The city of Aurora’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs (OIIA) presented their latest report, “Together We Thrive: Five Years of Progress, A Future in Focus,” to city leadership, community partners and members of the media during a roundtable presentation held at the Aurora Municipal Center today, June 25. This report supplements the city’s Immigrant Integration Plan and provides a comprehensive analysis of current challenges and accomplishments along with a series of policy recommendations for the next five years.
“This community engagement effort and the final report confirm that Aurora’s immigrant and refugee residents feel a meaningful sense of belonging,” said Ricardo Gambetta, manager of Aurora's Office of International and Immigrant Affairs. “As one of the few cities in the U.S. with a comprehensive, award-winning, strategic Immigrant Integration Plan, the city of Aurora, under the leadership of OIIA, continues to engage with local immigrant and refugee communities to adapt and improve existing strategies.”
As part of these community engagement efforts, OIIA implemented a supplemental assessment this year to better understand the needs of the city’s diverse population, including focus groups in English and Spanish, as well as implementing a survey to gather community feedback. The results presented in this midpoint analysis report, prepared by COELUS Consulting group, deliver a structured, evidence-based assessment of the plan’s first five years of implementation, highlighting the progress, impact and future direction of immigrant integration efforts in the city of Aurora.
Reaching the plan’s midpoint is a critical juncture, an opportunity to take stock of what has been accomplished, surface what has fallen short and make evidence -based adjustments that strengthen the plan’s impact for the remaining five years. The report also includes the seven most critical areas or core strategic pillars of the Immigrant Integration Plan 2020-2025.
In 2020, OIIA developed an ambitious 10-year framework, the Immigrant Integration Plan (2020-2030), designed to advance economic mobility, promote small businesses, civic participation, equitable access to services and cross-cultural community cohesion. As a result, the city of Aurora and the Office of International and Immigrant Affairs have demonstrated a long-standing commitment to Aurora’s immigrant and refugee communities for the past decade.
The roundtable presentation also included a second report prepared by a team of researchers from George Mason University. The report titled "Creating the Strongest Future Together" presents demographic statistics on Aurora’s immigrant and refugee communities, and includes current data and success stories about the economic, social and cultural contributions of immigrants and refugees to the city. Both reports can be accessed at AuroraGov.org/OIIA.
About the Office of International and Immigrant Affairs
The Office of International and Immigrant Affairs helps facilitate the successful integration of immigrants and refugees into the civic, economic and cultural life of the city of Aurora. The office oversees the development and implementation of a strategic citywide plan that sets out policies, programs, and initiatives for local immigrant and refugee populations. Additionally, OIIA leads international efforts to establish strategic global partnerships, manages official protocol activities and events, and serves as a liaison to the international community. For more information about OIIA, visit AuroraGov.org/OIIA.