skip to main content

Thursday, June 1, 2023

play newscast audioPlay

Alabamans urge a grocery tax reduction, a tape shows Trump knew about a classified document on Iran, Pennsylvania puts federal road funds to work and Minnesota's marijuana law will wipe away minor offenses.

play newscast audioPlay

Democrats say a wealth tax would help alleviate some national debt, lawmakers aim to continue pandemic-era funding for America's child care sector, and teachers say firearms at school will make students less safe.

play newscast audioPlay

Oregon may expand food stamp eligibility to some undocumented households, rural areas have a new method of accessing money for roads and bridges, and Tennessee's new online tool helps keep track of cemetery locations.

National Welcoming Week Nets "Major Results" in NY

play audio
Play

Friday, September 21, 2012   

NEW YORK – National Welcoming Week, an effort to promote meaningful talks on immigration, has netted some big results in New York. It's being viewed as a major change for Suffolk County, according to Maryann Slutsky, director of Long Island Wins.

Under the past administration, says Slutsky, people who wanted to talk constructively about immigration were "drowned out with negative rhetoric." That's why she's pleased that County Executive Steve Bellone decided to host National Welcoming Week in Suffolk County.

"This really represents an important change in tone. They're embracing the immigration community and the immigration advocacy community. They are ready to listen to us and they're ready to work with us."

Twenty states are taking part in National Welcoming Week. Slutsky says it is a time dedicated to promoting meaningful connections and a spirit of unity between U.S.-born and foreign-born Americans.

The week's event in Happague included a reading and discussion of a book about a Long Island Latina worker. According to Slutsky, the story was an eye-opener for some, about the struggles faced by people who now live next door.

"So, that's what Welcoming Week is trying to highlight: Who are our new neighbors? What was their life like, and what it is like now? And how can we promote a deeper understanding and really begin to work together, as a community?"

Slutsky says the Bellone administration is already looking at ways that similar storytelling projects can be used to promote a deeper understanding of immigrant issues in their dealings with government agencies.

Information about National Welcoming Week is online at www.welcomingamerica.org.



get more stories like this via email

A new park, San Vicente Redwoods, opened up late last year near Santa Cruz, Calif., in an area previously ravaged by fire and logging. (Nadia Hamey)

Environment

play sound

This Saturday, June 3, thousands of Californians will be among hundreds of thousands of Americans heading into the great outdoors to celebrate …


Social Issues

play sound

A coalition of Wisconsin groups is asking Gov. Tony Evers to reject bills it contends would make it harder for people struggling to get by to bounce …

Social Issues

play sound

Two months from today, Minnesota will begin the process of removing low-level marijuana convictions for those who have them on their criminal records…


Alabama is one of only three states still applying its full state sales tax on the purchase of groceries and food items. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Groups working to fight poverty in Alabama are urging state senators to approve a bill aimed at lowering food costs for families. House Bill 479 …

Social Issues

play sound

Navigating college can seem overwhelming for first generation students, but an early outreach program at Arizona State University aims to change it…

Nebraska was one of 10 states to further restrict abortion access in the 2023 legislative session. At least 48 bills were passed involving restrictions for LGBTQ+ individuals. (Yurii Kibalnik/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new Nebraska law is now the subject of a lawsuit filed in the District Court of Lancaster County. In its amended form, Legislative Bill 574 …

Social Issues

play sound

A proposal from the federal government could provide a better path toward student loan debt repayment, but a new survey finds many borrowers don't …

Environment

play sound

Maine lawmakers are considering two pieces of legislation which supporters said are needed to ensure "responsible" development of offshore wind projec…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021