PRESS RELEASE — May 1, 2001

Building New American Communities:
3 Sites Awarded Grants

Coalitions to receive funds, expert assistance for refugee integration projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lowell, Massachusetts, Nashville, Tennessee and Portland, Oregon, will begin refugee immigrant integration demonstration projects under a new program entitled "Building the New American Community: A Collaborative Project on Integration." Each site will receive a financial award as well as assessment, analysis, training and technical assistance.

Civic participation is a critical element in each project. Yet all three have unique, innovative, approaches to the integration of their refugee and immigrant populations. Lowell, for example, emphasizes early economic self-sufficiency for newcomers. Nashville focuses on workforce and business development. In Portland, established refugees mentor those who have arrived more recently.

"We are extremely excited about the opportunities for new and creative immigrant policy," said Ann Morse, director of NCSL's Immigrant Policy Project. "With these resources, the three communities can explore integration as a two-way street and demonstrate what works and what doesn't."

"Building the New American Community" is a partnership of five organizations that have been working together on refugee and immigrant integration issues for the past two years. The National Conference of State Legislatures' (NCSL) Immigrant Policy Project serves as the overall project manager and coordinates the research and technical assistance activities. The Urban Institute and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace comprise the research and analysis team. The National Immigration Forum and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center serve as the technical assistance team. Approximately 90 percent of the full project budget is Federally-funded. "Building the New American Community" is underwritten by an award of $799,000 from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement.

For additional information on "Building the New American Community," please visit the project website at <www.ncsl.org/programs/immig/community_orr.htm> or contact Bill Wyatt (202-624-8667) or Ann Morse (202-624-8697)