YMCA New American Welcome Centers: Promoting Immigrant Rights and Economic Prosperity across Los Angeles

Immigrant and Refugee Support

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

LA is home to nearly 3.5 million immigrants, or 1/3 of the population, and over a million are eligible to naturalize, the highest concentration in any US County. For immigrants, naturalization is a critical step toward integration, and voting rights, the right to travel freely, protection from deportation, and virtually all other benefits enjoyed by native-born US citizens. However, immigration lawyers are costly and obtaining citizenship can be challenging; many immigrants do not know their rights, are not aware of the free or affordable legal services available to them, or do not have reliable access to citizenship support services, all of which the LA Y’s New American Welcome Centers offer at no cost! In addition, every immigrant that enters the LA Y has access to all of our healthy living resources: youth development programs, childcare, food distribution and nutrition education, career and college readiness workshops, recreation and exercise programs, and so much more!

YMCA NAWCs help immigrants circumvent barriers to US citizenship. Through in-person citizenship workshops or one-on-one assistance, YMCAs help clients on the benefits of citizenship, to be aware of their rights (recent executive orders, constitutional rights & ICE, law enforcement, DACA/DAPA policies, basic health, education, and housing rights, and family preparedness and emergencies), understand available immigration remedies, given an overview of the citizenship process, and offer direct fee waiver assistance with the citizenship and naturalization application. Participants also receive free test and interview study materials to help them prepare for citizenship interviews, as well as checklists, questionnaires, and timelines to help them prepare for their appointments in advance. Y NAWC clients may access free specialized community empowerment services, like year-round referrals to the Y’s wide array of services, or to the LA Y’s established network of community partners, to support basic needs (food, child care, essential items, rent relief), other pro bono legal services, economic integration and employment services, financial literacy resources, child and family development services, language and general education classes, social emotional well-being supports, and more. The Y helps newcomers find childcare, connect, be healthy, and keep their families engaged throughout their new American journey as integrated citizens, but who can thrive in spirit, mind, & body.

If successful, the LA Y’s New American Welcome Centers will contribute to a culture that fosters diversity, inclusion, innovation, and economic prosperity across LA County. NAWC seeks to recruit, retain, and develop the region’s future leaders. Once granted citizenship, immigrants can vote and hold public office, affecting policy change for generations. Immigration has been shown to boost the economy. When immigrants enter the labor force, they increase the economy's productive capacity and raise the GDP. They start small businesses and revitalize neighborhoods. As we heal from the pandemic, immigrants will lead the way in providing innovative solutions for LA’s economic recovery goals. We want to see health equity for all in Los Angeles, and advocating for immigrants, their rights, and their lawful citizenship, provides them access to local and federal assistance programs that contributes to their health and social-emotional well-being. When New Americans thrive, we all thrive!

We have five New American Welcome Centers in Los Angeles at the Southeast-Rio Vista YMCA (in Maywood), Mid Valley Family YMCA (Van Nuys), Ketchum-Downtown YMCA, and Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA (Boyle Heights) and Weingart YMCA Wellness & Aquatic Center (South Central LA). These NAWCs serve over 4,000 unique people every year. NAWCs measure impact using a Client Prescreening Tracker, Client Exit Survey, Client Intake Form, and Mixed-Methods Staff and Volunteer Interviews. We conduct quarterly reports to help the LA Y understand the impact of our efforts on LA's immigrant neighborhoods. Outcomes reported include number and demographics of people reached through education and outreach, number of clients assisted with naturalization application assistance, 6- and 12-month follow-ups of number of clients who naturalized to become U.S. citizens, and overall number of clients screened and assisted via telephone.