Together with Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and NYCLU
New York---As part of Immigrant Heritage Month, the New York Immigration Coalition, together with Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) announced the Times Square launch of its “This Is Our New York” (TIONY) ad campaign.
The ten-second advertisement airs on a loop every 12 minutes, featuring Muslim, Asian, Latino, Black, and White New Yorkers, to highlight the city’s diverse population and send a global message about New York values at the “Crossroads of the World.”
“Six months into the Trump administration and we continue to fight every day against an agenda to make America hate again. We can never forget that this is our New York: a city that stands for justice and opportunity for all,” said NYIC Executive Director, Steve Choi.
1 in 5 New Yorkers are immigrants, comprising roughly 46% of the workforce and 51% of business owners.[1] Immigrant New Yorkers have a purchasing power of over $70 billion dollars alone and earn over $100 billion in total earned income yearly.[2]
The New York Immigration Coalition’s campaign is a direct response to the Trump administration’s aggressive anti-immigrant polices—like the Muslim ban—that undermine democratic principles of fairness.
In January, the NYIC was on the ground at JFK airport, responding to the Trump executive order that banned entrants from seven majority Muslim countries. The effort, titled #NoBanJFK, assisted over 220 individuals and families from more than 20 countries, with the support of over a thousand volunteers, including attorneys from 125 agencies, interpreters, and professionals from information technology, communications, and social services sectors.
On June 28, at 7:30pm the New York Immigration Coalition and BAM will present a short film on the events at JFK, called "48 Hours of Resistance," at an event titled 48 Hours at JFK: What Now?. Following will be a panel discussion moderated by Ahmed Ali Akbar, host of BuzzFeed’s "See Something Say Something" podcast.
Tickets are available here: http://www.bam.org/talks/2017/48-hours-at-jfk
"In New York, immigrants are our neighbors and New Yorkers stand up for their neighbors. This new effort by NYIC encapsulates that sentiment and I applaud them. We will continue standing shoulder-to-shoulder in opposition to this Administration's immoral, anti-immigrant policies,” said Congresswoman Nydia Valezquez.
Donna Lieberman, NYCLU Executive Director: “We were there at JFK when President Trump’s first Muslim ban caused mass chaos and enormous suffering. And we will be there whenever immigrants’ rights are threatened. We will work to make New York as safe as possible for our brothers and sisters in immigrant communities across the state.”
Background
TIONY is a multi-faceted effort to showcase the true, inclusive values of New York. Through comprehensive outreach, community education, legal services, advocacy, organizing, capacity building, and public engagement, the campaign aims to protect, defend and stand up for immigrant New York.
The New York Immigration Coalition is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees. The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.
For more information visit the website: http://www.ourny.info
[1] https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/new-americans-new-york
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The New York Immigration Coalition is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees.The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.