.S., who are unable to return to Haiti without risking their lives. This extension demonstrates the United States' protection of human rights for all. Read the official statement: https://hubs.li/Q02FgHxm0 #immigrantswelcome #haitianimmigrants #haitians #TPSHaiti #TPS #temporaryprotectedstatus #immigrantswelcomehere

Embracing cultures ✨ Staff, clients, and community members came together for #WorldRefugeeDay across our offices in Boston and Lowell, M.A. and Manchester, N.H. We thank everyone who joined us in honoring the resilience and achievements of our clients and in celebrating our community's willingness to open their doors for those in need. In Boston, we marked the accomplishments of our #ESOL graduates 🎓 A big thank you to Monique Nguyen, Director of the Boston Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement, who delivered a proclamation from the Mayor’s office in recognition of 100 years of welcoming and serving refugees and immigrants across the region, and to Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, who shared her story as the daughter of Haitian immigrants, and encouraged our clients to keep up the hard work in English and Haitian Creole. Afterwards the city officials, including City Council members Benjamin Weber and Edward Flynn toured the site, learned about our history from President and CEO Jeff Thielman, and heard from three of our clients. We are so grateful for their interest and support! The Lowell staff and clients kicked off the celebration with a bike ride led by the The Bike Connector who generously provided bikes to those in need. 🚴🌻 Then they gathered again for a potluck celebration, showcasing various cuisines, and decorated their countries' flags. The celebrations culminated with an inspiring event where we inducted five new members into the Lowell 100, a group of leaders who have made significant contributions to the city’s immigrant communities. We thank our former clients Majid Abdulhussien and Suad Mansour, Lowell Community Health Center's Metta Health Center Senior Director Sidney L. Liang, MPA, CHW, and Wade Rubenstein, The Bike Connector Founder and IINE Leadership Council member. All enjoyed food from around the world and a tasting from our generous partner and event sponsor The Starbucks Foundation. At Manchester, staff, volunteers, clients, and community members gathered at Brookside Congregational Church to celebrate our ESOL students and LNA program graduates, who have all displayed great determination and commitment. 🎊 Despite the heat, everyone enjoyed the food, children played in the bouncy castle, and clients won transportation passes and gift cards, thanks to a spinning wheel from AmeriCorps. 📸 Check out the pictures from our celebrations and please consider donating today to welcome and support refugees and immigrants in our communities: https://hubs.li/Q02Fbgdk0 #immigrantswelcome #refugeeswelcome #worldrefugeeday #refugeeswelcome #welcomerefugees #refugeeswelcomehere

“Over time, [refugees and immigrants] will become your friends and neighbors. They will get into the school system and become friends with your kids. They will eventually integrate into the community as all immigrants do,” IINE President and CEO Jeff Thielman told WFXT Boston 25 News as families are moved out of the Logan Airport. At IINE, we continue to seek permanent housing for new arrivals to provide them with greater safety and stability so they can build better lives for themselves and their families. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eRtuVQgW #emergencyshelter #sheltercrisis #migrantshelters #immigrantshelters #loganairport #immigrantswelcome

From 1954-1964, the International Institute of Boston (IIB) continued to welcome and resettle refugees and immigrants fleeing from conflicts and political instability around the world, including the Hungarian uprising and the Cuban revolution. IIB also continued its work to advocate at the federal level, seeking support from newly elected President John F. Kennedy to make changes to the xenophobic McCarran-Walter Act. Today, IINE continues to advocate on the behalf of refugees and immigrants we support in their journey to build a better life in New England. 📜 Learn more about this decade in the fifth installment of our series, “100 Years of Welcome: Commemorating IINE’s Boston Centennial.” Read the blog: https://hubs.li/Q02DDVG80 #immigrantswelcome #refugeeswelcome #bostoncentennial #IINEBostonCentennial #100yearsofwelcome #IINEBoston100