Baltimore Immigration Summit

The Baltimore Immigration Summit is a one-day event which brings together academics, government, service providers, activists, community leaders, and others working with and for immigrants in our region. Baltimore and its surrounding suburbs is an area with a growing and diverse immigrant population, and has a local government that views immigrants as an important part of the region’s ongoing resurgence.

The theme of this year’s Summit is “Stand Up, Be Heard, Get Involved.” Immigrants often face hardships and undertake challenging journeys to arrive in this nation seeking a better future for themselves and their families, and to be part of our diverse community in the greater Baltimore region. How can we, at local, state, and national levels support immigrant communities in our region through this transition, making sure their rights are protected and their voices are heard? The summit will feature presentations about “best practices,” i.e. examples of how individuals and groups – immigrant and native-born – are working together to overcome challenges related to immigration and help promote an integrated and supportive environment that provides opportunities for understanding and growth for all. Political participants, community involvement, civic responsibility, public policy, healthcare, education, economic development, employment and the arts, are among the areas that will be explored given this year’s theme.

 Registration is now open & attendance is free. Breakfast and lunch provided. 

Important Dates:

     September 1st 2016:      Due date of proposals
     September 10th 2016:   Notification of Acceptance
     September 30th 2016:   8th Baltimore Immigration Summit

Agenda: 

8:30 – 9:00  Registration & Continental Breakfast 

9:00 – 9:15  Welcome and Opening Remarks (Ballroom A & B)

Ilene Dackman-Alon, Jewish Museum of Maryland                       
Timothy J. L. Chandler, Towson University Provost
Bilphena Yahwon, Towson University student

9:15 – 10:15  Keynote Address by Khaled A. Beydoun  (Ballroom A & B)

10:30 – 12:00  Breakout Session I

Ballroom C: The Role of Immigrants in Growing Baltimore’s Economy
    Catalina Rodríguez Lima (Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs)
    Oswaldo Acosta (Latino Economic Development Center)
    Kevin Meadowcroft (International Rescue Committee)
    Lindsey Bishop (Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs)
        moderated by Catalina Rodríguez Lima

Room 305: Hidden Immigration Detention Systems & Return to the Homeland
    Saba Ahmed (CAIR Coalition)
    Julia Coffin (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service)
    Roberta and Dick Dunning (DC Detention Visitation Network)
    Susan Cruz (Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia)
    Sister Valdete Wilemann (Center for the Assistance of Returned Migrants)
        moderated by Santiago Solis

Room 306: Know Your Rights - Empowering New Immigrant Workers
    Luz V. Lopez-Ortiz (U.S. Department of Justice)
    Douglas Weimer (Baltimore City Community College)
    Akalu Paulos (Baltimore City Community College)
    Haydee M. Rodriguez (Baltimore City Community College)
    Michael Carlo (Baltimore City Community College)
        moderated by Haydee M. Rodriguez

Room 307: Promoting Safety, Wellbeing, Reconciliation & Inclusion
    Glenda Valenzuela (Unidos y Seguros, Johns Hopkins Hospital)
    Shirley Stitt (The Family Tree)
    Marcelo Batkis (Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center)
    Sadie Peters (East Baltimore Medical Center)
    Marco Grados (Johns Hopkins Hospital)
    Aida Medina (Gallery Church)
    Donna Batkis (Johns Hopkins Hospital)
        moderated by Miho Iwata

12:00 –  1:00   Lunch and Special Remarks by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz &
Rachel Peric (Welcoming America)  (Ballroom A & B)

1:15 – 2:45  Breakout Session II

Ballroom C: Building Community & Breaking Down Barriers
    Marc Rodriguez (Ward 5, City of Annapolis)
    Casey Thomas (Soccer Without Borders)
    Stephanie Wolfe (Soccer Without Borders)
    Judy Salinas (CASA de Maryland)
    Lourdes Ortega (CASA de Maryland)
        moderated by Catalina Rodríguez Lima

Room 305: Building Interfaith Communities
    Patricia Shannon Jones (Immigration Outreach Service Center)
    Rev. Joseph Muth (St. Matthew Roman Catholic Church)
    Shukri Khan (Masjid Bait-us-Samad)
    Kul Mani Acharya (Baltimore Association of Nepalese in America)
        moderated by Patricia Shannon Jones

Room 306: Service Learning and Social Justice Activism for Latinxs
    Leslie Salgado (Howard County Friends of Latin America)
    Bahram Zandi (Green Party US)
    Marina Adler (University of Maryland Baltimore County)
    Lea Ann Christenson (Towson University)
         moderated by Santiago Solis  

Room 307: Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Immigrant Youth
    Sarah Polk (Johns Hopkins Bayview)
    Monica Guerrero Vazquez (Centro SOL)
    Eric Haber (Baltimore City Public Schools)
    Carey Haberman (Baltimore City Public Schools)
        moderated by Eric Haber

3:00 – 4:00  Special Networking Session (Ballroom A & B)
           Moderated by Noah Mitchel (Baltimore Jewish Council)

4:00 – 4:30  Closing Remarks (Ballroom A & B) 
           Miho Iwata (Towson University)

Summit Co-Coordinators:

Santiago Solis (ssolis AT_TOWSON)
Harjant S. Gill (hgill AT_TOWSON)
Miho Iwata (miwata AT_TOWSON)

Planning Committee:

Harjant S. Gill (Towson University)
Santiago Solis (Towson University)
Miho Iwata (Towson University)
Catalina Rodriguez-Lima (MIMA)
Noah Mitchel (Baltimore Jewish Council)
Madeline Suggs (Baltimore Jewish Council)
Ilene Dackman-Alon (Jewish Museum of Baltimore)
Elizabeth Alex (CASA De Maryland)

Sponsored By:

Mayor’s Office of Immigrant & Multicultural Affairs (MIMA)
Jewish Museum of Maryland
Baltimore Jewish Council
CASA De Maryland
Towson University