Along with our partners the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), we hosted the Nashville mayoral candidates for a briefing on Nashville’s new American community. As the mayoral election approaches in August, we were honored to help the candidates understand the priorities and opportunities within immigrant and refugee communities in Nashville. Candidates heard from leaders in the community, from parents to judges and business owners. Topics included K-12 education and youth opportunity, Metro services and quality of life.
Starting with information on the demographic shift that is happening in Nashville we emphasized ways the next mayor can help new residents integrate and contribute to our community. In Nashville from 2000-2012, the foreign born population accounted for 56% of the city’s growth and the immigrant population grew 86% while the U.S. born population grew only 11%. In the public school system, 20% of the students are Latino and 30% are English language learners (with over 140 languages represented). These demographic changes mean we need to address the challenges and opportunities to ensure equity, accountability and opportunity for our new neighbors. Community leaders addressed how the new mayor can set the tone of the city to welcome and support new residents in the areas of public education, public safety, city services, civic engagement and leadership development.
This is the first in a series of events we will host, including a public forum with the candidates, so stay tuned for more!
Candidates who attended:
Megan Barry
Charles Robert Bone
David Fox
Bill Freeman
Howard Gentry
Jeremy Kane
Linda Eskind Rebrovick
Read more from our March 2015 Newsletter
Your invitation to Cafecito: A Cup of Coffee for Conexión Américas April 24 at The Music City Center (or RSVP to Cara Ince here)
The Economist Highlights Latinos in Nashville
Return to Argentina in Mezcla Cooking Class with Cecilia Gomez