This League of California Cities 2011 Annual Conference session, Approaches to Immigrant Integration in California Cities: Opportunities for Local Officials, includes presentations by community leaders on their efforts to successfully integrate newcomers into the civic and political life of their communities.

Presenters at the session included (see PowerPoint of session at right and videos below):

Redwood City Council Member Barbara Pierce – “Welcoming Initiative in Redwood City”

Redwood City is one of the first two California cities launching a Welcoming Initiative, a multi-sector effort to improve understanding and strengthen relationships between longer-term residents and recent immigrants.

Cupertino City Manager Dave Knapp – “Building Community, One Block at a Time in Cupertino”

With sixty percent of Cupertino’s population coming from immigrant families, the city’s Block Leaders program builds connections across differences of language, ethnicity and culture.

Fresno City Council Member Blong Xiong – “What Local Officials Can Do to Engage Immigrants”

Local officials can support inclusive civic participation by:

• Building relationships with community-based organizations to help local officials better understand their communities; and
• Connecting with ethnic media to help local officials reach their diverse constituents.

Question & Answer Period