City of Austin's Office of Equity and Inclusion Newsletter Archive

August Immigrant Affairs Update

LOCAL UPDATES: MASK ORDERS

Austin and Travis County just released masking orders and guidance to address the recent surge of COVID-19 cases and support the overwhelmed hospitals and medical staff treating unvaccinated people in the ICUs.

* Press Release here
* Read the full orders for Austin here
* Read the full orders for Travis County here

Effective TODAY, Thursday (8/12):
* Students, staff and visitors ages 2+ are REQUIRED to wear a face covering while on school property or school buses during Stages 3, 4 + 5. This includes all public schools and public charter schools in the City of Austin.
* An individual aged 2+ is REQUIRED to wear a face covering while present on or in City and County owned property unless expressly exempted.

STATE & NATIONAL UPDATES

A federal court judged has ruled that DACA is unlawful and denied first-time DACA applicants. What it means:
- Current DACA recipients will not be affected by the ruling. They can continue to renew their status every two years.
- New applications are still being accepted, but won't be processed.
- Advanced parole continues to be an option for current DACA recipients.
The Department of Homeland Security has extended and redesignated Somalia for Temporary Protected Status
Governor Abbott announced a second special session, focused on border security, critical race theory, and transgender youth in sports, among other issues.
The White House announced Deferred Enforcement Departure for certain Hong Kong residents for a period of 18 months. DED provides protection from removal as well as work authorization.
The U.S. Senate passed a historic $3.5T resolution to initiate a budget reconciliation process. It advocates for investments that would create a national paid leave program, expand child care, and include a potential pathway to citizenship for certain immigrants.

UPCOMING VIRTUAL EVENTS

Friday, August 13 @ 10am CST
Facebook Live: Austin Public Health

Tune in for accurate and updated COVID-19-related information centered around API/AAPI communities. Simultaneous interpretation available in Burmese, Mandarin & Vietnamese by calling the phone #s on the flyer. Tune in to My API Live here.

[Image Description: A digital flyer with a white background. To the right are two people, one with a megaphone and another holding up a sign. To the left of them, there is text that reads, "My API Live. Accessible, Pertinent Information. Get accurate COVID-19 information from the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Work Group. Join us live on the Austin Public Health Facebook Page: Facebook.com/AustinPublicHealth on the second and fourth Friday of every month, at 10 am." Below that are texts in Asian languages with phone numbers to call in to the language lines. At the very bottom of the flyer is the Facebook URL again, and the logos of Austin Pulic Health, City of Austin, the Asian American Resource Center, Austin Public Library, and Parks and Rec.]

Friday, August 20 @ 10:30am CST

Immigrant Services Network of Austin monthly meeting

Sign up for ISNA membership here in order to receive access to the Zoom meeting information. ISNA is a working group of diverse community stakeholders and immigrant service providers operating together to coordinate efforts, increase public awareness, and inform policy, in order to better serve our immigrant communities.

[Image Description: The logo for Immigrant Services Network of Austin. On the left, there is a blue circle with generic outlines of people holding hands around a circle. To the right, it reads "Immigrant Services Network of Austin."]

Saturday, August 21 @ 10am CST

Refugee Services of Texas - Saturday Book Club

The latest installment of the book club series will revolve around the book "Enrique's Journey," by Sonia Nazario. The author of the book will be present for a deep dive into the story and for a Q&A.

Register for the book club here.

[Image Description: A digital flyer with text at the top that reads "Saturday Book Club, 8/21, 10am CST." The background for the flyer is a faded version of photo for the book cover. Below the text at the top and on the lefthand side is an image of the book cover. At the top, it reads "National Bestseller. Magnificent...Enrique's Journey is about love. It's about family. It's about home." - The Washington Post Book World. Beneath that it reads, "Enrique's Journey, the story of a boy's dangerous journey to reunite with his father. Sonia Nazario, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, revised and updated by the author. Below the text, is a photo of a boy sitting on top of a train with his back facing forward. To the right of the book cover is a photo of the author, a woman with dark, shoulder-length hair. She wears a dark grey top, has earrings and glasses and is smiling. There is a link at the bottom of the flyer: bit.ly/RSTAugustBook Club.]

Wednesday, September 1 @ 1pm CST

New Homes for New Refugees

In April 2021, an initiative entitled “Renting to Refugees in Allegheny County” was launched in Pittsburgh. The goal of this ongoing initiative is to recruit local landlords to partner with resettlement agencies to rent housing to their refugee clients.

Key organizers of Pittsburgh’s “Renting to Refugees” initiative will discuss how they executed the effort and how you can potentially implement a similar strategy in your own community. Register here.

[Image Description: The logo for Welcoming America. To the left, it reads "Welcoming America." On the right is an image of the United States in a turquoise color. Beneath that, it reads "Building a nation of neighbors."]

Thursday, September 9 @ 5pm CST

Belonging Begins With Us: A Welcoming Week Experience

Join us right here to kick off Welcoming Week 2021 via Facebook Live. Hosted by Iranian actor/comedian Peter Banifaz, the kickoff will feature stories, and messages from the Welcoming Network, and performances by Jackie Cox, Cary Morin, the Oakland Interfaith Youth Choir, Ballet Folkorico + more to come! This Welcoming Week, let's declare that Belonging Begins With US. Learn more here.

[Image Description: A digital flyer. The text "Belonging Begins With Us" is in the middle. Above is a small, multicolored map of the United States with the words "Welcoming Week" to the right. There are two arms reaching from above, and three arms reaching from below, towards the text "Belonging Begins With Us." The arms are different shades, meant to represent a racially diverse group of people coming together.]

REGISTER NOW

October 3-8 in Las Vegas, NV

National Immigrant Integration Conference

NIIC is the largest conference on immigration in the U.S. and plays a central role in the powerful, diverse and broad immigrant and refugee rights and integration field. At the NIIC, the many different spokes of this field gather to develop relationships, build campaigns, amplify shared values, be inspired, build relationships, and share ideas, strategies, lessons learned and new information and innovations. Registration now open!

[Image Description: A digital flyer that states at the very top, "Save the date and join us: NIIC 2021" Below that it states, "New American Dreams. National Immigrant Integration Conference 2021. A project of national partnership for new Americans." There is a URL: niicnewamericandreams.org. Beneath the URL is an illustration of the Statue of Liberty's face. To the right of the image are a list of various partners. At the very bottom it states, "October 3 - 8, 2021 Las Vegas, NV. Registration Opens in May."]

COVID RESOURCES

The City of Austin is in Stage 5 of COVID-19 risk-based guidelines. Find resources here.

[Image Description: A digital flyer for vaccination options in Austin. Online appointment scheduling: covid19.austintexas.gov / Phone Scheduling: Call 3-1-1 or (512)974-2000 and leave your name and phone number. APH will call you back to schedule an appointment. / Walk-Up (no appointment) clinics: Little Walnut Creek Library (Moderna Vaccine): 835 W Rundberg Lane, Ana Lark Center (Pfizer vaccine): 1400 Tillery Street, Southeast Library (Moderna vaccine): 5803 Nuckols Crossing Road. For walk-up (no appointment) clinic days and hours, see the upcoming events on austintexas.gov/COVID-19 or call 3-1-1 or (512)974-2000. / Mobile Vaccination Program: If you are homebound, call 3-1-1 or (512)974-2000, leave your name and phone number, and APH will schedule a visit for you, your caregivers and household. / Other Providers: visit vaccines.gov for other vaccine providers and availability near you.]

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

UndocuBlack is hiring a Policy Analyst / Counsel
Youth Rise Texas is hiring a Foundation Relations Manager
Detention Watch Network is hiring for several positions
Casa Marianella is hiring a Spanish-speaking Benefits Coordinator
Caritas is hiring for many positions
Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT) is hiring an Ameri Corps member for the position of Refugee Program Assistant. Contact Lu Zeidan to apply - lzeidan@interfaithtexas.org

OTHER RESOURCES

Parent-Child Education Program: September-May

AVANCE Austin is currently seeking participants for its Parent Child Education Program. This 2-gen program utilizes an evidenced-based model of early intervention that focuses on the interdependent welfare of children, families, and the community.

Classes are free and run once a week from September-May.

Register here or call 512-287-1153 to learn more.

Creative Placemaking & Welcoming: Tips and Tools for Integrating Arts, Culture, and Immigration

With warm weather & in-person gatherings on the horizon, the Welcoming America Network presents its latest toolkit. Created in partnership with Art Place America, this tool provides case studies & models for using the arts to build belonging. Check it out here.

[Image Description: Illustration of a group of people gathered around a table, sharing food and beverages, and being in community with each other. To the right of this illustration, it reads: Creative Placemaking and Welcoming: Tips and Tools for Integrating Arts, Culture, and Immigration.

Taste of Belonging

Welcoming America Network has launched a toolkit and resource guide in the form of a cookbook. Taste of Belonging: A Collection of Recipes and Ways to Strengthen Community Across Differences. The cookbook is intended for individuals and organizations seeking fresh inspiration and tips for building connections and decreasing prejudice in communities.

[Image Description: A banner with a teal background that states, "Taste of Belonging" and beneath that, "A collection of recipes and ways to strengthen community across differences". To the right of the text there are three different white bowls that each contain different herbs. One bowl of herbs is red, another black, and the last green.]