A Nation of Immigrants
On January 27th, President Trump signed an executive order that effectively suspended refugee resettlement and restricted people of seven different nationalities from entry to the United States. Although there have been numerous court challenges to the order across the United States, our focus is on supporting those immigrants already in our communities.
For more than 10 years, Somali Youth and Family Club (SYFC) has served refugee families from four of the seven nationalities banned by the Trump administration – Somalis, Sudanese, Iraqis, and Syrians. SYFC assists these families with housing, education, and social services in a culturally and linguistically appropriate way. Our agency has helped families and youth acclimate to their new home environment for over a decade, and you can help us grow our services. We are currently seeking support to educate our community members about their rights and connect them to existing legal resources.
The diversity of the United States is one of its most compelling assets. Let’s come together now to show our refugee and immigrant neighbors that they are welcome. Your donation will directly help refugee families and youth to thrive in King County.
It is a universal wish to ask for our sick to be cured and our beloved family member to come back home safe.
Below are some of the ways Immigrants have a positive impact on Washington State. However, this is by no means a comprehensive list and does not include the positive role they play for the United States as a whole.
Roughly one in seven residents of Washington State is an immigrant, while one in eight residents is a native-born U.S. citizen with at least one immigrant parent.
One in six workers in Washington is an immigrant, together making up a vital part of the state’s labor force in a range of industries.
As consumers, immigrants add billions of dollars to Washington’s economy.
- Washington residents in immigrant-led households had $22.8 billion in spending power (after-tax income) in 2014.
Immigrant entrepreneurs in Washington generate billions of dollars in business revenue.
- 65,036 immigrant business owners accounted for 17.2 percent of all self-employed Washington residents in 2015 and generated $1.6 billion in business income.
- In 2015, immigrants accounted for 27.7 percent of business owners in the Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue metropolitan area and 23.2 percent in the Portland/Vancouver/Beaverton metro area (which stretches from Oregon through Washington).
All facts obtained from The American Immigration Council
An American Story
SYFC is an organization dedicated to serving anyone who needs aid in housing and education. However, we have a strong tie to immigrant stories because everyone in our organization, much like America herself, is or is related to an Immigrant. Everyone here has taken the opportunities they had available to them and decided to us them to service immigrants in a troubled political climate.
I’ve lived in several different countries before settling in Washington State. I am pursuing a Bachelors degree at University of Washington and speak over five languages. I work with children now and in addition to social work, I want to start my own business.
My family immigrated before I was born here in Seattle. After graduating with a degree in Political Science from the University of Washington, I began work as a housing navigator for nonprofits.
I was born in the United States, but my parents are from Ireland. My Dad is a citizen, but my Mom still has a Green Card. I moved to Seattle from my home state New Jersey in 2013 to get my Bachelors in Design From Cornish College of the Arts.
Partners
