Exceptional Immigrant Integration Initiatives Honored
The Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy today announced the winners of its 2013 E Pluribus Unum Prizes for exceptional immigrant integration initiatives. This year’s prizes honor the nation’s first adult-focused charter school for cutting-edge adult basic education and workforce training programs that have helped tens of thousands of immigrants and refugees in Washington, D.C.; a Minnesota non-profit that works to revitalize low-income neighborhoods in the Twin Cities by empowering immigrant entrepreneurs to transform their local economy from within; and a Massachusetts coalition that is coordinating efforts of a wide range of community, government and business partners to help immigrants and refugees contribute more fully to the economic, civic and social fabric of the Commonwealth. Each winner is being given a $50,000 award.
The E Pluribus Unum Corporate Leadership Award goes to a national not-for-profit health plan that has been in the vanguard of efforts over the past decade to create innovative, scalable approaches that address the linguistic and cultural needs of patients, and thereby improve overall health-care quality and outcomes.
The E Pluribus Unum winners reflect the diversity of actors in the public and private sectors that are involved in immigrant integration efforts at the state and local levels. The winners will be honored tonight during an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. featuring a keynote address by Congressman Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, author of the recent Still Dreaming: My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill.
The prizes program, established by MPI’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy with generous support from the J.M. Kaplan Fund, seeks to encourage the adoption of effective integration practices and to inspire others to take on the important work of integrating immigrants and their children so they can become full participants in U.S. society.
The E Pluribus Unum winners (click on links for more detail about each initiative) are:
• Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, Washington, DC: A nationally recognized leader in the field of work-focused English and skills training, the school offers cutting-edge adult basic education and workforce training programs coupled with comprehensive support services that dramatically boost success for its adult immigrant and refugee students.
• Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA): For over 25 years, MIRA has been the leading organization in New England promoting the rights and successful integration of immigrants and refugees.
• Neighborhood Development Center, St. Paul, MN: This non-profit has worked to revitalize communities in 25 diverse low-income neighborhoods in St. Paul and Minneapolis since 1993.
• Kaiser Permanente: Winner of the E Pluribus Unum Corporate Leadership Award, Kaiser Permanente focuses on the elimination of racial and ethnic health-care disparities and has been in the vanguard of efforts to create innovative, scalable approaches that address the cultural and linguistic needs of patients, and thereby improve overall health-care quality and outcomes.
Profiles, videos and more information about the honorees can be found here.
KJ