Earlier this month, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olzewski issued an executive order establishing a task force for New Americans.
“Baltimore County’s greatest strength is its diversity, and we believe that all people – including those who are new to the country – should feel included and valued,” said Olszewski, in a statement.
The task force is entrusted with organizing focus groups, finding five of the county’s most commonly spoken languages and addressing barriers facing immigrants. During its first meeting on Thursday, June 15, the 36-member force outlined focus areas.
The group agreed to create six subcommittees that will dive deeper into:
- Improving access to education
- Economic development and entrepreneurship
- Creating safe and healthy communities
- Increasing civic engagement
- Proactive community outreach
- Creating equitable access in other areas such as healthcare, housing and more
The task force consists of a diverse group of people with backgrounds in education, business, government and non-profit.
Members also vary in countries of origin and immigration pathways to allow for more representation. That’s because people enter the country for varying reasons — international students, refugees, permanent residents — creating different statuses which allow access to different opportunities.
Giuliana Valencia-Banks, the county’s immigration affairs coordinator, who led the meeting, said it was important for everyone to feel welcome, including those who are not on the task force.
“This task force is to ensure that people are receiving opportunities regardless of where they are in that pyramid of privilege when it comes to your immigration status,” said Valencia-Banks. “[We want] people to have economic mobility, and social inclusion, so that people are able to participate in County life.”
According to the U.S. Census, 12.3% of Baltimore County’s population identifies as foreign-born. However, task force member Annette Karanja said that number may be inaccurate because it doesn't represent immigrant groups who typically go unrecognized.
“A person like myself was not included in the data,” said Karanja. “It gives us a missed opportunity for us to service a population of ours. I specifically talk about the East African community, because we tend to be a population that isn't very much discussed, that actually is here and thriving.”
Task force members said they will look at the intersectionality of immigrants and how that can affect experiences. They also debated the pros and cons of having a one-stop shop ‘welcome center.’
A recent report from the American Immigration Council (AIC) shows that immigrants play a key role in the county’s labor market. In 2019, immigrants represented an average 19% of STEM, hospitality and health care workers.
Nick Staigerwald, a task-force participant, said he would like to see the task-force implement employment resources for immigrants that go beyond job finding.
“The entire central Maryland corridor can work on ways for new Americans to be able to not just find jobs, but find careers where they can grow and build generational wealth,” said Staigerwald. “They may have been leaders of a community, in their country of origin, but aren't able to right now because their certifications aren't accepted.”
Immigrants also play a significant role in the county’s business affairs, according to that AIC report. About 7,400 immigrant entrepreneurs generated more than $200 million in business income for the county.
But for now, the task force is focused on integrating and including the 101,000 immigrants and counting. The subcommittees will meet frequently while the task force meets monthly through December.
