Immigrant Heritage Month
June is Immigrant Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the contributions and diverse backgrounds that make up the unique story of the United States. Individuals from around the world share their stories and help build a sense of community here in the U.S. and around the world. We are reminded that our diverse backgrounds make us stronger and help build and foster positive global connections and opportunities for international connections and growth.
Current Impacts Here in Indianapolis
Currently in Indiana, there are 422,600 immigrant residents, that represents a 6.2% share of the population. There are more people, aged 16-64, in Indiana that are foreign born (82.3%) compared to U.S. born (61.7%). The top countries of origin for immigrants in the state of Indiana are Mexico (23.9%), India (9.2%), Nigeria (3.9%), China (3.8%), and Burma/Myanmar (3.2%). Indianapolis has the largest Burmese population outside of Burma. Organizations such as the Burmese American Community Institute (BACI) are established here in Indianapolis to help advocate, educate, connect, and serve the Burmese American population.
In Connection to World Refugee Day
During June, another important day to note is World Refugee Day. The United Nations designated June 20th as a day to honor refugees around the world fleeing their home countries in search of safety. We celebrate these individuals’ bravery, courage, and strength while acknowledging that globally steps need to be taken to ensure refugees’ needs and dreams are met for them to achieve success in their new homes. While refugees deserve attention and respect every day, international days of recognition like World Refugee Day help to direct global attention to the current and future struggles of refugees fleeing conflict or persecution.
Interns from The Center working a tabling a Word Refugee Day event at the Global Village Welcome Center.
In connection to Immigrant Heritage Month, it is important to remember the differences between a refugee and an immigrant. An immigrant is an individual who chose to leave their home country to start a new life in a new country while a refugee is an individual who due to war, persecution or natural disaster was forced out of their country.
Personal Stories/Connections to The Center
Here at The Center, we are proud of the connections we have fostered in and around the Indianapolis area within the immigrant community. We work closely with residents of all backgrounds. Recently, we welcomed our new board member, Alvaro Ramirez Davila, into the office to discuss his career path. Alvaro is originally from Peru but now works as a finance manager at Republic Airways. He says:
“I didn’t like the quality of life [in Peru]. They didn’t prioritize a work life balance.” Alvaro shared that he felt like he was always working and never had time for himself or his family. “I wanted to be a present parent.”
This was an important factor for Alvaro when he left Peru to attend Purdue University for graduate school. He soon realized the work life balance in the United States was more manageable and he made Indiana his home. We are grateful for Alvaro and all the other immigrants that help make the United States the cultural melting pot that it is today.
Please join us in celebrating our state’s diverse immigrant population and the profound impact they have had on our community.
Sources
https://www.unhcr.org/us/get-involved/take-action/world-refugee-day
https://map.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/locations/indiana/
By Sophie Love, Marketing & Communications Intern
