Christa told us about the Welcoming Americans model that the New Americans Task Force set in motion 20 years ago and that Nebraska Appleseed adopted to help immigrants assimilate into the Lincoln Community. To help them feel like a part of the community, citizenship classes, literacy classes, and classes on basics of how the community works, called My Community Academy, are offered. She let us know that we need to amplify our voices to be heard over the anti-immigrant voices that are prevalent today. Some interesting facts about immigration to Lincoln are that we have had no refugees settled here since President Trump took office again in January 2025 other than 7 families from South Africa, but we are seeing a fair amount of secondary migration such as Yazidi families who were settled in other parts of the country moving here because they are hearing from other Yazidis that Lincoln is a great place to live.
Christa encouraged us to watch for Lincoln Welcoming Week events that we can participate in to celebrate the rich cultural diversity in our communities. Remember, Lincoln East Rotary Club is proud to be a sponsor of Lincoln Welcoming Week, September 10-19, 2026!