Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees

At our 2024 National Convening in Detroit last month, GCIR proudly debuted our newest timeline, Destination Detroit: A Timeline of Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian Migration. This timeline marks the latest installment of our larger Im/Migration Timeline series. To help tell Detroit's migration story, we created this timeline to spotlight the history of BAMEMSA communities in the city, in Michigan, and across the United States who have been responding to injustices they have experienced to protect and defend their human and civil rights. In choosing Detroit as the location for our convening, we considered factors such as its geographic location as a border city, demographic makeup that includes a diverse foreign-born population and large refugee population, and its welcoming culture. Additionally, Detroit was a major destination during the Great Migration and is the largest Black-majority city in the nation. Michigan has the second largest Middle East and North African (MENA) population in the country, while Dearborn, an inner-ring suburb in metro Detroit, became the first Arab-majority city. Hamtramck, an enclave of Detroit roughly five miles from downtown Detroit and surrounded by Detroit on most sides, became the first city to elect an all-Muslim government in 2022. All of these factors pointed to the importance of centering BAMEMSA communities in this timeline. Visit the link below bio to access full and condensed digital versions of the timeline. We also invite you to preview the timeline by scrolling through the slides below. https://lnkd.in/gFgsRdSg #GCIR2024 #DetroitLeads #DetroitMobilizing

We invite you to join GCIR, movement organizations, and funders for a post-election debrief and discussion happening next Tuesday, November 19th. As the results of the 2024 presidential election come into focus, now is the time to share and advance strategies for leveraging our resources and positional power to protect immigrants, refugees, and their families from the threats to come. In the lead up to this consequential election, movement organizations and their allies have been developing response plans and preparing for a variety of outcomes. With imminent plans for mass deportations and early moves by the incoming administration that signal a readiness to tear families apart, violate human rights, and devastate communities, leaders at the local, state, and national levels are moving to advance their strategies and put plans into action. We will be joined by leaders from the ACLU, Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition (PIC), Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, and the National Immigration Law Center who will discuss this new reality, the strategies that are already being put into place, and how philanthropy can act quickly, powerfully, and decisively to support those efforts while keeping an eye on the long game of building a multiracial and inclusive democracy. Register below: https://lnkd.in/gk_PPimm

We invite you to join GCIR, movement organizations, and funders for a post-election debrief and discussion happening next Tuesday, November 19th. As the results of the 2024 presidential election come into focus, now is the time to share and advance strategies for leveraging our resources and positional power to protect immigrants, refugees, and their families from the threats to come. In the lead up to this consequential election, movement organizations and their allies have been developing response plans and preparing for a variety of outcomes. With imminent plans for mass deportations and early moves by the incoming administration that signal a readiness to tear families apart, violate human rights, and devastate communities, leaders at the local, state, and national levels are moving to advance their strategies and put plans into action. We will be joined by leaders from the ACLU, Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition (PIC), Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, and the National Immigration Law Center who will discuss this new reality, the strategies that are already being put into place, and how philanthropy can act quickly, powerfully, and decisively to support those efforts while keeping an eye on the long game of building a multiracial and inclusive democracy. Register below: https://lnkd.in/gk_PPimm

As our nation braces for an incoming?presidential administration that poses an unprecedented threat to our nation and to our immigrant communities, GCIR remains steadfast in our commitment to advancing justice and belonging for all. Though this moment portends a volatile and difficult road ahead for the immigrant and refugee communities that have been relentlessly denigrated throughout this election cycle, we know that the philanthropic sector holds significant resources and positional power that must be leveraged now in defense and protection of communities under attack. Read our full statement: https://lnkd.in/gPhTPysk

What an incredible 2.5 days that was more than a year in the making with an awesome team in the amazing border city of #Detroit. #GCIR2024 featured powerful & resilient movement leaders, involved critical conversations, and included calls to action to philanthropy to fund the immigrant justice movement year-round regardless of the election outcome. Arts and culture including dabke during our welcome reception, site visits including the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation in Corktown, and enjoying the fabulous and diverse local cuisine! The work continues after Tuesday. #DetroitLeads #DetroitMobilizing #DestinationDetroit https://lnkd.in/etqqJCiw

Joy. Challenged. Exhilarating. Marvelous. These are just some of the words attendees used to describe their experiences at our 2024 convening in Detorit this week! Our final day closed out with a powerful poetry performance from Tariq Luthun, MS, MFA, followed by a plenary session focused on joy & wellness in the movement with Gloria Altamirano at Justice for Migrant Women, Roxana Moussavian at Pangea Legal Services, anthony ng at Weingart Foundation and Mo Willis at Third Wave Fund. The day ended with impactful closing remarks from our President Marissa Tirona. The last few days went by so quickly, but we were so energized by being able to gather with you to learn, strategize, and find moments of community during otherwise daunting times. We want to express our deep gratitude to all who helped make this year's convening a success. Whether through thought-partnership and planning, guidance, event sponsorship, participating as a session speaker, performing, or attending this event, none of it would have been possible without this community. Team GCIR will be taking a break over the next few days. We look forward to returning to our work with renewed energy! #GCIR2024 #DetroitLeads #DetroitMobilizing

The good news about being at #GCIR2024 is that I got to see and learn from amazing people. The not so good news is that I was so busy listening and reflecting, I forgot to take pictures with folks. GCIR put out a call to action for funders. Here is Carolina Morales, MSW and mine, today before we left for the airport.

Just had an incredible experience attending GCIR 2024 Convening! ?? #GCIRConv2024 Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees

What a privilege it was to share space with you Roxana Moussavian Gloria Altamirano anthony ng and Morgan Willis! Closing out the Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees conference with a focus on our movement’s collective joy, wellness, and resilience was just what what the space needed as we prepare for the week, months and years ahead. Thanks for sharing your candid experiences and wisdom with the community! #GCIR2024 #DetroitLeads #DetroitMobilizing #Philanthropy #Immigration

Day 2 of our convening in Detroit took us out into the community where we gained deeper insights into the work organizations are doing on the ground for and in immigrant and refugee communities, as well as the city's history and art! We are deeply grateful to the Hamtramck Historical Museum, ACCESS - Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, the Arab American National Museum, Murals in the Market and Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation for hosting us! The afternoon brought us a reading and Q&A with author Curtis Chin, an important plenary with movement leaders who shared their personal immigration stories and discussed the power of narratives, and several fantastic breakout sessions. Tomorrow is our last day in Detroit. Stay tuned for more updates! #GCIR2024 #DetroitLeads ##DetroitMobilizing