Neal Peirce looks at a broad citizen outreach program in Montgomery County, Maryland, engages its growing immigrant population by actually interacting with them face-to-face.
"Montgomery, like many of its suburban counterparts nationwide, has turned into a great immigrant gateway. In 1980, only 12 percent of the its population (then 579,000) was foreign-born; today the figure's 30 percent of 950,000.
And fewer of these immigrants are from Mexico, which supplies the most to the United States; rather they're mostly from Asia (led by China and India), Central and South America (El Salvador first), Africa (Ethiopia), and Europe (Ukraine).
In normal times, many new immigrants struggle for a foothold; in a recession, high numbers are jobless, face eviction and other hardships. But in Montgomery County, a coalition has come together to break the typical shell of fear and alienation.
The idea: go to immigrants' homes, engage them through friendly door-knocking campaigns, speak their language, check on problems they face, let them know about neighborhood gatherings, help them tap available government and non-profit services. And even more–ask immigrant families about skills they might possess that may help their neighbors."
FULL STORY: Outreach to Immigrants: A Suburb’s Exciting New Way

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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
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Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
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LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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