Advocates from 40 states and 300 organizations gather at the 15th annual National Immigrant Inclusion Conference – the Nation’s Largest Immigrant and Refugee conference – To Assess Progress and Opportunities for Immigrant Inclusion Efforts 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

November 30, 2022

 

CONTACT: 

Mynellies Negrón | (202) 993-7844 | mynellies@communicationsshop.us



 

Advocates from 40 states and 300 organizations gather at the 15th annual National Immigrant Inclusion Conference – the Nation’s Largest Immigrant and Refugee conference – To Assess Progress and Opportunities for Immigrant Inclusion Efforts 

 

WHAT: The annual National Immigrant Inclusion Conference (NIIC) 2022, the largest convening for the entire sector supporting immigrants and refugees in the country.

 

WHO: Hosted by the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), and held alongside national and regional partners including:

 

National Partners: APIAVote, African Communities Together, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Haitian Bridge Alliance, CASA, Church World Service, Immigration Hub, MPower Change Unidos US, UNITE HERE, 

 

Regional Steering Committee: New Virginia Majority, Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights

 

National Steering Committee Organizations include: Access Living, African Bureau of Immigration and Social Affairs, Alianza Americas, American Immigration Council, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Asian American Federation, Association of New Americans, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc, COMPASS Community Partnerships, Equity Research Institute of theUniversity of Southern California, Global Michigan, HIAS, Inclusiv, International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Service, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, New American Leaders, Race Forward, Rainbow Railroad, Refugee Action Network, Refugee Congress, Refugee Council USA, USA Hello, Vera Institute of Justice, Welcoming America, Western States Center, World Education, Inc., World Education Services

 

WHERE:  Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center

     201 Waterfront St, National Harbor, MD 20745

 

WHEN:  December 11-13, 2022

                Registration HERE

**Note to Editors: Face masks are required for all attendees of this event. Press attending this event should be able to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination.**



 

NATIONWIDE – The annual National Immigrant Inclusion Conference (NIIC) 2022, the largest conference in the country focused on immigrant and refugee issues, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year with a powerful in-person, three-day event at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor in Maryland from December 11 - 13, 2022. It will be the first gathering of the entire sector supporting immigrants and refugees following this year’s consequential midterm elections, and takes place just days after the final Senate runoff contest in Georgia.

 

Hosted by the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), the NIIC was first launched in 2008. Since then, it has grown to become the central gathering space for this diverse sector, annually gathering over 1,000 policymakers and advocates from across the country along with international partners, who convene to connect and share ideas, information, and strategies to advance immigrant and refugee inclusion.  

 

Among the MainStage conversations at NIIC will be a plenary assessing the state of our democracy and the policy-making landscape following the 2022 midterm elections, including a focus on the political power and civic engagement of growing numbers of immigrant voters, and the urgency of intersectional movements working to expand and protect democracy.. Other issues to be discussed at this year’s NIIC include: economic opportunity, climate change, education, healthcare access, protections for LGBTQIA+ migrants’ and expansion of citizenship efforts. Advocates will debrief the Biden/Harris Administrations progress on immigration while they continue to press for Congressional action to address urgent immigration issues during final days that remain of the 117th Congress. 

 

Among the guest speakers include acclaimed journalist, MSNBC, NBC host, filmmaker and author of Enough About Me, Richard Lui, who has been at the forefront as the first Asian American male to anchor a daily cable news program. Lui has been an advocate for civil and human rights,and has been an outspoken advocate for humanitarian issues ranging from housing justice to combating anti-AAPI hate.



 

NIIC will feature more than 200 experts from the field who will address the most pressing issues in the immigrant and refugee sector. Other key speakers include: 

  1. Nisha Agarwal, International Refugee Assistance Project 
  2. Saida Agostini-Bostic, Funders for LGBTQ Issues
  3. Aamina Ahmed, New American Leaders
  4. Bayo Akomolafe, The Emergence Network
  5. Nazanin Ash, Welcome.US
  6. Murad Awawdeh, New York Immigration Coalition
  7. Juanita Cabrera Lopez, International Mayan League
  8. Oscar Chacón, Alianza Americas
  9. Jeff Chang, Butterfly Lab
  10. Christine Chen, APIAVote
  11. Liza Doubossarskaia, Immigration Equality
  12. Krystina Francois, Communities United for Status and Protection
  13. Michelle Garcia, Access Living
  14. Jennicet Gutiérrez, Familia TQLM
  15. Nana Gyamfi, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
  16. Mayra Hidalgo Salazar, National LGBTQ Task Force
  17. Vivian Li Huang, Asian Pacific Environmental Network  
  18. Guerline Jozef, Haitian Bridge Alliance
  19. Charles Kamasaki, UnidosUS
  20. Andy Kang, Pennsylvania Immigration & Citizenship Coalition
  21. Amaha Kassa, African Communities Together
  22. Kica Matos, Vera Institute of Justice 
  23. Nicole Melaku, National Partnership for New Americans
  24. Zack Mohamed, Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project 
  25. Christine Nguyen, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
  26. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
  27. Sookyung Oh, Hamkae Center
  28. Shuya Ohno, Democracy Fund
  29. Oluchi Omeoga, Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project 
  30. Uchechukwu Onwa, Queer Detainee Empowerment Project
  31. Allen Orr, Orr Immigration Law Firm PC 
  32. Ola Osaze, Four Freedoms Fund 
  33. Estella Owoimaha-Church,Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
  34. Raymond Partolan,  APIAVote
  35. Kimahli Powell, Rainbow Railroad
  36. Eréndira Rendón, The Resurrection Project
  37. Kenrick Ross, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
  38. Fatima Saidi, Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition
  39. Angelica Salas, CHIRLA
  40. Seydi Sarr, African Bureau of Immigration and Social Affairs
  41. Linda Sarsour, MPower Change
  42. Lisa Sherman Luna, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
  43. Jacqueline Thanh, VAYLA New Orleans
  44. Gustavo Torres, CASA
  45. Jose Antonio Vargas, Define American
  46. Craig Valdez, New American Leaders
  47. Ramon Juan Vasquez, American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions
  48. Eric Ward, Western States Center
  49. Dr. Tom Wong, UC San Diego
  50. Thanu Yakiputiyage, 350.org
  51. Homayra Yusufi-Marin, PANA

 

"The political might of New Americans and their impact on the Asian American and Pacific Islander community cannot be overstated,” said Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote). They have contributed to AAPIs becoming one of the fastest-growing populations in this country, where since 2010, Asian Americans have grown by 38.6%, and Pacific Islanders by 29.5%. Our participation and representation in the political process should be proportional to our numbers. That's why APIAVote is proud to partner with the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), to uplift the voices of New Americans and help empower them."

 

"This is an exceptional time to gather at the NIIC: the recent election cycle has provided us with opportunities to learn, grow and strategize for the future, particularly regarding civic engagement efforts for our immigrant and refugee communities. Let us not forget the significant role newly naturalized voters largely played in shaping the outcome of the midterms and the impact it will have on the short and long term. It is through our collective political power and civic participation that we make our voices heard and make progress happen," said Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans.  “But it does not end there for our diverse leaders and the NIIC. We have a responsibility to continue developing comprehensive solutions for inclusion, equity, and justice for all. Through our rich life experiences and backgrounds, we can build a sound foundation for present and future generations, with safety nets that positively impact our well-being and the prosperity of our communities and cities.  We can and will move forward together.”

 

Press coverage:  NIIC is open to members of the press. For more information,, please contact:

Mynellies Negrón - mynellies@communicationsshop.us  

 

To register, visit the NIIC 2022 website here. Find more details on the NIIC schedule and program here. 

 

Please note that vaccination and masks are required for attendance. For more information on NIIC's COVID policy, click here. 

 

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NIIC’s 2022 National Partners: APIAVote, African Communities Together, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Haitian Bridge Alliance, CASA, Church World Service, Immigration Hub, MPower Change Unidos US, UNITE HERE.