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GCIR is thrilled to host our 2024 National Convening in Detroit, Michigan. To help tell the city's migration story, we have created "Destination Detroit: A Timeline of Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian Migration." This timeline is focused on the history of Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (BAMEMSA) communities in the United States – from the arrival of Juan Garrido and Esteban de Dorantes in the 1500s, to the publication of The Life of Omar Ibn Said in 1831, to the arrival of Arab immigrants after the Civil War, to the Great Migration of African Americans out of the South through most of the 20th century, to the embrace of Islam by many Black Americans, to the emergence of a coordinated movement of BAMEMSA groups advocating for justice and dignity in the 21st century.
Why have so many people in the Americas made the perilous migration journey to the United States, especially in recent years? Why have migration patterns in the Western Hemisphere shifted over the years, and why are migrants from some countries treated differently than others? How are the policies and practices of the U.S. connected to the reasons people in the region have moved over time? To get at the root of these questions, GCIR is releasing a new timeline: U.S. Intervention and Modern Migration in the Americas, which delves into this history to allow for a nuanced analysis and deeper understanding of the migration flows and patterns we see today.
In light of the intensifying attacks on immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, I want to keep you—our members, funders, partners, and stakeholders—informed of our work on a more regular basis. This midway point in the year, coinciding with my return from sabbatical, provides a good opportunity to launch this quarterly update.
In her quarterly message, President Marissa Tirona calls on philanthropy to act to address forced displacement, the systems that drive it, and secure the safety and dignity not only of those who are forcibly displaced but also of marginalized communities who experience violence and discrimination.
In 2021, GCIR launched a process to develop a new strategy which reflects our evolution as a national philanthropic mobilizing organization that creates strategic opportunities to move money and power to immigrant and refugee communities. To that end, we asked the Luminare Group to design and facilitate a strategy development process that was inclusive, generative, and collaborative. It was important to us that we did not create this new framework in a vacuum, so we convened a dynamic group of movement leaders, funders, and experts whose perspectives are informed by varied experiences and roles within the social justice ecosystem.
As we face a new federal administration, GCIR is sharing recommendations for philanthropy to help protect and support the immigrant justice movement. View this page to download our full funder recommendations.
This four-page timeline summarizes immigrant and refugee policy developments and philanthropic responses from 1990 to 2020.
My name is Brittany Shaheen (she/her/hers), and I have served at the Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) since February of 2021, beginning as a Program Generalist and working my way to my current position as a Program Officer. CAAP, a national institution of ACCESS and the only Arab American Community Foundation in the country, empowers the Arab American community by strengthening strategic giving in the community while shaping perceptions, highlighting heritage, and demonstrating collective impact. When I heard about the GCIR 2024 conference, I immediately knew I wanted to attend. I was honored to be the recipient of the Emerging Leader Scholarship, and I learned so much as a result.
Emerging leader scholarship receipeint, Joél Junior Morales, reflects on his experience at GCIR's 2022 convening in Houston.
This two-page infographic covers major policy developments for immigrants and refugees between 1990 and 2015, as well as the efforts over that time period by GCIR, our members, and partners.
Find all program-related materials for GCIR's webinar "The Value of Learning in Grantmaking to Migrant Communities" here, including the session recording, transcription of the meeting, and relevant links.