Immigrant Integration Toolkit Acknowledgements Special thanks to: City of Aurora Village of Addison Village of Bensenville Village of Carol Stream Village of Carpentersville City of Evanston Village of Hanover Park Village of Hoffman Estates Village of Niles Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Diversity Issues Taskforce Northwest Municipal Conference Immigrant Integration Committee Village of Schaumburg Village of Skokie Village of Wheeling Village of Woodridge Additional thanks to: City of Chicago’s Office of New Americans Chicago Community Trust DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform Department of Human Services’ Illinois Welcoming Center HIAS Chicago Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Latino Policy Forum Mano a Mano Family Resource Center Open Communities University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is Funding Acknowledgement the region’s official comprehensive planning organization. This project was supported through the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Its GO TO 2040 plan is helping the seven counties and 284 Planning’s (CMAP) Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, which is funded communities of northeastern Illinois to implement strategies by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration that address transportation, housing, economic development, (FTA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Illinois open space, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues. Department of Transportation (IDOT), and the Chicago Community Trust. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC) and CMAP would like to thank these See www.cmap.illinois.gov for more information. funders for their support for this project. September 2014 3 Table of Contents Executive Summary 5 Chapter 1: Demographics 11 Chapter 2: Civic Engagement 21 Chapter 3: Public Safety 29 Chapter 4: Health Services 37 Chapter 5: Workforce and Economic Development 43 Chapter 6: Language Access 51 Chapter 7: Education 59 Chapter 8: Housing 65 Appendix A: Additional Resources 73 Appendix B: Immigrant Population in Chicago Area Municipalities 82 5 Executive Summary “ Many municipalities face similar challenges in the process of addressing their changing populations. However, they often face these challenges in isolation or without the benefit or knowledge of concrete activities undertaken by other municipalities, and with limited understanding of the context of groups’ experiences, culture, and norms.” Rodney S. Craig, President, Village of Hanover Park and Co-Chair, Diversity Issues Task Force “ The Diversity Issues Task Force offers local officials the opportunity to engage in productive discussions with their peers, sharing their successes and learning from each other.” William D. McLeod, President, Village of Hoffman Estates and Co-Chair, Diversity Issues Task Force Historically, the City of Chicago has been the region’s port of As part of the survey, municipal officials were asked to identify the entry for many immigrant communities. Over the past several constraints to integrating immigrants into the civic, social, and decades, this has changed dramatically. Immigration in the Chicago economic fabric of their communities. It was no surprise that the metropolitan area is increasingly suburban, and municipalities top answers were lack of staff and lack of financial resources. across the region have found themselves ill-equipped to address the With that in mind, this toolkit focuses on what municipalities can needs of their changing demographics. accomplish given limited resources. To respond to this need, members of the Diversity Issues Task This toolkit was created in partnership with the MMC, Latino Force of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC) embarked on Policy Forum (The Forum), and Chicago Metropolitan Agency for a project in 2011 to gather information on immigrant integration Planning’s (CMAP) Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program. efforts taking place in suburban municipalities. The resulting To guide toolkit development, the MMC’s Diversity Issues Task “Immigrant Integration in Chicago’s Suburbs: A Survey of Current Force—made up of municipal representatives and local service Activities and Efforts” is an excellent survey of local programs, providers—served as the project steering committee. The Forum but it lacks actionable steps municipalities can take to better assisted in providing technical expertise and helped to identify integrate immigrants into the civic life of their communities. numerous individuals who provided invaluable information about best practices in immigrant integration highlighted throughout the toolkit. 6 IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION TOOLKIT Summary of Contents This toolkit is a direct result of MMC’s Diversity Issues Task Force’s • Chapter 1 introduces the changing Demographics of the desire to assist municipalities in addressing changing demographics CMAP region. It provides background on total population at the local level. It should be noted that immigration policy in the and foreign-born population of our region. U.S. is a very delicate and complex issue that needs to be addressed • Chapter 2 describes the importance of Civic Engagement and at the federal level. The purpose of the Immigrant Integration how municipalities can encourage immigrants to participate in Toolkit is not to lobby for or against federal immigration policy. local meetings and events. The toolkit was designed to support local governments in engaging local immigrant communities on issues that are important to • Chapter 3 examines Public Safety challenges related improving the quality of life and economic prosperity of our region. to immigrant integration and puts forth a number of Achieving this will require collaboration between immigrants, strategies that can help first responders better relate to municipalities, community-based organizations, civic, business, the immigrant community. and service organizations, and regional agencies like CMAP. • Chapter 4 describes barriers to Health Services that immigrant families might be lacking and how municipalities In light of the fact that this toolkit is aimed at municipalities, can play a role in supporting health programs and services. it focuses exclusively on sectors and strategies that municipal departments have direct or shared influence over. While the toolkit • Chapter 5 addresses Workforce and Economic Development presents a variety of options that are important considerations, gaps that may exist, describing opportunities for partnerships there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to immigrant integration. around financial literacy and job training. Therefore, some strategies may be more or less appropriate, • Chapter 6 focuses on addressing Language Access needs depending on the individual community’s strengths and needs. highlighting how municipalities can better utilize existing staff or partner with immigrant leaders. This toolkit is divided into eight chapters. Each focuses on a different topic area that is related to immigrant integration. The • Chapter 7 describes how municipalities can support chapters present some of the most common challenges associated Education and work with youth services providers to leverage with municipal integration and provide a variety of strategies, existing resources. local examples, and resources that municipalities can utilize to • Chapter 8 looks at Housing challenges immigrants assist with local immigrant integration efforts. face and the types of regulation that can support local immigrant communities. • Appendix A offers a number of Additional Resources and information on local, regional, and national organizations working in the field of immigrant integration. • Appendix B provides a table of the Immigrant Population in Chicago Area Municipalities from the American Community Survey 2008 - 12. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 Demographics Immigrant Integration The term “immigrant” has become polarizing in conversations The Immigrant Integration Toolkit presents local governments because of recent federal immigration policy discussions. This with a variety of ways communities have successfully addressed toolkit is less concerned with the legal status of immigrants— immigrant integration locally, through improved health outcomes; as this pertains to federal policy—and instead focuses on how economic mobility; enhanced civic participation; and a culture of municipalities can foster positive relationships with local immigrant inclusiveness. Each success requires an intentional commitment communities to improve civic participation. by municipalities to see that the needs of immigrants, their families, and their communities are incorporated into local policies. Because The Chicago region’s foreign born—or immigrant—population immigrants and their children make significant contributions to our accounts for a significant portion of population growth across all region—as workers, taxpayers, consumers, and entrepreneurs— seven counties. In 2012, Latinos and Asians made up approximately immigrant integration is a dynamic, two-way process that requires 1.6 million, or 28 percent, of the nearly 8.5 million residents living a shared commitment to integration. in northeastern Illinois. It is also important to note that nearly half of all immigrants in the Chicago region are naturalized Upon arriving in the U.S., there are many new services, rules, and citizens, meaning that these individuals have the same rights and regulations immigrants must understand. This, combined with