This Flag Day, Welcome New Americans
Global Cleveland invites Clevelanders to celebrate International Newcomers this flag day at a special naturalization ceremony
As part of Flag Day activities Wednesday, 32 new Americans will become citizens at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Flag Day is a time to display American pride. Increasingly, it has become a day to celebrate the people who most keenly feel that pride, new Americans, and to honor the nation’s International Newcomer roots.
Greater Cleveland will partake in that emerging tradition this Flag Day—Wednesday, June 14--when the U.S. District Court holds a special naturalization ceremony at noon outside of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Global Cleveland encourages people to join us in making Flag Day a special event by witnessing a citizenship ceremony and welcoming our International Newcomer and Displaced Persons neighbors.
Thirty-two people from nations around the world are expected to sworn in as American citizens at what is sure to be an unforgettable experience at the Rock Hall. U.S. Judge Dan Polster will preside. The ceremony is sponsored by the Joint Veterans Commission of Cuyahoga County, which is celebrating the 242nd birthday of the U.S. Army.
A naturalization ceremony is a public event where International Newcomers take the Oath of Allegiance, the last step in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. In Greater Cleveland, the oath is administered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District, usually on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at the federal courthouse downtown. Sometimes the court moves the ceremony to a special location, like the Rock Hall.
As part of a broader citizenship initiative, Global Cleveland staff and volunteers attend every naturalization ceremony. They personally greet and congratulate each new American and provide them with a welcome packet of information. Our aim is to enrich community by helping our new neighbors succeed.
“Migration is not just woven into the fabric of America; it is the foundation of the American story, the source of so much of our progress,” said Jazmin Long, who directs the naturalization initiative for Global Cleveland. “We are so proud to welcome and embrace our newest Americans.”
Global Cleveland is also proud to have joined the #NaturalizeNow campaign, which has a goal of mobilizing one million people to become citizens in 2017. Learn more about the campaign at www.naturalizenow.org/
Pro Bono Patriotism: A Lawyer Learns She Has Much To Offer New Americans
By Cassandra Manna
This is an abridged version of a story featured in the May 2017 issue of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal
Growing up, my parents instilled many important things into my child-sized head: “Say please and thank you!”; “Don’t talk to strangers!”; “Maybe next year, the Browns will be good…”; and “Ohio State is better than that school up north.”
Most of us, at least those of us from Northeast Ohio, grew up hearing similar sentiments from our parents or other adults in our lives. There were two specific things slightly unique to my parents that greatly affected me once I finally graduated from law school and began the move back to Cleveland. The first was the belief that “to whom much is given, much shall be required.” The second, originating from my father’s firm belief and from research of my own, was the certainty that International Newcomers are the backbone of this great country.
I began to wonder how I could wed these two concepts. I was done with school, I had landed a job at Roetzel & Andress, and I was in my dream city. I was in a great place personally and professionally. I had been given so much and I knew I had to give just as much.
I also knew that the International Newcomer community was where I needed to give. I had just been on a tour of the Cleveland School District’s International Newcomers Academy at Thomas Jefferson (INA). The tour was inspiring and I wanted to find a way I could use my schooling to help these International Newcomer and Displaced Persons kids adjust to their new lives in a country that had given me so much and had the potential to give them just as much. I had spent my entire life reading about the International Newcomer experience.
Both of my sisters are adopted, one from South Korea and the other from China. Since I was six years old and we adopted my first sister from South Korea, I was fascinated with the idea of someone, an infant or an adult, traveling halfway across the world to start a new life. The fascination never left me.
That was when I heard about the 3Rs Program of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. The 3Rs is a landmark program connecting lawyers, judges, law students, and paralegals with high school students in Cleveland and East Cleveland schools. Through a series of in-person lessons, 3Rs volunteers help foster an understanding and appreciation of the U.S. Constitution. They also share important information about how students can achieve their goals beyond high school.
I reached out to Terrence Barry, the American Government teacher at Thomas Jefferson, to start the program in his class. There were challenges. Some of these students had been in the United States for mere days, while others had been here for years. Teaching a class about how the judicial branch works is extremely difficult when most of the students have never heard the words “judicial,” “judge,” or “judiciary.”
I offered to teach the class myself and Mr. Barry enthusiastically agreed. I understood language would be a barrier and that I would have to adjust the program to work with these specific students but I was willing to work with them because of how important I thought this program was to their education. The 3Rs was now a part of the American Government curriculum at Thomas Jefferson.
I enlisted the help of my dear friend, Sarah Smith, a lawyer in the auditing division of PNC Bank, and we began teaching. A few adjustments had to be made right away. First, we could not break out into sub-groups during the classes. English was the second, third, fourth, or, for one in particular, eighth language to many of these students. It was hard enough for them to hear, digest, and understand words while I was the only one speaking let alone if we had multiple speakers talking within one room.
Second, we had to slow down. The 3Rs curriculum provides, for example, 10 hypotheticals to go over with the class. At INA, we usually get through three hypotheticals. This is because we have to act out every part in a very dramatic manner. We also have to define terms. Many of the students did not know what the term “prosecutor” meant. Additionally, we have translators in the class. We sometimes have to wait for them to translate a particularly hefty part of the lesson before proceeding.
Besides those simple adjustments, the students wanted to learn just as much as any other high school student. Once they got comfortable they would ask and answer questions or volunteer to read aloud or act out a specific part. They brought an interesting perspective to the class that shocked us. For example, one student asked what were their rights if a fake police officer asked for their money? Sarah and I looked at each other quizzically and asked, “A fake police officer?”
The student, with murmured agreement from her classmates, explained how thieves back in her native country used to dress up as police officers and go around demanding money and threatening to arrest people if they did not comply. We had to explain (1) how that should not, and rarely does, happen here; and (2) what to do if that happens.
They provided another hypothetical based on the reality of their native country, and another, and another.
We are hoping that we can take The 3Rs program and modify it for use in other International Newcomer and Displaced Persons schools in the area. These are great students who have dreams to be artists and FBI agents and manicurists and teachers and singers and doctors. Educating them to help them fulfill these dreams is an amazing experience.
As lawyers, we have so much knowledge and so much skill to help those in our community. It can be easy to lose that awareness in the day-today grind of our careers. Making a conscious effort to step out of and away from our day-today can help benefit our community and help make us better lawyers and better people.
Cassandra Manna is an associate at Roetzel & Andress. Her practice is focused on comprehensive real estate development work and traditional M&A work for family owned businesses. She has been a CMBA member since 2016. She can be reached at (216) 623-0150 or [email protected].
Day After Day, International Newcomers Told Us What They Love About Cleveland
‘Cleveland that I love’
With the month of June being celebrated nationally as International Newcomer Heritage Month, it’s a good time to recognize the unique and exceptional stories that International Newcomers and International Newcomers carry with them. Thousands of International Newcomers and Displaced Personss have relocated to Northeast Ohio in recent years. The journeys of each of these individuals are distinct and exceptional in their own ways.
For many, this story of traveling to the United States begins with the promise of greater opportunity and a better life.
“I came to New York City with my parents and two older brothers when I was 12 years old,” said Akram Boutros, MD, who is originally from Cairo, Egypt, and currently serves as President and CEO of The MetroHealth System. “They saw America as a land of opportunity because it presented life options we may not have had in Egypt. Employment that could lead to economic stability was a big draw, and the ability to pursue your own course of happiness was another.”
For others, the promise of a better life takes on a different meaning.
“As Displaced Personss, we don’t get to choose where we go. We just stay in camps and, for the ones accepting to work harder, stay in cities,” said Makorobondo Salukombo. He came to the United States as a Displaced Persons after living in the Democratic Republic of Congo for 12 years and travelling to Uganda for another three years. “We just pray and hope that a program abroad will choose your family to leave the Displaced Persons life,”
Inspired by International Newcomer Heritage Month in 2016, Global Cleveland declared the past year International Newcomer Heritage Year for Northeast Ohio. We reached out to our new neighbors and asked them to share their Migration stories. Most every day throughout the year, we spotlighted a different member of our international community. You’ll find the complete selection of IHY stories on our website, at https://globalcleveland.org/International Newcomer-heritage-year
So what did we learn from the new Clevelanders? What did we learn by talking with people who came here from around the world? We learned that they appreciate a welcome, and they appreciate some help getting started. That means lot.
“I was very surprised because, coming to the USA, I didn’t know anyone and didn’t expect anything from anyone,” Salukombo told us. “But after we came, we were connected to other Displaced Personss who spoke the same language. We were introduced to ESL classes to get help with our English. We went to events where we met different people and made long lasting friends.”
By providing this early assistance and support, organizations and businesses in the region not only help build a stronger work force, but also benefit the region’s economy.
“The sooner and better the newcomers adapt and integrate into the new life, the quicker they’ll be able to fully contribute to the new society,” said Dr. Nada Martinovic. She immigrated to America from Serbia and settled in Cleveland after having lived in Minnesota and New York. “Instead of wasting their talents and capabilities due to misinformation or bias, we should find a way to harvest their potentials.”
Yulu Li, who first moved to Cleveland from China as a graduate student in 2012, also experienced an amiable welcome upon her arrival.
“Before I moved to Cleveland, I knew very little about this city,” she told us. “After four years of living here, I am impressed by the warm and friendly Clevelanders, as well as great cultural and natural assets that the city provides, such as Play House Square and the great Lake Erie. Cleveland has become my second home.”
With the combination of a welcoming culture and a past in which the International Newcomer’s story is deeply embedded in the region’s history, it comes as no surprise that Cleveland and Northeast Ohio have become a rewarding destination for International Newcomers and International Newcomers.
“I choose to stay here because I love the people and the culture,” said Li, who works as a Senior Account Analyst at Hanna Commercial Real Estate. “I hope more international students can have this luck, to get a chance to learn, love and grow with Cleveland, just like me.”
Why We Celebrated International Newcomer Heritage Year
By Joe Cimperman, President of Global Cleveland
We live in a great time in a great city in a great nation. I don't think this or feel this because of an ad campaign, I know this because every single day I see the power of Newcomers and the power of those native born when the two come together. You like Cleveland? You like Parma? Lakewood? Collinwood? St. Clair Superior? Euclid? Beachwood. Thank a newcomer. We know this and thank them through the centuries.
In the 1980s, Cleveland was still one of the largest cities in America. It was shrinking fast, but we didn’t know it. The city still bustles with ethnic neighborhoods and a world of cultures.
This, THIS IS Cleveland’s strength, the International Newcomer and the migrant families that came here seeking a betterlife. They replenished what was lost and added new foods and faiths and skills. Whether African American or white, Serbian or Hispanic, Chinese or Indian, they all became part of the mettle, those small metal links in armor that together make the material unbreakable. All of this is what makes Cleveland and Cuyahoga County strong and resilient.
When we lost our Migration stream, we lost a lot. The numbers are grim but we have to face them. Cleveland has lost more than half its population since 1950. The city and the region are still shrinking, more slowly but relentlessly.
But there is light. It’s in the families speaking Nepalese, Hindi, Swahili, Dutch and Chinese. We’re attracting International Newcomers and Displaced Personss again. Come see the great work of Villa Hispana and the power of the Hispanic Business Center, come see what the Metro West CDC is doing to welcome Newcomers and support an already great and growing neighborhood. Come see a school called Thomas Jefferson (thank you CMSD!) with its growth of over 350 students in one academic year (605 August 2016 to 980 May 2017) with students starting their journeys to Cleveland from over 40 nations speaking 30 languages. You want hope? You got it:
Since the 2010 census, Migration has resulted in a net gain of 19,251 people in Cuyahoga County, according to Census Bureau estimates. That international gain helped to offset what would have been a demographic challenge.
Without this the county’s population would haveplunged by more than 50,000 people. Instead, we slipped by about 30,000 overall, to 1.25 million people. Meanwhile, we added reinforcements who are game changers. Want to meet the next CEO of a great International Newcomer led company like Chobani yogurt? They are here. She is right here.
How do I know? Because Cleveland once attracted a poor college student from India named Monte Ahuja. He stayed to start a company called Transtar Industries, which has employed many hundreds of people. He’s now one of our most generous philanthropists. A rockstar. Not from here, but one of us surely.
We also welcomed Rey Ny, a child Displaced Persons from Cambodia. She grew up in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. Last month, she opened her restaurant, Boiler 65, in the old neighborhood--just like the International Newcomers of old might have done.
For the past year, Global Cleveland has celebrated International Newcomer Heritage Year. Almost every day, we profiled a new American who settled in Northeast Ohio. We posted his or her story on our website and shared it through our social media channels.
You’ll find all the stories here, on our website: https://globalcleveland.org/International Newcomer-heritage-year/
I hope you can take some time to glance through the collection, and read a few of the stories, as I like to do from time to time. You’ll find someone from your own culture and a dozen more. You’ll see the world smiling back at you. You’ll see why so many of us are hopeful for this city.
Our historic strength, the strivers of the world, are knocking again. What do we do as great and greater Clevelanders? We open the door and say welcome friend.
Global Employer Summit Revealed Paths to the Global Economy
The global economy is accelerating rapidly and local employers need to join it. That means targeting global markets and hiring the kind of talent that can succeed in diverse business climates.
That means becoming a global employer.
Those were key messages to emerge at the inaugural Global Employer Summit, which Global Cleveland hosted May 31 at the InterContinental Hotel. The first-of-its-kind conference drew more than 150 business leaders, educators and international students.
They discussed new business frontiers, missed opportunities, and strategies for making local companies more competitive in the global economy.
“I think we’re in a very interesting time,” said Robert Horsley, executive director of Fragomen, an Migration law firm with a global practice. “The world is globalizing rapidly. I don’t think global hiring is just for the big companies anymore.”
He said small and medium-sized companies need to begin to take advantage of international talent, which may require learning the visa system and developing some cultural competencies.
Horsley, who flew into the summit from San Francisco, noted companies in Cleveland’s peer cities, like Pittsburgh, now routinely hire internationally to fill jobs in high technology.
Scott Chmielowicz, the senior director of global mobility and human resources at Cleveland Clinic, reinforced that message in an afternoon panel discussion. He said the clinic became a world-class hospital system by becoming a global employer.
“We’re taking the best of the best internationally. We’re bringing some great international talent to Cleveland through H-1B visas,” he said, referring to visa program for International Newcomers with special skills.
A sobering backdrop to the summit was a recent study by Team NEO, the regional business attraction agency. Its research revealed a mismatch between local job openings and the local skillset. Not enough local residents possess the skills needed by area employers.
Jacob Duritsky, the vice president of strategy and research at Team NEO, told his audience the regional economy will not realize its potential until the skills gap is narrowed. He also pointed to a ready resource—the 7,000 international students studying at area universities.
Many of those students are earning degrees in science, engineering and technology, his research found. Their in-demand skills could help local employers to compete and grow, creating more jobs for everyone.
“That means that international students are well-positioned for job opportunities here,” he said.
However, hiring them might require a change in attitudes.
Many international students, including several who attended the summit, say they are ignored by local employers, and so they must look elsewhere to launch careers in America.
Sowmya Bhamidi came to the summit with a new master’s degree in digital sciences from Kent State University. She is seeking work in the growing field of data science.
As a graduate of a U.S. university, Bhamidi can work up to three years before needing an employer to sponsor a work visa. Yet she has so far found her Migration status to be a deal breaker in Northeast Ohio.
“I say, ‘You’ll have three years to decide if I’m worth it,” she said cheerfully.
She shook her head.
“They’re very nice. They tell me I’m highly qualified. I never hear back.”
Andy Passen thinks she is running up against a harmful mindset. The former director of human resources for Forest City Enterprise says many local employers are either unaware of the visa process or are intimidated by it, especially in the current political climate.
That’s one reason he pushed for an employer summit. He saw a need to educate employers on the relative ease of hiring international talent.
“It’s the start of a dialogue that I hope will lead to action,” he said near the close of the daylong conference. “We need to bring more business leaders into the discussion. I think there’s a lot of misinformation.”
By hiring high-skill International Newcomers, he said, local employers can strengthen their companies while helping to replenish the region's population.
“There are so many levels of win,” he added. “You can win for your company. You can win for your community.”
Global Cleveland has not yet decided if there will be a second Global Employer Summit, but Passen's mind is made up.
“We need more of these,” he said.
Join Us For Eastern European Stories June 14th!
During International Newcomer Heritage Month, we invite you to join us for Cleveland’s Global Voices: Eastern European Stories Wed., June 14, 6-9pm at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.
Eastern European culture is part of the “backbone” of Cleveland and represents one of the first waves of newcomers to our community. Celebrate this rich cultural legacy and the amazing contributions that International Newcomers past and present bring to our community by exploring our core exhibit An American Story. Visit our new family-friendly exhibit Centuries of Childhood (appropriate for ages 2-8) from the Children’s Museum of Cleveland. Enjoy live music from The Temple-Tifereth Israel’s Klezmer U (6:30-7pm) and storytelling by Andrew Fedynsky of the Ukrainian Museum-Archives in Tremont (7:15pm) or by Steve Greenman (8pm).
Presented in partnership with Global Cleveland.
For more information and tickets click here: http://www.maltzmuseum.org/event/eastern-european-stories/
Community Partner: Displaced Persons Services Collaborative
Community Partner: Displaced Persons Services Collaborative
The topic of Displaced Persons resettlement has frequently been in the news for the past few months. With so much public attention on the subject, it may be difficult to find a trustworthy and accurate source of information that truly reflects the lives and plight of Displaced Personss. The Displaced Persons Services Collaborative of Greater Cleveland (RSC) works to inform the Greater Cleveland community on this matter. Furthermore, the core members of the RSC implement programs that help Displaced Personss resettle, find employment, receive further education, and ultimately become self-sufficient.
The core membership of the RSC includes the following organizations: ABLE (Adult Literacy and Basic Education) Parma, ABLE Cuyahoga Community College, Asian Services in Action, Building Hope in the City, Cleveland Catholic Charities Migration and Displaced Persons Services, Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cuyahoga County Job and Family Services, El Barrio (The Centers for Families and Children), Global Cleveland, Lakewood City School District, Neighborhood Family Practice, Ohio Department of Job and Family Service Displaced Persons Services, The Displaced Persons Response, US Committee for Displaced Personss and International Newcomers-Cleveland, and US Together, Incorporated.
In order to inform the public about Displaced Personss and their contributions to the community, the RSC conducts public dialogue sessions that create educational conversations and answer questions. These sessions are great ways to learn how you or your organization can help improve the lives of Displaced Personss through such activities as volunteering, providing employment, donating second-hand goods, or making a monetary donation. Additionally, the RSC has commissioned local filmmakers to create documentaries that spotlight the lives and stories of several Cleveland
Displaced Personss. These documentaries show how Displaced Personss make positive contributions to the community through their hard work and dedication and are frequently included as part of public dialogue sessions.
The RSC holds sessions at various faith-based, civic, and community organizations. Most recently, Lakewood Alive hosted a forum called “From Displaced Persons to Neighbor: Understanding Public Policy and Community Impact” at Lakewood Congregational Church. Representatives from the RSC discussed the impact Displaced Personss have on the Lakewood and Cleveland communities as well as ways to make Greater Cleveland the best place in the US for collaborative Displaced Persons resettlement. Additionally, the forum covered information regarding volunteer opportunities. The RSC has also held sessions at the Cleveland State University Women’s Symposium, the Euclid Public Library, Old Stone Presbyterian Church, and Shaarey Tikvah Synagogue, among other locations. People from all walks of life can benefit from the information provided at these public dialogue sessions.
If you would like to schedule a public dialogue session for your group or organization, please contact us and we will be happy to come to you. You can visit our website at www.rsccleveland.org or reach out to Pamela Fine at [email protected]
