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Explore Immigration: Activism

 

Image of DACA recipient

 

Watercolor of Beirut and refugees

 

Two female workes with cleaning supplies standing outside motel room door

Many immigrants bring advanced expertise when they come to the United States, but those skills are often underutilized. Due to a range of complex factors immigrants’ qualifications are often overlooked. How Experts Are Addressing Immigrant Underemployment and Why it Matters

 

 

Woman holding citizenship application

In addition to all the challenges faced by immigrants, those seeking U.S. citizenship are facing delays in the government process. 

 

Woman with baby receiving food in refugee shelter

 

From Yosimar Reyes, describing the #UndocuJoy project:

"As someone who happens to be undocumented, I’ve noticed how others talk about us. Our collective fate is reported on in a never-ending stream of doom and gloom.

I admit that our condition is difficult. We are under attack, both a national scapegoat and subject of pity. But these stories are not ours. This media is about us, but was not created for us. For our own mental health, we need to share our true selves, not the tears that they want to see.

Much like The Black Joy Project, by Kleaver Cruz, this social media campaign springs from the need to show people in a new light, with the simplicity of a smile."

 

The fundamental right to seek asylum - Melanie Nezer

Refugee and immigrants rights attorney Melanie Nezer shares an urgently needed historical perspective on the crisis at the southern US border, showing how citizens can hold their governments accountable for protecting the vulnerable. "A country shows strength through compassion and pragmatism, not through force and through fear," she says.

 

Refugees walking through arid land.

The term “climate refugees” has been used since 1985 and defines climate – or environmental – refugees as people who have been “forced to leave their traditional habitat, temporarily or permanently, because of marked environmental disruption.” Extreme weather, rising seas and damaged ecosystems could threaten the safety and livelihoods of billions of people. Climate change refugees are the “world’s forgotten victims” of climate change. There could be 1.2 billion climate refugees by 2050. Here’s what you need to know.