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Convening Group

This summer has been full of ups and downs, but recently team NPNA has a lot to celebrate.

American Dreams Platform

In December 2015, we launched the New American Dreams Platform, the first ever federal immigrant integration agenda created by our communities. The Platform, comprised of six planks, redefined what it means to be authentically, robustly pro-immigrant. We won Presidential candidates’ endorsements, convened partners for candidate education sessions throughout the spring and summer, and had the nation talking about the role of English instruction, adult education, health care, and pathways to citizenship in creating a more vibrant democracy for all.

Read about what we accomplished in our recent New American Dreams Platform – One Year Report. Our work is far from over. Now we’ll build from the Platform, which provided a blueprint for organizing, and begin work on the New American Dreams Campaign, the advocacy to make our policy ideas real at every level of government.

Strategizing in the Rockies

This month, NPNA hosted a convening among the beautiful pines and peaks of the Rocky Mountains. The retreat included a strategic planning gathering for Executive Directors of NPNA member organizations and a civic engagement convening, hosted with the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), that included 54 organizers, program coordinators, Community Navigators, and Family Defenders focused on civic engagement this fall.


Family Defenders are youth leaders organizing to protect their undocumented parents, family members, and friends. Meet Family Defender Brenda Romero. She came to the United States when she was two years old with her parents and settled in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is DACAmented and her parents would have qualified for DAPA. She currently attends the University of Nevada Las Vegas where she is studying to become a higher education counselor. She volunteered with the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) for the past 3 years before becoming a Family Defender.

Brenda

“Being a Family Defender is so important to me. I want to protect and empower my community and help our families. I want to show the country that young people care about what’s going on, that our voice matters, that our families matter.” Brenda Romero, Family Defender with PLAN

stevenchoicircle

“The leadership retreat was a great opportunity for NPNA leadership to discuss and think strategically about our work moving forward. It allowed us to take a step back and really think about our mission as an organization and the vision we have for building power with immigrant communities.” – Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition and NPNA Co-Chair
JoseParisCircle “In this moment leading up the election, it is crucial to get such a thoughtful group of leaders together. The retreat gave us an opportunity to learn from each other, discuss what’s working and how we can support each other moving forward.” – Jose Hernandez-Paris, Executive Director of the Latin American Coalition and new NPNA Board member

Onward to a powerful September — including Citizenship Day on September 17!

Tara Raghuveer
Deputy Director of the National Partnership for New Americans.  

Photos by Kathelijne Niessen