Integrating A Community: Cisneros Project Fellows Work to Improve Access for New Americans

Staff Photo Nick Brothers
Jacob Perry, a Cisneros Center American Dream Fellow, works with parents of students at Harps Elementary as a part of the Springdale Family Literacy Program of the NTI Adult Education Program. During the meeting, the parents discussed what they liked and what they thought could be improved about northwest Arkansas.

In Springdale, Ark., the Hispanic population increased by more than 150 percent between 2000 and 2011. The school district’s public school population is now 44 percent Hispanic, and its English Learner population is also 44 percent of students. Children of immigrants were 10 percent of Arkansas children in 2010, versus 5 percent in 2000, according to a study by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

Additionally, about 18 percent of the population in Washington and Benton Counties consists of Hispanic immigrants, according to U.S. Census data. Springdale is also first in size of the Marshallese population in the Continental U.S.

Being the third largest growing immigrant gateway in the U.S. within the past decade in the U.S. caught the attention of the Cisneros Center — a new organization that seeks to accelerate integration for new Americans. In August 2014, the organization chose Springdale, Ark. for their pilot program, and they operate out of the Jones Center.

The Cisneros Center is a 501(C)(3) non partisan, non-profit institution based in San Antonio, Texas. The founder, Henry G. Cisneros was the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Clinton administration and CEO of Univision Communications. The Cisneros Center was founded on the vision that an immigrant population that is empowered, engaged and politically active is necessary for future growth in America.

In order to help accelerate integration, the organization developed what they call the “Road Map to the American Dream.” Essentially, the road map sets up the framework to empower immigrants during integration by focusing on language and civic knowledge, education, financial capability, health and family well being, community engagement and commitment. The goal is to get 500 northwest Arkansas immigrants to pledge to utilize the road map to help them build their new lives in America.

After surveying the area, the center selected three “American Dream Fellows” to commit to 13 months of service in the field to connect with the immigrant communities. Out of several potential candidates, the center chose Arkansas natives Jacob Perry and Jessica Boyd — who are both alumni of the Clinton School of Public Service — and Jennifer Aguirre, who is an alumni of Teach for America from Houston, Texas. Unfortunately, Boyd has since had to resign from her position due to health issues.

“There’s not another organization that’s really doing what we’re doing,” Aguirre said. “It was a very unique opportunity for us to do this work, so I thought I needed to be a part of it. The leadership that we have is very passionate.”

Staff Photo Nick Brothers
Jennifer Aguirre (center), a Cisneros Center American Dream Fellow, asks questions about the different needs the parents faced in Springdale Jan. 13.

Once selected, the fellows underwent intensive training to learn the intricacies of the region’s immigrant landscape and developed a year-long plan.

“The two things we see that bring immigrants here are two things,” Perry said. “One, there are a lot of animal processing jobs here, and we know immigrants take up a large portion of those jobs. Two is the family connections. We’ve heard from some of our partners and families we’ve talked to that because of previous connections, word of mouth, people come because they say it’s safe here and there’s opportunity for work.”

Since beginning work here in August, the fellows recognized that financial literacy among immigrants was something that needed more development.

While not a service provider, the center works to make sure services in the area are accessible and available. The fellows were able to form a partnership with Accion, a Texas-based financial group. Accion provides individuals with access to affordable financial services, according to the organization’s website. The goal is to make it easier to provide micro-loans and educational opportunities to immigrant entrepreneurs and small businesses in the area.

The Cisneros Center also partnered with Moneythink, which brings financial education to school children through technology and innovative techniques for 11th and 12th students in the Springdale School District. The potential long-term benefits of the partnership with Moneythink is to provide financial readiness for students entering college.

The center is also currently working with the Jones Center to develop a mobile app that will provide a searchable directory for language, financial, education, health and community engagement services and events that promote the integration of immigrants.

To discover the needs of the region’s immigrant population, Perry and Aguirre host conversation sessions with families. For example, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, the two met with parents of students at Harps Elementary as a part of the Springdale Family Literacy Program of the NTI Adult Education Program. During the meeting, the parents discussed what they liked and what they thought could be improved about Northwest Arkansas.

Staff Photo Nick Brothers
Jacob Perry writes down the information discussed from Springdale immigrant parents during a community conversation at Harp Elementary, Tuesday, Jan. 13.

The parents said they thought northwest Arkansas was safe, had a high quality of life and it’s a place where dreams can be achieved. However, they also said that they needed better school transportation for students in the winter, better protection and oversight for students against bullying, a rigorous program for learning advanced English and more parks, Perry said.

By and large, Perry and Aguirre said the northwest Arkansas community, as well as several corporations, have been very eager to assist them when they can.

“I was worried we’d be seen as outsiders. I wasn’t sure with the political climate the way it is how we’d be received,” Perry said. “We got here and it was just the opposite. Not only from the service providing organizations, but from the families that said ‘We need this.’ I learned that people at a personal level are behind community inclusion no matter where the people are from—more generally than I had given them credit for.”

With the program’s success over the couple months they’ve been here, The Cisneros Center plans to build on their lessons and continue to aid the region’s immigrant population. The center will also launch their “American Dream Leaders” program to provide college students the opportunity to become community leaders in the region and aid the fellows. The center also plans to expand their presence to potentially two other regions in the Continental US that are experiencing an influx of immigrants. Those interested in applying to the American Dream Leaders program can seek further information here: www.cisneroscenter.org/american-dream-initiative/adi-leaders-program/

“Seeing how open people are to discussing this dialogue of integration has been great,” Aguirre said. “It’s been wonderful to me. Just talking to the families, there’s such an amazing spirit of perseverance and wanting to succeed. The will is there. The opportunities is where it’s lacking, and that’s where we really want to work with the community to ensure opportunities are opening for them.”