St. Louis recognized as a welcoming community by national immigrant group
By St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis is now considered a certified safe and welcoming city for immigrants. This is according to a new designation the city received from Welcoming America, a national immigrant organization.
The organization evaluates cities and counties by seven criteria — economic development, civic engagement, connected communities, equitable access, government and community leadership, safe communities and education. The pillars are intended to provide a road map for local governments to help build inclusivity among newly arrived immigrants or immigrant families looking to relocate to other cities.
This designation will send a message to immigrant families and people in the community that St. Louis is welcoming and participates in meaningful collaborations with immigrant organizations to build inclusivity, said Gilberto Pinela, director of the City of St. Louis’ Office of New Americans.
“We're a city that believes that migration is an asset, and it opens doors and opportunities for economic development, for economic prosperity, for population growth, for many things that we see as positives for the city of St. Louis and the region,” Pinela said. “It serves as a testament to the fact that we are doing this work, and we're doing this work in collaboration with our community partners.”
St. Louis is among 50 certified welcoming cities and counties across the country, including Kansas City, Dallas, Boston and San Francisco. St. Louis’ Office of New Americans applied for the designation through the Welcoming America organization. City leaders completed a self-assessment, went through a few days of auditing and received a final report over the course of a year.
Welcoming America designated St. Louis as a 2-star certified welcoming city out of a 5-star designation, because St. Louis met all of the criteria at a 1- and 2-star level with no noncompliant findings. The organization evaluates cities and counties with stars that reflect the depth of a community's progress. The organization said the city’s work through its Office of New Americans and its cross-department relationships made St. Louis stand out. Welcoming America also praised the city's equitable access programs in healthcare and legal services, as well as pathways the city created to help immigrant entrepreneurs and job seekers. San Francisco is the only community out of 50 with a 5-star designation. Read more here.
