The percentage of foreign-born U. S. residents has quadrupled since the 1970s, reaching over 40 million — nearly 14 percent of the population — in 2012. Tom Wahlrab, Executive Director of Dayton Ohio’s Human Relations Council (HRC), was aware of the challenges immigrants face building a life in a new country and noticed that many of Dayton’s immigrants, when faced with housing discrimination, did not submit civil rights claims. Recognizing that a number of immigrant groups felt marginalized within the city, HRC initiated a series of conversations with community members including city leaders, police, social service providers, business leaders, immigrant community leaders, and immigrants. This case study tells the story of the resulting Welcome Dayton Initiative, a collaborative effort aiming to “promote immigrant integration into the greater Dayton region.” It supports economic development; improved access to education, government, health and social services; greater equity in the justice system; and promotes arts and culture.
✴︎ Available only with purchase from publisher “Traditional governance, even when it is functioning effectively and fairly, often produces clear winners and clear losers, leaving smoldering resentments that flare up whenever there is a shift in the balance of power. Over the past two and…
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