Author: Danielle Gauthier

The International Institute of New England Elects Richard Golob, Wade Rubinstein, and Carolina San Martin to its Board of Directors

Written by Danielle Gauthier on August 5, 2024. Posted in Blog, Our Team, Press Releases/Statements.

BOSTON – August 5, 2024 – The International Institute of New England (IINE), one of the region’s longest-established nonprofits serving refugees and immigrants, has announced the election of three new members to its Board of Directors: Richard Golob, Cofounder and CEO of Quantori, Wade Rubinstein, Founder and President of The Bike Connector, and Carolina San Martin, retired Director of Environmental, Social, and Governance Research of Wellington Management, to its Board of Directors.

“Carolina, Wade, and Richard’s deep experience and humanitarian commitment will be invaluable in helping us ensure that refugees and immigrants find safety and strong early support in our New England communities,” said Jeffrey Thielman, President and CEO of IINE. “As we embark on our second century of service, we remain committed to providing opportunities for newcomers to our nation to put down roots, succeed, and contribute to our region’s growth and prosperity.”

Richard Golob

Richard Golob has broad experience at the international level, from global environmental issues to outsourcing in numerous countries. He is Cofounder and CEO of Quantori, Inc., one of the world’s leading data sciences and digital transformation services companies for the life sciences and healthcare sectors. Previously, he served as Global Head of Life Sciences at EPAM Systems, a publicly traded firm with more than 60,000 professionals worldwide. Richard joined EPAM through its acquisition of GGA Software Systems, a scientific informatics outsourcing company that Richard cofounded and where he served as CEO.

Earlier in his career, Richard was actively involved in the environmental and energy fields, serving as an adviser to government agencies worldwide and to the United Nations Environment Programme, as well as a publisher of respected environmental newsletters. He also served as an environmental industry adviser to the venture capital firm Charles River Ventures and as Chairman of the Harvard Environmental Health Council at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Currently, in addition to his role as a member of the IINE Board of Directors, he serves on the Leadership Board of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is a Board Member of the United Nations Association of Greater Boston and the Anti-Defamation League – New England, and the President of the Puchovichi Memorial Park Project. Richard received his A.B. degree in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard College.

“With deep experience serving on nonprofit boards, I am thrilled to join IINE in its effort to continuously rise to the challenge and meet the needs of an ever-growing population of forcibly displaced families and individuals,” said Golob. “With innovation and dedication, IINE will provide more than 18,000 refugees and immigrants from 70 countries with critical, life-changing services this year, and I look forward to being a part of this necessary work.”

Wade Rubinstein

Wade Rubinstein is the Founder and President of The Bike Connector, Inc. in Lowell, Massachusetts, which he launched to make bikes accessible and safe for all Lowell community members, including many IINE clients who bike to work and school. The son of immigrants to the United States, Wade has personally devoted many hours to supporting refugees, including directly supporting a family last year who fled Afghanistan and settled in Eastern Massachusetts.

Wade received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Boston College and spent twenty years working in information technology. Specializing in data network design and optical technology, Wade helped architect multiple private and public telecommunications networks. In 2003, he left his career in high technology to pursue a Master’s in Education and teach in public schools. Since then, he has pursued several entrepreneurial projects, including a highly successful café in Concord, Massachusetts called “Reasons to be Cheerful” which specializes in homemade ice cream, crepes, and gourmet coffee. He now devotes most of his time to The Bike Connector, volunteering with IINE, and supporting other non-profit causes.

“I have had the pleasure of volunteering in IINE’s ESOL classroom, partnering to provide refugee youth with bikes and riding lessons as the President of my organization, The Bike Connector, and previously serving on the IINE Leadership Council,” said Rubinstein. “Through each of these engagements, I have seen IINE’s dedication to providing refugees and immigrants with a promising future in New England – and the great courage and resilience of our newest neighbors. I am honored to deepen my engagement and join the Board of Directors.”

Carolina San Martin

Carolina San Martin is a strategic leader with experience at the forefront of finance and sustainability. Her board expertise includes finance, sustainability, energy transition, talent management, DE&I, and governance. Carolina started out in the field of international development and took an unconventional route into a career in investment management. She joined Wellington Management in 2005 and retired in 2024 after serving as its first Director of Environmental, Social, and Governance Research, managing $1T in assets.

Carolina is a native Spanish speaker with experience living in Latin America and Europe. She is a CFA Charterholder, has a Master of Arts in International Finance and Economics and European Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with Honors, magna cum laude, from Brown University.

“As an immigrant myself, it is an honor to join an organization dedicated to providing new arrivals with the support, educational resources, training, and legal services they need to thrive,” said San Martin. “As a Board Member, I look forward to drawing on my significant experience in governance, talent management, and DEI to help ensure IINE’s long-term sustainability and impact.”

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEW ENGLAND

The International Institute of New England (IINE) creates opportunities for refugees and immigrants to succeed through resettlement, education, career advancement and pathways to citizenship. With locations in Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts and Manchester, New Hampshire, IINE serves more than 18,000 individuals annually, including people displaced by political instability, violence, and climate crises, child and adult survivors of human trafficking, and unaccompanied children joining family members in New England. IINE offers a comprehensive range of programs and services to help newcomers feel welcome; achieve stability and security; access resources in their new communities; advance their education and employment goals; and integrate into their communities. IINE’s expertise builds on more than a century of service and accomplishes its mission in partnership with community groups, stakeholders, and supporters throughout New England.

Our Board of Directors include corporate and community leaders from across New England. Meet the Board.

1965–1974: Welcoming the World

Written by Danielle Gauthier on July 30, 2024. Posted in Blog, Boston, Boston Centennial.

Welcome to the sixth installment of our series “100 Years of Welcome: Commemorating IINE’s Boston Centennial.” The previous installment, “1954–1964: Refugee Relief Over Quotas,” described how the International Institute of Boston (IIB) found ways to circumvent and lobby against the discriminatory federal “quota system” introduced in 1924, which set caps on the number of immigrants admitted to the US from designated countries.

Hard-Won Reform Arrives at Last

The International Institute of Boston (IIB) had long opposed the quota system and had publicly lobbied against it since the 1950s when IIB Executive Director Pauline Gardescu testified before Congress to call for its abolition, and she and IIB Board President Robert Neiley continued to advocate for reform into the early sixties. By the middle of the decade, the stage was finally set. The aftermath of World War II had begun to move public opinion toward a renewed appreciation for foreign allies and affinity for people seeking freedom, greater awareness of refugee crises, and support for newcomers who arrived as wives of veterans. In addition, the advent of the civil rights era had increased sensitivity to racial discrimination.

In 1965, IIB and its allies finally claimed victory when the Immigration and Nationality Act (also known as the Hart Celler Act) was signed into law. Echoing the policies IIB outlined in a 1961 letter to President Kennedy, the Act abandoned the old discriminatory country quotas, raised the number of immigrants admitted per year, and created preferences for family reunification, skilled workers, and refugees. The law would come to transform the country’s immigration patterns. In Boston and across the US more broadly, a predominantly European immigrant population gradually gave way to a more global one and increasing populations of newcomers from Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Operation Kindness

Following the trend of the Cold War years, the first new wave of immigrants were refugees from a nation suddenly besieged by Soviet tanks. When new reformist leader Alexander Dubek instituted freedom of speech, press, and travel in his communist country, Czechoslovakia was invaded by the Soviet Union and its allies seeking to quell the “Prague Spring” by massacring protestors. Tens of thousands of Czechoslovaks fled. In Boston, the effort to welcome and resettle refugees from the conflict, dubbed “Operation Kindness,” was led by the International Institute with support from the Boston Committee, American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees, which was founded by an IIB board member and housed in its offices. As the Fund provided transportation support, IIB focused on working with its networks to find the new arrivals housing and employment.

Welcoming the World

As more newcomers arrived, IIB’s staff grew from 10 in 1965 to 70 a decade later. To better welcome and serve this more diverse group of new arrivals, IIB introduced an array of globally oriented programs. Leading these efforts was Gaspar Jako, a Hungarian immigrant who was IIB’s first Executive Director born outside the US.

In 1970, Jako launched the Whole World Celebration, an annual international fair featuring multicultural arts and crafts, food, and performances held at the Commonwealth Armory. Like the International Institute’s earlier cultural events, the Whole World Celebration showcased immigrant cultures of the broader community. European ethnic groups were now joined by those from India, Japan, China, Indonesia, Egypt, and Kenya.

IIB founded Ambassadors for Friendship, an exchange program for high school students that sent 750 high school students and teachers abroad during their spring vacation, while bringing foreign students to the US. The Ambassadors program later expanded across the country, sending more than 9,000 American students abroad in 1973.

Supporting First Nations

Notably, at the same time that IIB was working to better serve a more diverse population of new arrivals, they were also supportive of Americans from the native Micmac, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Aroostook, Mohawk, Navajo, and Sioux tribes, who were increasingly migrating to Boston from Canada, New York, and the western US. IIB hosted several meetings of the Boston Indian Council as they sought to establish their own cultural center and provide scholarships for youth.

Expanding Language Access

By 1973, as Boston’s population continued to become more diverse, IIB dramatically expanded its language instruction offerings. Spanish language classes were added to help local medical personnel, teachers, and social workers to serve a growing population from Puerto Rico and Latin America.

Additional foreign language classes were offered in French, Italian, and Portuguese. While IINE continued to host English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes at its offices on Commonwealth Avenue, new partnerships were also formed to bring ESOL classes on–site at local companies to help immigrant employees succeed in the workplace.

The Golden Door Awards

Invite to the 1971 Golden Door Award Gala honoring Austrian conductor Arthur Fielder

The most enduring tradition that IIB began at this time was the launch of the Golden Door Awards. Taking its name from a line in Emma Lazarus’s poem on the Statue of Liberty— “I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door”—the award was first given in 1970 to honor the contributions of a notable US citizen who had immigrated to the country. Chinese architect I.M. Pei was the first recipient, followed by Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler (Austrian), restaurateur Anthony Athanas (Albanian), and Star Market founder Stephen Mugar (Armenian). Recognizing past honorees from 25 different countries, the Golden Door Award continues today, honoring immigrants’ contributions to life in the US and providing an important source of funding for the International Institute’s work.

Today, the International Institute is grateful to be able to welcome and support refugees and immigrants from more than 75 countries throughout the world. We continue to forge new partnerships between our ESOL programs and local businesses to help prepare today’s refugees and immigrants to work in industries that desperately need their skills and services. We also continue the tradition of the Golden Door Award to bring our community together to honor and uplift the stories of immigrants that strengthen and enrich our region.

During our centennial year, we celebrate 100 years of life-changing support to refugees and immigrants in Greater Boston and prepare for our second century of service. Learn more here: IINE Boston Centennial.

From the Desk of the CEO: The Reality at the U.S.-Mexico Border

Written by Danielle Gauthier on July 26, 2024. Posted in Blog, From the Desk of the CEO.

By Jeff Thielman, President and CEO at the International Institute of New England

In mid-July, I visited the border communities of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The visit was an opportunity to learn first-hand about the challenges that asylum seekers, including the many who become IINE clients, experience when they attempt to enter the U.S.

I was joined by IINE SVP and Chief Advancement Officer Xan Weber (second from right), IINE Marketing Coordinator Christina Duran (far right), who herself grew up in a border community, and Aaron Nodjomian-Escajeda (far left), Senior Policy Analyst for the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), the national resettlement network of which IINE is a regional partner.

In Mexico, we met asylum seekers from Central and South America who were completing immigration applications on the Customs and Border Protection One (CBP-1) mobile app, with the help of staff from a human and legal services agency. Like many of our clients, they were hoping to join their family and members of their community here.

We saw for ourselves that the U.S.-Mexico border—the most frequently crossed in the world—is far from chaotic, as it is so often depicted in the U.S. media. With shelters in Ciudad Juárez now at half their capacity, multiple advocates explained that the decrease in people traveling to the border to seek asylum is not due to better conditions in their home countries, but rather because of U.S. Executive Orders restricting crossings, and efforts by cooperative Mexican authorities to keep migrants in southern Mexico.

Ciudad Juárez and El Paso have vibrant and beautiful cultures. Many families have members in both cities, many work in one community and live in another, and we learned that there is an ethos of faith and community support on both sides for migrants making the journey north. Our group had a chance encounter with a woman from Mexico who was returning from a trip to see family in Denver. She shared that she and her husband had helped a Colombian family of eight to get to the border and eventually cross.

In Ciudad Juárez, we met with the leadership of an agency run by the Mexican state of Chihuahua to support migrants. After our meeting, we were able to sit with three migrants completing a CBP-1 application with help from the staff of a local NGO. One of them told us he had been forced to flee his home country after a criminal syndicate targeted his business. All of them told us they were fleeing difficult situations, had friends and family in the U.S., and were hoping to find any job they could to make ends meet.

We also met with the International Office of Migration, operated by the United Nations, and a field office of the International Rescue Committee. It was reassuring to see that, as with providers in New England, these groups talk with one another frequently, share ideas, and work collaboratively to help “people on the move,” who are seeking asylum. We also saw a tent city that houses migrants awaiting appointments to enter the U.S. and paused in silence when we walked to the site of a former Mexican detention facility where a deadly fire killed more than 40 migrants in 2023.

In El Paso, we encountered a network of organizations that help people after they cross the border, including Annunciation House, a faith-based emergency housing and service provider where some of our colleagues volunteered prior to joining IINE. Border patrol officers bring asylum seekers—usually those with a notice to appear before an immigration court—to “A House” for safety.

We learned about Border Servant Corps, a non-profit organization that works with CBP-1 applicants after they have been approved for admission to the U.S., and our group spoke with the Director of Advocacy and Legal Services of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, which serves hundreds of migrants each year. The staff we met were passionate and committed, just like our team at IINE. We also spent some time with the Director of the Center for Inter-American and Border Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso, who gave us an overview of the decades-long growth of a bureaucratic border protection system that has made it more dangerous and difficult for people to come to the U.S.

Finally, in El Paso, we met with the leadership of a shelter facility for Unaccompanied Children. We learned about the service social workers and educators do to support the children before they reunite with family and transition to IINE’s Home Study and Post Release Services program.

It was inspiring and humbling to see so many people stepping up to provide these different types of support—and how much need there is for their services.

The border is a place where deadlines and rules change frequently. Asylum seekers told us that they face more danger in Mexico, including kidnappings and the need to pay bribes, than they did crossing the Darien Gap—the infamously treacherous border territory between Colombia and Panama. Beyond danger and extortion, the U.S. CBP-1 mobile app is on its 26th version and continues to have technical glitches that can disrupt and delay an already complicated process.

It is jarring and confusing to see fences and walls between the U.S. and Mexico, especially after hearing advocates on both sides explain that the border security system has led to an increase in exploitation of migrants by bad actors in Mexico and a sometimes-deadly journey for legitimate asylum seekers hoping to receive protection in the U.S. What gives us hope, however small, is that asylum seekers and unaccompanied children are supported by a passionate network of NGOs, faith communities, and community groups.

Our field visit to the southern border reinforces our understanding of the critical role IINE plays in offering a warm, kind, and humane welcome to people who have fled terrible conditions and are fighting for their right to safety and basic derechos humanos—human rights.

This was IINE’s first of several planned field visits to better understand the experiences of our clients. Our findings will be captured in a publication to be released this fall, co-sponsored with USCRI, entitled, “Las Mariposas de la Frontera: Uplifting the Stories of Asylum Seekers at the U.S.-Mexico Border.”

Why They Give: An Interview with IINE Donor Katie Bruno

Written by Danielle Gauthier on July 16, 2024. Posted in Blog, Donor Profile.

Our donors play a critical role in ensuring that every refugee and immigrant who comes to our doors finds the safety and support they need to start fresh in our communities. In our Why They Give series, we talk with our donors to learn more about their connection to our mission and commitment to philanthropy.

For our first installment, we spoke with Katie Bruno. Katie and her husband Mike have been donating to IINE monthly since 2017 as part of our Sustainer program. Katie shares what compelled her to get involved and how donating helps her make an impact on a cause about which she cares deeply.

Mike and Katie Bruno

Tell us a bit about you.

I live in Andover, Massachusetts with my husband, Mike, and our two young kids—a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old. Mike grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, and I grew up west of Boston, so we have spent all our lives in New England.

I’m an elementary school teacher, and a big part of my job is teaching my students the importance of helping others, having empathy, and being mindful of how we impact each other. It’s something I think about a lot in the classroom and at home.

Why is philanthropy important to you?

Mike and I have been incredibly fortunate to have our parents support us through major financial milestones. Because of them, we don’t have any college loans, and they helped us purchase our house. We have been lucky financially, and we know that’s not the case for everyone. It’s important to us to give back to others who don’t have as much, simply because of how the world works. We feel we have more than we need, and so we have to help.

Also, this might sound cheesy, but I grew up as a big fan of Mr. Rogers, and his philosophy always stuck with me: in any disaster, look for the helpers. I want to have helpers if I’m ever in a scary situation, and I want to be a helper for others.

How did you first learn about the International Institute of New England?

After the 2016 presidential election, I lost a lot of faith. I wanted to figure out how I could help people whose safety would be impacted by the new president.

Mike and I had recently moved to Andover, and I started looking for organizations supporting vulnerable communities. One of my close friends told me about IINE. Mike and I immediately knew it was a cause we wanted to support.

What connection do you feel to IINE’s mission of creating opportunities for refugees and immigrants?

My maternal grandfather escaped France during World War II and immigrated to New York. So, with my family history, and as someone who is half-Jewish, I’ve always had an awareness of the horrible circumstances that might cause people to flee their homes.

I also think that, as I’ve become more aware of humanitarian crises across the world, my desire to help has grown, too. There are so many people in dangerous situations who are seeking to leave to find opportunity and safety elsewhere, and they need support.

At this moment in my life, I spend all my time either with my students or at home with my family, so my time is limited. I am grateful that I can make a difference by donating. That’s how I can be a helper.

IINE can only provide much-needed services to refugees and immigrants thanks to the support of our generous donors. There are many different ways to give. Learn more here: Donate funds.

IINE Celebrates World Refugee Day 2024

Written by Danielle Gauthier on July 2, 2024. Posted in Blog, Boston, Events, Lowell, Manchester.

Marked each year on June 20, World Refugee Day (WRD) is an international observance honoring the strength, courage, and cultural contributions of those who have been forced to flee their home countries to escape conflict and persecution. It was officially launched as a global celebration by the United Nations in 2001 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

For IINE, World Refugee Day is an opportunity to recognize the achievements of the refugees we serve and thank those who support them. This year we celebrated all week long with multiple events across our three offices in Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts and Manchester, New Hampshire.

Manchester marks client achievements with a ceremony, food, and prizes

Outside of our offices at Brookside Church, 94 students in our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program were presented with certificates recognizing their total learning hours for the year, and our instructors recognized their students with special awards for perseverance, engagement, mentorship, and other distinctions. Certificates were also presented to participants in the Connections literacy and book distribution program by our partner, NH Humanities; to our community volunteers for their tutoring support; and to the recent graduates of our LNA (Licensed Nursing Assistant) for Success program by a representative from Manchester Community College. Meanwhile, our clients’ children got some quality play time in an inflatable “bouncy castle.” Families got to spin a prize wheel put together by our AmeriCorps volunteers to win transportation passes and gift cards, and a raffle resulted in two children of clients leaving with their own bicycles!

Lowell community gathers for a bike ride, picnic, and special honoree induction

34 youth clients and accompanying staff marked the occasion with a WRD bike ride from Bruce Freeman Trail to Heart Pond, where they stopped to enjoy a picnic and take pictures. Bicycles were provided for those who needed them by our community partner, The Bike Connector, a non-profit community bike shop operated by new IINE Board Member Wade Rubenstein, which has provided free bikes, cycling instruction, and recently, employment, to our current and former clients.

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More than 50 clients and 20 staff gathered for a festive art project: coloring in the flags of their home countries. They also played games, and enjoyed pizza, fruit, and drinks. Staff shared the official theme of this year’s World Refugee Day in multiple languages: “Our Home”—from the places we gather to share meals to our collective home, planet earth: everyone is invited to celebrate what Our Home means to them. Home can be a place of refuge, a feeling, or a state of mind.

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Community members gathered at Middlesex Community College’s Cowan Center to celebrate our clients and honor those who have made tremendous efforts to welcome them to Greater Lowell. We inducted five new members into the Lowell 100, a group of leaders who have made significant contributions to the city’s immigrant communities:

Majid Abdulhussien and Suad Mansour (top left), former IINE clients who serve as drivers and interpreters to newly arriving refugees. Abudulhussien and Mansour are famous in our Lowell office for answering the call at a moment’s notice to meet refugees at the airport, welcome them to the U.S., and bring them to the furnished apartments secured by our housing coordinators—their first homes in the U.S. “I want people to help me, so now it’s my turn to help the people that need it,” said Mansour. “For me, I enjoy it … You have to see it on their faces when you tell them you are coming to help and that everybody knows they are coming.”

Sidney L. Liang (top right), Senior Director of Metta Health Center, Lowell Community Health Center with whom IINE shares an office building and collaborates closely. Liang is a former refugee who fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Praising the many other former refugees who now provide services to new arrivals at both Metta and IINE, Liang said, “They lived through similar experiences, but they have bandaged these wounds. They have wrapped their wounds and now they are ready to give back.”

Wade Rubenstein (bottom left), President and Founder of the Bike Connector, new member of IINE’s Board of Directors, and the son of former refugees from Ukraine. Wade was inducted by Ungaye Izaki, a former IINE client whose story of retrieving a bicycle from a canal in order to get to his new job inspired Wade to found the Bike Connector where Izaki now also works. “Ungaye was the first bike I awarded to someone here in Lowell,” Rubinstein said. “Last week we just gave away our 5,000th bike.”

Kelle Doyle, Area Manager of the WeStaff employment agency that has connected thousands of IINE clients with their first employment opportunities in the U.S. Doyle has said of her experience with IINE clients, “they end up being the best employees…The nice thing is, we’re a steppingstone for them to grow their language skills, make some money, establish themselves, get licenses, and just start a life here.”

Following the moving induction ceremony, eventgoers enjoyed food from around the world as well as a coffee tasting courtesy of Starbucks, who generously sponsored the event and our Manchester celebration. Thank you, Starbucks, for your ongoing support!

City representatives join Boston ESOL graduation to speak with immigrants and IINE staff

On June 20 in Boston, the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement Director Monique Nguyen joined a celebration of our ESOL graduates to read a proclamation from Mayor Wu declaring June 20th World Refugee Day in Boston. Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and City Council members Benjamin Weber and Edward Flynn attended to share their support for immigrant learners. Louijeune addressed students in English and Haitian Creole, underscoring the importance of education and playing an active role in supporting their children’s learning. More than 200 students, family members, and staff attended the celebration.

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Throughout the week and across our sites, IINE’s community came together with joy and pride, and left feeling truly inspired by the stories and achievements of the people we serve and work alongside, who have persevered through incredible hardships, and are now equally driven to succeed and give back.

From the Desk of the CEO: Creating Change at the Top – Advocating for Refugees and Immigrants

Written by Danielle Gauthier on June 27, 2024. Posted in Advocacy, Blog, From the Desk of the CEO.

By Jeff Thielman, President and CEO at the International Institute of New England

Advocating for local, state, and federal government funding, and for policies that welcome refugees and immigrants to New England, has been a critical part of IINE’s work since our founding in 1918. Our clients look to us to speak to decision-makers on their behalf, and with our knowledge of policy, the work on the ground, and our clients’ unique needs and strengths, our voice and community leadership can create real and needed change.

Learn about our advocacy throughout history in our Boston Centennial blog series.

We have already had some big successes this year, and we know we’re looking at some battles ahead. To manage our growing efforts, we have recently welcomed Bill Gillett as our Director of Public Policy and Advocacy. An attorney, former dean of two business schools, and former Chair of our Board of Directors, Bill brings a great passion for our work, deep expertise in immigration policy, and broad reach particularly within New Hampshire’s service community and political sphere.

During this critical year for advocacy before the presidential election, here’s an overview of IINE’s recent successes and continuing efforts.

Massachusetts: Securing resources to address an affordable housing crisis

WRD Boston 2024 — Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, City Council Members Ed Flynn and Ben Weber, and Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement Director Monique Nguyen recently met with IINE staff to learn more about our programming and impact

IINE regularly meets with members of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s administration and with leaders in the state legislature. Our recent efforts have focused on allocating adequate funding to address the housing crisis affecting new arrivals.

IINE leads a statewide coalition of eight refugee resettlement providers, which secured $10.5 million from the state legislature in late 2023 to prevent refugee and parolee families from entering the emergency shelter system, and to help immigrant families who are currently in emergency shelters to exit quickly, safely, and permanently.

Highlighting the need for efficient shelter exiting, we successfully advocated for an additional $7 million in the Massachusetts supplemental budget adopted in April of 2024 to enable refugee and immigrant service providers to give families in shelters access to English classes, and housing and employment support.

Within the $10.5 million allocation, IINE received:

$1,000,000 from the Massachusetts Resettlement Rehousing Program to move 50 families out from emergency shelter and into permanent housing, while providing 12 months of case management including employment support.
$391,631 from the Massachusetts Resettlement Support Program (MRSP) to provide rental assistance and other direct support for refugees.

We are currently advocating for a $300,000 allocation in the 2025 state budget to support case management staff who refer clients to mental health providers.

IINE is also a founding member of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) (and IINE’s Chief Advancement Officer Xan Weber is a member of MIRA’s Advisory Council), and a contributor to many of its campaigns, including #CourageToWelcome, a social media effort sharing people’s personal reasons for welcoming refugees and immigrants to the Commonwealth.

New Hampshire: Battling anti-immigrant legislation that hurts us all

A member of U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s Office congratulates our clients on their dedication and hard work during our annual World Refugee Day celebration in Manchester, New Hampshire

This campaign season, immigration is a hot button issue in New Hampshire and we’re seeing an increase in anti-immigrant legislation boosted by misinformation and fearmongering. IINE is working closely with local refugee and immigrant service providers and political officeholders and candidates to counter negative messaging and defeat hostile and divisive bills.

Last month IINE helped advocate for the defeat of HB 1118, which would have required “non-resident aliens” (people who don’t have a Green Card or who haven’t been in the country for 183 or more consecutive days) from securing a driver’s license. The bill would have created confusion among our clients, made it difficult for them to get to work in a state that lacks sufficient public transportation, and hindered their ability to contribute to the New Hampshire economy. It has now been “relegated for further study,” which essentially tables it indefinitely.

We’re now working against Senate Bill 358, which would make it illegal for undocumented immigrants with valid licenses in other states to drive in New Hampshire. Such legislation is discriminatory and would be devastating to many families in our care, including clients in IINE’s Unaccompanied Children’s Program

Contact your senators to speak out against Senate Bill 358.

Federal Advocacy: Pushing to expand resources and streamline processes

Our clients get much-needed support from the federal government, but we’re also feeling the strain of a federal immigration system that is under-resourced, lacks inter-agency coordination, and is often gridlocked by politics. We’re seeing laws enacted that curtail the right to apply for asylum, clients who braved impossible journeys here to escape persecution threatened with visa expirations, and the storm clouds of many proposed anti-refugee and anti-immigrant policies looming ahead. We will continue to speak out.

IINE often advocates through the national network of which we are an affiliated member, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). Among other efforts, IINE has recently signed letters put forth by USCRI calling on our federal government to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants and other clients in our services and to create pathways to citizenship for Afghan evacuees and Ukrainians nationals.

Members of IINE’s leadership also recently traveled to Washington, D.C., meeting with a White House official, staffers of all four U.S. Senators representing Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and the senior leaders from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the primary source of much of our federal funding. In eight substantive policy meetings, we had the chance to explain the challenges we’re facing and the support we need as we serve the highest number of refugees, humanitarian parolees, and unaccompanied children in our recent history.

DC Trip — U.S. Senator Ed Markey speaks with IINE President and CEO Jeff Thielman, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy Bill Gillett, and Chief Advancement Officer and Senior Vice President Xan Weber during a New England Council event

We were gratified to see our input incorporated when, shortly after our visit, Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Homeland Security Subcommittee asking for a new $500 million Destination Reception Fund to provide federal support for housing, health care, workforce development, and legal assistance as new arrivals work to transition out of emergency shelters.

Advocating Together

As a supporter of IINE who shares a belief in our mission, we also need your help advocating for refugees and immigrants. Through our blog, newsletters, and social media, we will continue to help keep you informed about the perspectives of our clients, the misinformation that targets them, and policies that affect them. We need your help to spread the word in your own networks. When you support IINE you are helping to amplify immigrant voices at all levels. Thank you for all that you do.

“I Never Felt Alone”: Maydelyn, a Refugee and Single Mom from Guatemala, Finds Community and a New Start in Massachusetts

Written by Danielle Gauthier on June 26, 2024. Posted in Blog, Boston, Client Stories, Refugee Resettlement, Volunteer.

Arriving full of hope

Maydelyn with her sons, 11-year-old Xavier and 9-year-old Pablo, who came to the U.S. as refugees from Guatemala

After making an impossible choice and a difficult journey, Maydelyn, a former schoolteacher, refugee from Guatemala, and single mother, arrived at Boston Logan International Airport with her 11-year-old son, Xavier, and her nine-year-old son, Pablo last August. All three were eager for a fresh start.

Their new home would be in Quincy, Massachusetts. IINE’s Housing Coordinators had found and furnished an apartment for the family in the Boston suburb, in an area with a large Spanish-speaking community. Once Maydelyn and her sons moved in, IINE Case Managers quickly got to work on enrolling the boys in school, helping the family apply for public benefits, and scheduling medical appointments. By September, Xavier and Pablo told their Case Managers that they were enjoying their classes and had already made friends with other students with Guatemalan backgrounds.

Pursuing her dream

Madelyn was extremely eager to learn English and join the workforce in her new community. She told her IINE Employment Specialist that her goals were to attain English fluency, become a Spanish language teacher, and to be a homeowner. Understanding the path would be long, she quickly took a job with a local housekeeping agency. Within months, and with IINE’s help, Maydelyn was hired as a housekeeper at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square. While she had enrolled in ESOL classes, her work schedule and commute made it challenging to attend them. IINE connected her with a volunteer to tutor her one-on-one. Madelyn remembers feeling truly blessed to be on her way towards her goals.

“Despite starting a life from scratch without knowing the language and without knowing where to start, I never felt alone. My Case Manager not only helped me resolve each and every one of the important procedures but also made me feel welcome because of the affection with which he always treated me. I felt supported at all times. Without IINE the adaptation would have been too difficult.”

An incomparable friendship

Maydelyn and her sons got a special level of support from the mother-daughter team of Anna and Rosie Glastra. Anna had begun volunteering at IINE the April before Maydelyn arrived. An immigrant herself, Anna was eager to help other new arrivals find their way in a new country – and put her Spanish language skills to good use!

Initially, Anna signed up to provide transportation support, driving IINE clients to appointments and classes and helping them to run errands. When Maydelyn and her boys arrived, Anna became one of IINE’s first “Community Mentors.”

Xavier and Pablo in the Halloween spirit

Similar to IINE’s Resettle Together volunteer teams, Community Mentors get matched with refugee families or individuals in their early stage of resettlement and become their guides, supporters, and—as was certainly the case with Anna and Maydelyn— their first friends in the U.S.

Anna and her daughter Rosie began working with Maydelyn when she arrived in August. It was Anna who let IINE know that she would need a workaround for ESOL instruction, leading to her getting a tutor. By the fall, Anna was helping Xavier and Pablo get ready for a very exciting first. She wrote to IINE’s Volunteer Coordinator, “Last Wednesday, Maydelyn and I spent a great afternoon with the boys, visiting and enjoying the Halloween store to get an outfit. They were so excited to be able to celebrate Halloween for the first time ever. Their school organizes a Halloween party tomorrow afternoon, and after that they will go trick-or-treating in the neighborhood with Maydelyn. The remaining part of the afternoon last week, we played mini golf and got a bite to eat. It was a lovely afternoon.”

In November it was time for another exciting New England tradition. Anna shared, “I took them apple picking, which was a great success. The whole family enjoyed it so much. I believe the boys each ate at least 6 apples while picking :). They climbed on every ladder to get the highest available apple out of the tree and went home with two full bags of apples and a pumpkin.”

Volunteers Anna (left) and Rosie (center) with Maydelyn and her sons, enjoying an afternoon outing to the local apple orchard

Maydelyn was proud to be able to return the favor later in the month, inviting Anna and Rosie to her apartment in Quincy for a birthday party. Anna wrote, “She cooked delicious Guatemalan dishes for us and baked a tres leches cake (her mom’s recipe). She was so happy to share her lovely apartment with guests for the first time in the US.”

Of her friendship with Anna, Maydelyn says, “I am grateful for having the connection between Anna and us since she and her family have given my children and me unforgettable moments and most importantly, incomparable friendship and affection.”

A promising future

Almost a year later, secure in her home and work, and progressing with her English skills, Maydelyn is self-sufficient. Anna checked in with her in the spring and reported, “Xavier and Pablo are doing really well in school. They both have quite some friends and are both involved in sports: basketball and soccer. They made amazing progress with their English. Maydelyn mentioned to me that she recently had a parent-teacher conference in which the teacher said that both boys are excellent students, which made her very happy and proud.”

While there was nothing easy about leaving her country behind and journeying to a new land as a single mother, thanks to her bravery and drive, her family’s positivity, the support of IINE, and the friendship of Anna and Rosie, Maydelyn and her sons are building a better, hope-filled life in New England.

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Volunteers are essential to the work we do to welcome and resettle newcomers to Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Click to explore our volunteer opportunities.

1944-1953: A Home for the Displaced

Written by Danielle Gauthier on May 30, 2024. Posted in Blog, Boston Centennial.

“100 Years of Welcome: Commemorating IINE’s Boston Centennial” Series:
Installment #4

Welcome to the fourth installment of our series “100 Years of Welcome: Commemorating IINE’s Boston Centennial.” The previous installment, “1935-1944: ‘Don’t Condemn— Understand,’” described how the International Institute of Boston (IIB) found every opportunity available to welcome and support immigrants during the Great Depression and the Second World War, including through reintegrating Japanese Americans freed from internment.

The mid-1940s through mid-1950s were broadly a time of recovery and renewal for the New England region, and the International Institute of Boston (IIB) continued to take advantage of every new opportunity that arose to help immigrants. Boston’s economy was on an upswing, having been revived by war-time mobilization efforts. Factory jobs were coming back, and IIB advocated for fair treatment of immigrant workers in the workforce.

While prejudices and struggles persisted, national attitudes towards immigration were warming in significant ways. The U.S. had achieved victories fighting alongside foreign allies. As U.S. soldiers returned home, some brought wives from the countries they had served, whom IIB welcomed and supported. As Americans learned of the horrors oppressive regimes abroad had inflicted on their people, with time, the U.S. government opened its borders to many people throughout Europe who had been threatened, imprisoned, and displaced by the war. The International Institute of Boston worked to resettle and integrate more than 10,000 people displaced by war.

Even with these gains, however, by the early 1950s a rising fear of Communism along with continued racial and religious discrimination fueled a new batch of restrictive federal immigration laws. IIB fought against anti-immigrant legislation while continuing to reach out to new immigrant communities and holding fast to its commitment to help Boston’s immigrants preserve, share, and celebrate their cultures.

Committing to Culture

Weaving and Ceramics Demonstration at the New England Folk Festival, 1944. Courtesy of New England Folk Festival Association.

In 1944, right before the end of WWII, then governor Morris J. Tobin held a Conference on Recreation, convening leaders from throughout the Commonwealth to discuss ways to relieve wartime stress and promote understanding between cultures. The International Institute answered the call, helping to organize and sponsor a Fall Folk Festival at its former headquarters, the Boston YWCA. Over two days, 200 Bostonians gathered to witness demonstrations of folk arts and crafts, performances of lively music and dance from a wide variety of immigrant communities, African American spirituals, and traditional music and dance from the Wampanoag and Navajo tribes. The Fall Folk Festival would grow into the New England Folk Festival, which was sponsored annually by IIB for the next 25 years.

IIB took its role as a preserver and promoter of immigrants’ cultures very seriously. During this period, the Boston Council of Social Agencies conducted a study recommending that IIB discontinue its “nationality work”—which focused on strengthening immigrant communities through education and cultural activities—to focus strictly on the “technical issues” of the immigration and naturalization process. IIB protested, calling on its many allies in academia and government to submit letters in support of IIB continuing the full scope of its services. This campaign prevailed, convincing the Council to withdraw the recommendation, and IIB stayed true to its founding vision. In fact, IIB expanded its “nationality work” during this period, notably welcoming its first Black nationality group, the Liberian College Association, and convening a Chinese Club to support Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood.

Fighting for Fairness

While continuing its cultural and case work, IIB also returned to addressing workforce issues. Immigrants in Boston had long been vulnerable to exploitation in the workforce because of language barriers, prejudice, and lack of access to legal protection. From its earliest days in the 1920s, IIB mediated between immigrants and their employers to advocate for fair wages and treatment. When the U.S. government awarded Boston contracts for shipbuilding and production of ammunition and other products needed for war, many of Boston’s immigrants and their children heading back into once-shuttered factories faced exploitative conditions. In 1946, IIB successfully advocated for the Massachusetts Fair Employment Act which established the Fair Employment Practices Commission—a huge win for immigrant and all workers’ rights in Boston. The new commission could enforce laws prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, or ancestry, and in 1950, its mandate was extended to housing and public accommodations.

IIB also continued to advocate for fairness in immigration policy at the federal level. In 1952, when Pauline Gardescu took the reins as the third Executive Secretary of the International Institute of Boston, she began her tenure by testifying before congress in opposition to the discriminatory (and ultimately adopted) racial and national origin quota proposed in the McCarran-Walter Act, which set limits by country on the number of immigrants that could be admitted into the U.S., heavily favoring those from northern and western Europe.

Welcoming “War Brides”

Many Bostonian immigrants who fought in WWII returned home to new opportunity. The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, later known as the G.I. Bill of Rights, or simply the G.I. Bill, provided veterans with loan guarantees for home mortgages, money for college or vocational school, and unemployment compensation. The bill helped millions of European immigrants who had fought in the war, including many whom IIB had helped through poverty, to buy their first home in the U.S. and join its middle class.

Returning soldiers also brought home spouses from the countries in which they had served. IIB welcomed these new Bostonians, helping them with immigration legal and naturalization services, and bringing them together for mutual support in weekly convenings of an “Overseas Wives Club.” IIB furthered its work on behalf of women immigrants through advocacy, fighting for gender equality to be enshrined in the federal immigration laws of the day.

Providing Refuge to the Persecuted and Displaced

A Polish displaced person reflects on their experience in the U.S., from a 1950 edition of *The International Beacon*

By 1948, seven million Europeans had been displaced by the war, prompting the passage of the federal Displaced Persons Act, a pivot point for U.S. immigration and the work of IIB which was further expanded in 1950 to accommodate Jews who had fled Nazi atrocities. Supported by IIB, this was the first U.S. bill aimed specifically at granting entrance to immigrants forced from their home countries and prevented from returning for fear of violence or persecution. This bill led the U.S. to admit an initial 400,000 “displaced persons” (DPs) into the United States over and above immigration quotas provided they find a place to live and a job.

Between 1948-1952, IIB led the way in resettling 10,000 Displaced Persons in Boston, sending interpreters to meet them as they arrived at Boston Harbor, finding sponsors to help more than 200 individuals with housing and employment, and providing support services. Other notable recipients of support were three so-called “Ravensbrück Rabbits,” women who had survived medical experiments in a Nazi concentration camp in Poland and came to Boston seeking reconstructive surgery under the sponsorship of a group led by journalist Norman Cousins. IIB provided these brave survivors with housing, interpretation, and financial support.

In 1951, the International Institute coordinated the “Special Project–International Refugee Organization (SPIRO)” which resettled more than forty families of displaced people who had disabilities or other challenges requiring special support. The following year, IIB expanded its English language classes to serve 2,500 Displaced People, and a two-year grant from the Ford Foundation enabled IIB to provide both English classes and job training for more than 600 refugees from Russia and the Ukraine by the end of 1953. Many of these new arrivals, along with refugees from China and Eastern Europe, were admitted under the Refugee Relief Act of 1953, which authorized visas for those fleeing communist countries.

Today, the International Institute and our supporters continue the legacy of advocating for fair immigration and employment policies and necessary resources for refugee resettlement, while working to make Boston a home for the displaced and the persecuted.

College Students Learn Refugee Resettlement by Lending Helping Hands

Written by Danielle Gauthier on May 29, 2024. Posted in Blog, Boston, Community Partners, Refugee Resettlement, Volunteer.

Colleges and universities define New England’s culture, bringing innovation and meaningful cultural exchange as they draw educators, researchers, and students from all over the world. For IINE, colleges and universities are important partners; professors and administrators collaborate on our vocational skills training programs and help IINE clients set educational goals. Many local students serve as interns, learning about the work behind the scenes while providing much-needed support to IINE’s staff.

Now IINE is forging a new type of partnership with local colleges and universities: collaborating directly with students in classes on migration, international affairs, and international business to provide them with hands-on service-learning opportunities. The benefits are threefold:

Refugee families get the support of driven young volunteers who are exploring their new city alongside them.
IINE gets to help shape the next generation of welcomers and supporters.
Participating students get to move beyond research to gain experience and make a tangible difference in the lives of refugees who need support in this pivotal stage.

“The college students who come here to learn and the refugees who come here for a fresh start all renew and enrich our communities,” says IINE Volunteer and Community Sponsorship Coordinator Kate Waidler. “There’s much to be gained from bringing them together. It’s important for students who are really trying to understand international relations to meet some of the actual people they’re talking about when they’re discussing humanitarianism and victims of war, and it’s great for refugees to meet some people beyond case specialists— young people with different dreams and aspirations who are equally welcoming and want to learn how to help.”

Kate recently developed partnerships with two universities in Boston while attending monthly meetings of the Supporting Higher Education in Refugee Resettlement project (SHERR), a service-learning-focused sub-group of a national network, and is proud that IINE is one of the first groups to move from theory to practice. “There was a sense from the group of ‘Wow! You’re already doing this!’ I realized that we’re pioneers.”

Exchanging knowledge and skills with students at Northeastern

In the spring of 2024, IINE completed an inaugural partnership at Northeastern University (NU) working with students in its “Globalization and International Affairs” and “Cultural Aspects of International Business” classes. The collaboration included NU classroom visits from IINE staff who trained students in aspects of refugee resettlement. Refugees and immigrants were also invited into the classrooms to participate in valuable discussions about their experiences finding work in a new country. Students engaged in multiple aspects of fieldwork, some traveling to IINE’s Boston office to tutor or teach while others provided hands-on assistance preparing to welcome new refugee arrivals.

Digital Literacy

One group of NU students was tasked with giving refugees and immigrants with little technology experience a key to accessing IINE classes and services, navigating their communities, and succeeding in the workplace: basic digital literacy.

Students designed and taught their own workshop to help IINE clients operate smartphones and Chromebooks to access and use needed programs and applications, including IINE’s online ESOL instruction platforms; and to write, edit, and search. Three sessions of the workshop were held for clients from Somalia, Cameroon, Haiti, Central African Republic, Guatemala, South Sudan, and Afghanistan, with interpretation provided in several languages. The project was designed and spearheaded by IINE AmeriCorps Volunteer Rosemary Barnett-Young.

“It was something I had both clients and staff express a need for,” says Rosemary, “so I was eager to get the classes up and running. In my own work with clients, I had some challenges with virtually helping explain how to join meetings online, etc. The Northeastern students were incredibly important in offering these classes in person. Clients said it was a great class, and it helped them learn many new things about computers. Many have reached out and expressed interest in follow-up computer classes.”

Huskies Supporting Families: A Northeastern Student on Welcoming New Arrivals

Two groups of Northeastern students took on the important task of preparing to welcome newly arriving refugees and making their first day in their new home a success, mirroring the work of IINE’s Resettle Together community sponsorship program. After completing initial training with IINE staff and online training with the Refugee Welcome Collective, a national organization supporting community sponsorship, each group was assigned to a family of incoming refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a few weeks to prepare. Their main tasks were to make sure their families’ first apartment in the U.S. would be fully hospitable and stocked with groceries, greet their families at Logan International Airport, make sure they got safely to their new home, and provide them with a warm, culturally appropriate first meal.

Thomas Brulay, a second-year Northeastern student studying International Affairs and International Business was one of the students assigned to the Koufoukikas, a group of five siblings and an adult son. His group’s first task was to raise enough money for the Koufoukikas to afford their first month’s rent and security deposit.

“Our fundraiser was called “Huskies Supporting Families,” Thomas says, explaining that the Huskies is the name of Northeastern’s sports teams and a nickname for their students.

While he didn’t know much about the family he would be welcoming, Thomas’s own experience as a transplant to Boston helped him empathize with them. For example, “We handed them out some jackets for the Boston weather. It kind of reminded me of growing up in Miami, [where it was] always like 75-80° out, and then coming to Boston, especially in the winter, it’s like 25° outside, so I think I definitely had that in mind.”

Thomas further related to the experience of the Koufoukikas as a first-generation American. His mother was born in Brazil and his father in Mexico.

“The immigrant perspective [I have] because of my family really drove me to help these people. I think being born in the US and being able to speak English and get around—it’s great to be able to use my skills and my familiarity [to help].”

In addition to speaking English, Thomas speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and a little bit of French, which came in handy when he met the Koufoukikas at the airport.

“The family only spoke French, and I did take two years of French in high school, but I kind of forgot a lot.” He says with a smile. “I made an effort though to speak with them. They seemed confused when we met, like, ‘Who are these people?’ But I introduced myself and then they understood a little bit better.”

Thomas introduced the Koufoukikas to a driver hired by IINE. While the driver didn’t speak French, he held up his phone to show them a screen displaying the family’s name. Thomas says “their eyes lit up” when they saw it.

“It definitely made me realize how hard it can be,” he reflects. You can be approached by anyone—it’s not always someone that’s trying to help you out. Their journey was so long, They were at Dulles [Airport] for like 8 hours, being interrogated by American immigration officials, and they finally made it to Boston and were super tired—it was just great to be able to assist them, moving them into a comfortable place to sleep in Boston so they could start their new life—[it makes me] realize just how fortunate I am.”

After the driver took the Koufoukikas to a motel where they would stay while their apartment was being prepared, Thomas went back to Northeastern with his team members. They used the dormitory kitchen to prepare the family a Congolese-style chicken dish for which he had found a recipe online, and then delivered it to them—his last duty as a resettlement volunteer.

Thomas left his experience inspired and plans to volunteer more in the future. He offers this advice to other students who may be interested:

“I’d say go for it! Maybe it can be a little bit scary at first, but try to put yourself in their shoes. You know, it’s so hard for, especially refugees, who, they’re just, looking for a better life and a better future.”

University of Massachusetts Boston: Data Dictionary, Housing Handbook, and ESOL for Equality

Over at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston, students in a class called, “The Complex Landscape of Refugee Resettlement: Transnational Migration and Concurrent Realities,” engaged in some other very practical projects with lasting impact.

Assessing Progress with a Data Dictionary

After learning about the need from IINE staff, one group of UMass students developed what they called a “Data Dictionary,” a survey-based assessment tool to measure the effectiveness of IINE programs in helping refugees integrate into their new communities. Informed by their academic research, the diagnostic tool included questions for clients on how they were progressing in meeting their goals of achieving language skills, accessing public benefits, integrating into their new communities, achieving self-sufficiency, and progressing toward citizenship. The final tool was translated into two additional languages before being handed off to IINE case workers who now plan to pilot it with a family of refugee clients.

A Housing-Search Handbook

UMass Boston Resettlement volunteers worked on one of the first stages of the process—and one of the most challenging: finding affordable housing that’s walkable to key resources such as public transportation, grocery stores, and community centers, in a notoriously scarce housing market. After learning about the process and pitfalls of the housing search from IINE, the group of seven students set out to directly contact landlords to make their pitch about IINE clients as tenants, check availability and interest, and then pass on leads to IINE staff. They used information gleaned from the experience to help document and streamline the housing search, creating a spreadsheet that automates key listing information and a brochure full of useful tips and step-by-step instructions.

Read IINE’s post on finding housing for refugees.

“These resources are incredible!” says Kate, who supervised the project. “These students took the initiative, pushing through the intimidation factor of having informed, sensitive conversations, and handed us tools that make our work easier, and of course, greatly improve the lives of refugees making a fresh start here.”

At the end of the project, students reflected on their learning and success. One student wrote,

“This project really made me hone my research skills and learn how to be resourceful, and also gave me the opportunity to reflect on my position where housing isn’t an issue I have but is one I can help others with.”

ESOL for Equality

UMass Boston students in an English for Speakers of Other Languages cohort had the opportunity to step into the shoes of an instructor for some eager adult learners. Naming their project “ESOL for Equality,” each UMass Student was paired with one client currently on IINE’s ESOL waiting list. With training and guidance from IINE, they each designed and implemented an individualized course of study for their students and taught it over a semester.

“These designs were really thoughtful and well executed!” says Kate. “Our ‘ESOL for Equality”’ instructors took the time to get to know their students’ goals and language levels and then helped teach the specific vocabulary they needed.”

“One instructor wanted to meet her student at a local library, so she formed a relationship with the librarian, and as part of a class, helped her student get a library card. She also helped her open a bank account. Other instructors developed videos for the clients to help them drill lessons, worked with them over Zoom and coached them on digital literacy, played word games with them, and even took them on field trips to local museums! This went beyond English instruction, facilitating some great opportunities for social connections and cultural exchange.”

Gianna Speaks, a UMass Boston Biochemistry major who served as an “ESOL for Equality” instructor and decided to continue as an IINE ESOL teacher when the project concluded, reflected, “Volunteering for ESOL was an eye-opening experience. It really allowed me to get a glimpse at the lives of refugees, and the similarities and differences in cultures and ways of life. It also gave me a peek into the struggles that come with having to adapt to a new language on top of everything else. It was very rewarding seeing how each lesson brought my client closer to their goals (getting a job/going to school).”

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IINE is continuing to develop new forms of partnerships with higher education institutions. In April, IINE launched a pilot program at the Boston University Center for Forced Displacement. Instructors in the program are providing workshops for IINE case workers in refugee resettlement policy and practice, on the global and national levels, to broaden and contextualize their understanding of the field. The long-term goals of the initiative are to create a model that can be replicated by other universities and resettlement agencies and to create a credential for participants to help advance their careers.

With these first successes now in the books, IINE is excited to forge more partnerships with colleges and universities going forward, bringing together practitioners and researchers, and connecting the next wave of youth who have made their way to Boston to study with refugees who have come here seeking safety and a new start—all preparing for a bright future.

Get to Know Our Chief Human Resources Officer

Written by Danielle Gauthier on May 21, 2024. Posted in Blog, Our Team.

Our Chief Human Resources Officer Nina Nova-Duran reflects on IINE’s culture, how the organization has grown since she joined in 2021, and her advice for potential employees.

Tell us about your path to the International Institute of New England.

I came to the role with over 20 years of experience in human resources and eight years of experience in operations management. I had previously been part of the executive team at Table Talk Pies, where I oversaw all three manufacturing facilities and corporate offices. In that role, I had a strong connection to the employees working on the ground floor, most of whom were immigrants. That aspect of my work was very rewarding – arranging ESOL classes, offering professional development opportunities, and strengthening career paths so these employees could stay and grow with us.

When I learned about the role at IINE, I was excited for the opportunity to bring my experience—specifically around strategic planning, creating culture change, and growing rapidly—to an entirely new sector, and most of all, to a mission I was immediately drawn to.

I also grew up in IINE’s backyard, basically! My parents and I immigrated to Roxbury, MA from the Dominican Republic when I was five years old. I always think about how if my parents had known about IINE—and had received the help, ESOL classes, employment support, etc. that IINE provides—their experience in the U.S. would have been so different. I’m glad to be part of an organization helping people like my parents to find a fresh start in their new country.

How has the organization evolved since you first joined?

When I first arrived at IINE, there were around 60 full-time and part-time staff and around 30 on-call. Two and a half years later, we have tripled in size. We have added new Programs staff to our Boston, Lowell, and Manchester offices; expanded the Unaccompanied Children’s Program by building a whole new team in New York; and ensured all of these new staff have the support they need by hiring additional roles across the Finance, Operations, HR, and Advancement departments. While growing the organization, we have also focused on diversifying our staff to reflect the client populations we serve. When I first started at IINE, the organization was welcoming hundreds of Afghan evacuees. We were able to identify several clients with strong professional backgrounds, who we were then able to hire as full-time staff. Currently, we are supporting thousands of Haitian immigrants, and have hired many to the team. They join us with a unique understanding of our mission, the immigrant process, and our client’s cultures and backgrounds. Today, 48% of our staff were born outside of the U.S.

In addition to offering us a chance to diversify our staff, our growth has allowed us to strengthen our policies and infrastructure. I’m proud that we have been able to equip our staff with the tools and training needed to advance in their careers, so we can frequently promote from within.

How would you describe IINE’s culture?

Everyone is very genuine about their commitment to the mission. Our work isn’t easy, but our staff are so dedicated. They truly care about helping refugees and immigrants, and we make sure to celebrate and recognize that.

We also know how to have fun! It’s so important that people have an opportunity to get out of their shells, express their unique personalities, and get to know each other. Our quarterly in-person events allow everyone to disconnect from work and enjoy themselves.

Those events are also an important tool for fostering a sense of community across our three sites and virtual staff. My team is always thinking about how we can build relationships and communication across the organization. Part of that is ensuring the HR team is always present and reachable. We make a point of attending staff meetings at each of our sites and regularly sharing updates on policies, events, resources, etc. It’s important that all staff feel engaged and informed.

What do you look for in potential employees?

I look for candidates who display what we call our Core Competencies:

An ability to collaborate effectively and compassionately and consider the impact of one’s actions on others
A commitment to excellence and to bringing one’s best to work every day
A desire to continuously improve and the ability to embrace challenges as the fuel for learning
An awareness of culture, bias, and privilege, and a desire to seek out insights and perspectives from under-represented voices
An ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with everyone they encounter
A genuine belief in IINE’s mission, which drives all of our work

In addition to our core competencies, I look for candidates who are innovative, eager to bring ideas to the table, and who are excited at the prospect of growing with the organization.

What advice would you give someone interested in joining IINE?

This might seem obvious, but do your homework! Understand our mission and our clients, and then help me understand how your vision and passions align with our work. The cover letter, in particular, is a great opportunity to capture your experience and interests. Sometimes a resume doesn’t tell the full story, especially if you do not have direct experience for the role, so I always advise candidates to use the cover letter to sell themselves.

Anything else you would like to share with our readers?

I’d like to say how grateful I am to work beside such collaborative, insightful professionals – both on my team and across the organization. We are only as strong as the people we have around us, and I really value the feedback, insights, and perspectives of my colleagues. It makes IINE a special place to work!

HR Team — From L to R: Talent Acquisition Specialist Courtney Good, Chief Human Resources Officer Nina Nova-Duran, HR Coordinator Jayne Cormier, Senior HRIS Generalist Lisa Stewart

Interested in joining our team? Our collaborative, team-oriented environment offers opportunities to serve refugees and immigrants, while learning from other staff and departments. View career opportunities here.

Nazia’s Story: An Afghan Refugee’s Relentless Commitment to Education and Hope

Written by Danielle Gauthier on May 16, 2024. Posted in Afghan Refugees, Blog, Boston, Case Management, Client Stories, Refugee Resettlement.

The hardest and most important job

Growing up in Afghanistan, Nazia developed a true passion for teaching at a young age. She became an English instructor when she was in 10th grade, and for years, continued teaching for little or no money, eager to gain experience.

“Teaching has been my dream job. In our country, people don’t have a good perspective about teaching – they think it’s a simple job, but it’s the hardest and most important job. A doctor once had a teacher. A president once had a teacher.”

With time, Nazia became successful and well-known in her profession. While completing her university degree in education, she taught English to both children and university students, and then after graduating, accepted a role teaching adult learners online. With hard work and sacrifice, she had built a life for herself doing what she loved.

A dark cloud

Then, the Taliban came and took it all away. It was 2021, and Kabul had fallen in what felt like an instant.

“[Women] lost the right to get an education and have a job. We couldn’t travel alone, we had to have a guardian. It felt like a really big, dark cloud had come over our country and it was not going to move away. It made everything dark. You felt like thunder was going to hit you; the thunder was the Taliban.”

As a woman, it was now illegal for Nazia to teach. It took her a full year to find an opportunity to do so anyway—a decision which came with real peril.

“Taliban were living in our neighborhood, so when I taught, I would close all the windows and doors. I felt afraid they would hear my voice talking in English, and I would cause danger for my family.”

The Taliban did their best to fan the flames of her fear.

“Two separate times, I received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number with a profile picture of the Taliban, asking me ‘Have you started teaching again?’ I deleted the message and blocked the account. It was terrifying, but I didn’t stop because there were a lot of women who needed education, they needed a light in the darkness. My class was not only for teaching English, it was to give students motivation to be brave, to never lose hope.”

Nazia did not give up. In fact, she wanted to do more. She decided to start a social support and education group for fellow women living under the Taliban, which she named “Lifesaver Girls.” It took her many tries to find an education center brave enough to host this illegal gathering, but with perseverance, she was able to convene one meeting. She felt she had to.

“After the Taliban took over, most of the girls got disappointed and depressed. This group motivated them. When they first came to the meeting, you could feel the hopelessness and [see] deep sorrow in their faces. We talked about some successful women who did their best in the hardest situations, and we introduced them to online ways to get an education. At the end of the session, you could see the brightness of hope in their eyes.”

A really hard night

Nazia had been living in Ghazni, a city about two hours from Kabul. In December of 2023, she received a call from the organization that was helping to evacuate her from Afghanistan. They told her to be in Kabul the next morning. Women were not allowed to travel alone, so she set off with her father. They waited 14 days before being evacuated to Pakistan. Then they had to walk an hour in the middle of the night to meet the driver who would take them to Pakistan and then to Qatar.

“It was a really hard night. It was so stressful. At the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the Taliban checked all of the stuff we had and asked ‘Where are you going? Are you going to a foreign country?’ I told them ‘No, I’m sick.’ My father was pushing me in a wheelchair so they would believe me.”

Nazia told the Taliban that another male relative was waiting for her at the border, so that her father was able to leave her. Then she was alone. She was checked by the Taliban four separate times. When she got to Pakistan, she stayed three nights before being evacuated to a camp in Qatar. It was a difficult period.

“It was like you are in a big jail. You are not allowed to go out of the camp. I was stressed that my case wouldn’t be accepted, and I would think about how I would live in Afghanistan. I would be arrested for leaving the country alone.”

After 28 days, Nazia’s case was approved. She arrived in Boston in January 2024.

Learning how to walk

Nazia with IINE Career Navigator Emma Pond

Within one week of her arrival in Boston, Nazia enrolled in services at the International Institute of New England (IINE). Case Workers quickly helped her get her social security card, enroll in food benefits and health care, and acquire her work permit. IINE’s Education and Employment teams helped her to write a resume, begin searching for jobs, and explore opportunities to pursue a master’s degree. She was also invited to a monthly support group for fellow Afghan women to meet, socialize, share advice, and explore their new city together.

Nazia says that the people she meets at IINE are “really kind and helpful. I’m really thankful.” She is adjusting to life in Boston and learning how to navigate new challenges with IINE’s help.

“It has some hardships. I’m getting used to a new environment—living without my family, traveling alone—but it is an interesting experience. Nowadays, I’m like a baby trying to walk, standing and falling down, but still not losing hope. The baby is sure they will learn how to walk even though it is hard. Here in the U.S., I’m learning how to walk. IINE is helping me to learn.”

Finding the light

Even before she came to the U.S., Nazia had dreamed of pursuing a master’s degree and then a PhD at Harvard University. Now this dream feels closer.

“I came to Boston by chance— it’s a really beautiful coincidence. I want to get my master’s and PhD in [Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages], and one day, become a professor. Everyone says being a Harvard student would be hard; I agree it’s hard, but it is not impossible.”

Nazia is also a writer. She has already had some success—a short story published on the website of a university in Iowa. She’s writing more short stories and hopes to write a romance novel one day. One thing’s for sure: nothing will stop her from striving for her dreams. It’s not easy, but she knows she now has support—and freedom.

“In our country, we couldn’t go out after 5 p.m. Here, I can. I feel safe. There is no Taliban here, no one that will restrict me from following my dreams. When I have a hard time and miss my country, I walk around, and I see beautiful smiles. I feel ‘this might be hard, but I’m in a good environment… ‘I believe that when something is hard, it makes you the real version of you. There might be moments you feel down, like nothing is going to get right, but still in that moment, we can find the light.”

We are proud to have welcomed, resettled, and supported refugees in the New England region for over 100 years. Learn more about our refugee resettlement work here.

The Importance of Nuance and Empathy: Highlighting IINE’s Language Services

Written by Danielle Gauthier on April 29, 2024. Posted in Blog, Press Releases/Statements, Translation Services.

When you need a translator in order to be understood, trust is everything.

There’s real vulnerability in relying on someone to accurately relay your meaning, tone, and intention in a language you don’t understand—and there’s security and comfort in being able to trust that your interpreter is both skilled and caring enough to get it right.

Through IINE’s Language Services, IINE staff frequently rely on interpreters of speech and translators of text with these qualities to help refugees and immigrants access services, secure housing, and apply for jobs.

Because IINE understands how important this service is in helping newcomers to integrate, and in helping their new communities get the most from their resources and skills, we also provide low-cost language services to other nonprofits, schools, hospitals, and community partners. Services include on-site interpretation, remote (phone and video) interpretation on-demand, and document translation services for immigration documents, all in over 300 languages.

In 2023, IINE Language Services provided 3,000 hours of interpretation for more than 1,400 clients.

All revenue generated is reinvested in IINE’s programs and services for immigrants and refugees. For Tram Fultz, who manages the Language Services, this reinvestment is one of the most important reasons for clients to choose the service.

“I think that if you’re mission-minded; invested in diversity, equity, and inclusion; and interested in having your work reflect the changing demographics of our country, then you want to use organizations that represent that to the fullest amount possible.”

Tram points out that the program supports IINE’s mission even further through its hiring practices: “We try to employ our refugee and immigrant clients to give them that leg up into the middle-to-upper reaches of our economic society.”

One important part of working within IINE and hiring IINE clients is the deep empathy that translators bring to their work. Tram points to a recent experience working with pro bono lawyers to assist Afghan and Haitian families in applying for asylum as illustrative of this compassion.

“The feedback that we’ve gotten on our interpreters is that they’re very sensitive. That’s so important because just the very nature of the fact that you have to seek asylum means something really, really terrible happened.”

It’s easy for Tram to empathize with our clients as well. Tram was born in Vietnam, and her father met her mother shortly after escaping from a reeducation camp. When Tram was very young, she and her family fled to the U.S. as refugees. She remembers very well what it was like to be a non-native speaker suddenly immersed in a foreign culture and expected to succeed.

“I was six years old, and I didn’t know any English at all—maybe I could say ‘hello,’ but that was about it—and I went to the first grade [in Connecticut]. There were no interventions. There was nobody that even had the capacity to psychologically understand what learning a new language would be like. I remember looking around in the lunchroom for someone who looked like me and coming up with nothing. And I spoke no English. So, that whole first year of first grade, I didn’t say anything because I didn’t understand what was happening. But by the time I repeated the 1st grade the next year, I had enough mastery of the language to get the kind of grades expected of me by my family.”

“On top of all that, my family didn’t speak English either, so I was basically the translator at, you know, seven years old.”

These experiences especially have brought Tram to view translation services as far more than a practical matter.

“Speaking in one’s mother tongue, with all of its intricacies, is really important. If we lived in a perfect world, it should actually be a right. We should have the right to be able to communicate in languages that we understand. That’s why in all the sci-fi, everybody has some implantable device so that they can automatically communicate, and other people can receive what they’re saying.”

Tram believes that when clients choose IINE’s Language Services, whether they’re hospitals, municipalities, or individuals, they are making an important moral choice. They’re choosing honesty and accessibility.

“It means that they’re trying to look at people holistically, rather than at a demographic level, and we’re proud to provide them with support.”

Juan, one of our interpreters, fully shares in this sense of mission.

“I cherish every single encounter [with a client],” he says. “It’s the satisfaction of knowing that someone is able to be assisted.”

Juan was born in Colombia. He moved to the U.S. when he was 22 years old with his mother, who does not speak English. Like Tram, his experience as a translator began with helping his family. He says he was drawn to the job “as a way of applying what I know to help bridge communication for folks like my mother, especially in a medical setting.”

While he translates for a wide variety of clients, including legal, educational, and corporate, Juan is particularly passionate about interpreting in a medical setting because of his own professional background. Juan was once a medical technician in the New Hampshire National Guard and now primarily works as a physician’s assistant at a medical center in NH.

Part of what he finds gratifying about interpreting in a medical setting is that he understands the stakes, having had past experiences in which he felt that highly important information was not being translated accurately when people were in great need of help. He says, “It is a good feeling when [it’s] not just interpreting, but also making sure [people] understand.” Juan’s empathy and dedication have led his clients to request him again and again.

Juan emphasizes that he translates not necessarily because he needs this work—he mostly translates on his days off from his primary job—but because he finds it so fulfilling. “I truly enjoy that people feel informed,” he says.

IINE connects communities and cultures through language. Learn more about our interpretation and translation services.

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IINE Statement on the Trump Administration’s Dismantling of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program

Learn more and purchase tickets.

Learn more and purchase tickets.

Learn more and purchase tickets

From the Desk of the CEO: The Stories and Faces Behind Our Theory of Change

IINE Statement on the Trump Administration’s Dismantling of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program

8 Tips for Having Better Conversations About Immigration

From the Desk of the CEO: How History Has Prepared Us for This Next Chapter

Quiz: Do You Know the Facts About U.S. Immigration?

From the Desk of the CEO: The Economic Argument for Welcoming Refugees and Immigrants

Author: Danielle Gauthier

Tell us a bit about you.

Why is philanthropy important to you?

How did you first learn about the International Institute of New England?

What connection do you feel to IINE’s mission of creating opportunities for refugees and immigrants?

Manchester marks client achievements with a ceremony, food, and prizes

Lowell community gathers for a bike ride, picnic, and special honoree induction

City representatives join Boston ESOL graduation to speak with immigrants and IINE staff

•••

Massachusetts: Securing resources to address an affordable housing crisis

New Hampshire: Battling anti-immigrant legislation that hurts us all

Federal Advocacy: Pushing to expand resources and streamline processes

Advocating Together

Arriving full of hope

Pursuing her dream

An incomparable friendship

A promising future

•••

“100 Years of Welcome: Commemorating IINE’s Boston Centennial” Series: Installment #4

Committing to Culture

Fighting for Fairness

Welcoming “War Brides”

Providing Refuge to the Persecuted and Displaced

Exchanging knowledge and skills with students at Northeastern

Digital Literacy

Huskies Supporting Families: A Northeastern Student on Welcoming New Arrivals

University of Massachusetts Boston: Data Dictionary, Housing Handbook, and ESOL for Equality

Assessing Progress with a Data Dictionary

A Housing-Search Handbook

ESOL for Equality

•••

Tell us about your path to the International Institute of New England.

How has the organization evolved since you first joined?

How would you describe IINE’s culture?

What do you look for in potential employees?

What advice would you give someone interested in joining IINE?

Anything else you would like to share with our readers?

The hardest and most important job

A dark cloud

A really hard night

Learning how to walk

Finding the light

When you need a translator in order to be understood, trust is everything.

All revenue generated is reinvested in IINE’s programs and services for immigrants and refugees. For Tram Fultz, who manages the Language Services, this reinvestment is one of the most important reasons for clients to choose the service.

Juan, one of our interpreters, fully shares in this sense of mission.

“100 Years of Welcome: Commemorating IINE’s Boston Centennial” Series:
Installment #4