Photo credit: the Minnesota Daily
National Welcoming Week is a national celebration honouring and advocating for new immigrants and refugees to the United States.
The Minnesota Daily reports that Minneapolis is celebrating this week, September 13 to 22, with resource fairs and other events throughout the city.
Michelle Rivers, Director of the Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs, said Welcoming Week is dedicated to creating a sense of belonging for new residents of the Twin Cities. Events like resource fairs and the Citizenship and Constitution Day celebration highlight the importance of becoming a US citizen.
Rivero said, “We are trying to recognize and celebrate with this national theme that it takes everyone. It takes all of us to build a welcoming community, a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging.”
Richele King, the Minnesota Department of Human Services spokesperson, said the department’s Resettlement Program works with agencies and institutions all over the community to ensure adequate support of newcomers to the state. Through the regional Resettlement Network, they help new Minnesotans find jobs, education, and communities.
Apart from the Welcoming Week events, the Minneapolis City Council recently passed a resolution on September 5 reaffirming the city’s commitment to welcoming new populations to Minneapolis. Rivero said that, compared to previous years, Welcoming Week is larger than ever, with more organizers and city officials involved.
