Personal reflection from NIJFON’s Supervisory Attorney, Jennifer Ansay:

I do. I know 9. Not a whole lot, I admit, but the ones I do know, I know really well. Really, really well. Probably better than most of their families or closest friends know them. Because of the nature of our relationships, I need to know about their lives in a very detailed way. Having to get the kind of information from them that I need, I sort of develop a close relationship out of necessity. Out of the 9 Syrians I know, I can say without any reservation that they are all exactly the kinds of people we want and need to have in the United States.

The first Syrian person I met, and the one I know the best, is …

One of the strongest women I know.

Continue reading “Do y’all even know any Syrians?” →

What happens when abuse victims feel like they can’t call for help?

For many immigrant women who lack legal status, this is a horrifying daily reality. Undocumented women are already vulnerable to exploitation as they navigate a life in the shadows. For those who are being abused, language and cultural barriers can make it challenging to work with the police. Many abusers threaten to have women deported, fired, or separated from their children if they speak out. Fear and uncertainty keeps these women from raising their voices – and makes it even more vital that bystanders like you know how to respond. — Sojourners

Continue reading “Out of the Shadows: Supporting Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence” →

The newest arrivals in America are assimilating faster into the society than previous generations, and their experiences don’t fit into the most common stereotypes leveled against them, according to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report published this week.

Culling data from the 41 million foreign-born immigrants in the country — a population that includes the 11.3 million undocumented immigrant population — the study authors write in their 400-page report that integration into American society “may make immigrants and their children better off and in a better position to fully contribute to their communities.”

• Immigrants are healthier than native-born Americans
• Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans
• Immigrants are learning English faster than ever

This material “New Study Demolishes 3 Pernicious Myths About First-Generation Immigrants In America” was published by ThinkProgress. Read the full September 24, 2015, article by Esther Yu-Hsi Lee, the Immigration Reporter for ThinkProgress, on their website. Continue reading “3 Myths About First-Generation Immigrants” →

Over the past two weeks, many congregations throughout the United States have vocalized their deep lament in response what has been called “the biggest refugee crisis since World War II” as nearly 4 million Syrian refugees have fled their country over the past few years.

The Northern Illinois Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON) has worked to provide three Syrian families with legal representation for their refugee status claims. This is out of a national total of 1,500 refugees that have come from Syria to the U.S. Continue reading “Responding to the Syrian Crisis” →

Transform the World of Immigrants

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2015

REGISTER HERE

Tickets: $50 / Table of 8 for $400
Gathering: 4:30 PM
Dinner and Program: 5:00-8:00 pm

Continue reading “Fourth Annual Dinner Celebration” →