A network for immigrants
Our Project
We would like to create an online and offline network for all immigrants, to find mutual support and understanding.
Give Immigrants Power of Community
We would like to support immigrants and refugees in the USA to form a community and a common network to facilitate the mutual assistance to settle into the American society as well as life as immigrants in general.
It is also intended to strengthen the relationship, understanding and exchange with locals, leading to greater understanding and tolerance between immigrants and US citizens.
Do you know the struggles of immigrants ?
When immigrants and refugees actually arrive in our country, their struggles are far from over, even when all legal issues are solved. They always are faced with many barriers and obstacles throughout their whole life in the USA and we mostly do not know, nor notice it.
Legal support for immigrants
There are many organizations that support immigrants, BUT they are all based on specific agendas and support a particular cause, religion or immigrants from a specific nation. All these organizations are focused on assisting immigrants from a technical point of view, helping with visa, finding the right lawyer or giving legal advice, assisting with separated families, organizing protests or rallies.
All the legal support & help are very noble tasks and will certainly help many immigrants to secure their rights during difficult times, BUT.....
…but unfortunately, most organizations do not focus on the human factor of life as an immigrant, on the individual emotions and the psychological effects on their personal destiny which stay with them long after all legal battles have been fought.
Every single immigrant, whether documented or not, is a human being and has to go through very rough personal times throughout his or her life in the USA.
Immigrants are uprooted from their culture, their familiar environment and are suddenly without a social network, community or helpful support. They have difficulties with cultural differences, language, finding work and housing, dealing with colleagues, making friends, getting married, raising kids, opening a bank account, shopping, unknown food, society in general, expected etiquette and much much more.
Finding a job, housing, adequate education, or enrolling children in school without a supporting network or help from friends/family can be an unbridgeable task. Even planning for something joyful like a wedding can be a very difficult and stressful time because they have to figure out about the local etiquette & society rules of the United States and additionally miss the support and the emotional backing from their family.
Finding the right partner AND maneuvering through different cultures and habits in a interracial partnership can be an extremely difficult challenge; and there is rarely any help or support how to deal with it.
When an immigrant or refugee has a special event or a family celebration, there is often no family or friends around who can celebrate with them, and also holidays can be very lonely.
Without family or friends, who can explain or help with issues, these and many other challenges can become a very frightening task and cause you to feel that you are not really acting properly or that you are always inadequate and never really fitting.
Immigrants also can not get advice or help from friends or family in their home countries because these family members at home have not experienced the American culture and lifestyle on a daily base.
Therefore, an immigrant’s life can be very emotionally isolated and lonely, especially when immigrants get older.
American citizens born in the United States and having a family in the United States are able to call their parents, siblings, mothers or uncles and everyone understands the language, the culture and is familiar with the problems they are experiencing.
They can meet or visit their family or friends to get love and warmth, heart-warming advice or loving support. US citizens have their roots here, their community and their networks, from family to kindergarten, high school, college, neighborhood or work.
They can connect with friends or family to find a job, or an apartment, or to get a recipe on how to cook a sweet potato casserole or clam chowder, or advice on how to deal with a coworker, or just get a friendly hug from a friend.
Very often they can only find poorly paid jobs, have difficulties finding housing or are perceived as outsiders with whom very few want to make contact or friends.
They will never really feel at home unless they are welcomed into our society with open arms and hearts.
…. and we would like to change this!
We want to give all immigrants the strength of community and the benefit of a support network that they miss but deserve as equal humans. We also would like to give American citizen the possibility to get connected with their new neighbors to build an inclusive community.
Being immigrants ourselves, we want to provide a place where immigrants can communicate in their native language, meet American-born citizens and people from around the world, ask questions, give and receive advice and support, share their concerns and fears, celebrate diversity (the crucial factor that has made and continues to make our country great), tell their personal stories and find the missing part of an immigrant life – the empowering emotions of humanity.
That is why we are planning to establish an Immigrant Community Network Platform that will focus on the human side for ALL immigrants in the USA.
Our idea is to first create an online meeting place for all immigrants as well as American citizens, which will later open real-life meeting places and support centers in every U.S. city.
On the new online platform, everyone will be able to get connected, ask questions, about traditions, culture, language, find friends & support, build networks and everything in between.
American citizens will have the opportunity to meet their immigrant neighbors or make friends with immigrant families. Imagine the excitement you could experience when you help someone, while in return the door opens to a whole new and different world, and you could experiencing different cultures right here on your doorstep!
The possibilities for support and connections will be limitless. This Immigrant Community Platform will greatly improve not only the lives of
immigrants, but also the lives of American families and our economy through a deeper understanding of diversity and humanity.
