October 31, 2018


Together with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) and Artspace Sanctuary, No Longer Empty organized “What Can We Do? Immigration Summit for Cultural Organizations.” The Summit convened more than 250 arts professionals at BRIC on October 31. 2018 around what arts organizations can do to protect and serve migrant communities.

Welcome remarks:

Commissioners from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, President of BRIC, Art Space Sanctuary and No Longer Empty

PANEL 1:

Building the Society We Deserve through Art

How can we create safe, welcoming spaces for immigrant communities through cultural programming? In what ways can cultural organizations advance narrative, cultural, and policy shifts around immigration?

Speakers: Guido Garaycochea, Queens Museum; Mino Laura, Founding Executive Director of The People’s Theatre Project; Ben Ndugga-Kabuye, Black Alliance for Just Immigration; and Hatuey Ramos-Fermin, The Laundromat Project.

Moderated by Noor Zafar, Nadine Strossen Fellow, National Security Project at ACLU

PANEL 2:

Our City, Our Culture: Legal Rights and City Resources in the Five Boroughs

Learn more about City programs and services available to immigrant New Yorkers, regardless of status; guidance to nonprofits regarding immigration enforcement and impacts to 501(c)(3) status; and legal frameworks and strategies for creating safe spaces.

Presenters:  Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs; Jackie Vimo, National Immigration Law Center; Ravi Ragbir, New Sanctuary Coalition; and Kyle Barron, New York University Law

PechaKucha Presentations:

James Tager, Deputy Director of Free Expression Research and Policy, PEN America

Therese Patricia Okoumou, Activist

Cinthya Santos Briones, Artist

Hasiba Haq, Arts & Democracy

Sol Aramendi, Project Luz, Artist

Sonia Guinansaca, CultureStrike

Isabelle Pinheiro, Witness

Resources:

  • NYC Well is a free, confidential hotline in more than 200 languages to provide crisis counseling and connections to mental health care. Call 1-888-NYC-Well, text WELL to 65173, or go to nyc.gov/nycwell
  • The City does not conduct immigration enforcement. The NYPD does not ask about the immigration status of crime victims, witnesses, or other people who ask for help. Anyone who has been the victim of a hate crime, or is not sure, should contact the NYPD. NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force: (646) 610-5267
  • Call 311 for more information about these resources, or call the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs directly during work hours at (212) 788-7654 or email AskMOIA@cityhall.nyc.gov 
  • IDNYC is an identification card for all New York City residents age 10 and above—regardless of immigration status. Free for calendar year 2018 and valid for 5 years.
  • ActionNYC provides: Free, comprehensive, and confidential legal screenings to determine eligibility for immigration benefit. Free, safe, immigration legal help from an experienced attorney or accredited representative for a range of cases, including: Citizenship; Green card applications and renewals; Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and more! ActionNYC is located in select community-based organizations, schools, and healthcare facilities throughout the five boroughs. To make an appointment call 1-800-354-0365 between 9AM-6PM, Monday-Friday or call 311 and say “ActionNYC.” For more information and for a list of ActionNYC partners go to: www.nyc.gov/actionnyc
  • NY Citizenship: Free citizenship application assistance available across the city, Partnership with 12 library branches, To make an appointment call 311 or call the NYCitizenship Hotline at 212-514-4277
  • For more information visit: www.nyc.gov/immigrants , www.nyc.gov/idnyc