THE WELCOMING CENTER FOR NEW PENNSYLVANIANS serves new Americans in the metropolitan Philadelphia area, and assists businesses, schools, civic organizations, and governmental agencies who interact with them. It develops reference manuals, directories, and internet searchable information accessible to the greater community; and offers employment assistance, training and one-on-one assistance.
INTERCULTURAL FAMILY SERVICES INC., founded in 1979 as the Asian American Service Center, provides "an array of community-based health and social services, and a constant exchange of training, educational, artistic, cultural and civic experiences." These include ESL classes, day camps, a food bank and HIV/AIDS services
ESPERANZA USA bills itself as the largest Hispanic faith-based community development corporation in the country. Beginning in Philadelphia with programs targeted to address the many unmet needs in Philadelphia's Hispanic community, it has become a politically savvy leader in building Hispanic owned institutions nationwide. Esperanza is headed by the Rev. Luis Cortes, who convenes and hosts the annual National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast, and is a voice for Hispanics with Washington policymakers. Among Esperanza's national programs are Esperanza Trabajando, which provides education and training services to adjudicated Hispanic youth.
CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES has an Immigration and Refugee Services division that provides legal assistance with immigration petitions and appeals, visas, asylum petitions, work papers etc. Also, CSS offers resettlement services, job counseling, and cultural adaptation programs.
EL HISPANO is a bilingual weekly covering matters of interest to the Hispanic community. Its reporters and editors are experienced observers and analysts of issues including immigration reform.
ACCION COMUNAL LATINO AMERICANA DE MONTGOMERY COUNTY (ACLAMO) is a community based multi-service organization for low-income families, especially those of Latino background in Norristown and Montgomery County. Programs include information and referral, case management for adults and children, job readiness and placement programs, after school tutoring and educational services.
ASOCIACION DE PUERTORRIQUENOS EN MARCHA INC. is a multi-service center serving the needs of the Puerto Rican/Latino community. Funding provides case management services to the low-income Latino community in North Philadelphia.
BOAT PEOPLE SOS - PHILADELPHIA is one of 13 community-based service centers sponsored by Boat People, S.O.S., a nonprofit working at the national level for Vietnamese immigrants and refugees in America. BPSOS collaborates with Vietnamese American communities to provide a range of legal services and social programs such as a "marriage and family wellness" course.
CONGRESO DE LATINOS UNIDOS INC, known as Congreso, is a multicultural and bilingual agency whose mission is to strengthen Latino communities through social, economic, education and health services; leadership development; and advocacy. Congreso provides over 50 individual and family-oriented programs including: maternal and child health, family support, addiction treatment, adult education, job training, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS and youth.
THE NATIONALITIES SERVICE CENTER OF PHILADELPHIA is a prominent agency that aims to strengthen families and build self-sufficiency through an array of services including family counseling/case management, ESL, GED, immigration representation, elderly/youth services, promoting intergroup understanding and interpreting/translating.
SOUTHEAST ASIAN MUTUAL ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATIONS COALITION INC. is a nonprofit incorporated in 1984 to serve the Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese, ethnic Chinese and Hmong refugee communities in Philadelphia. SEAMAAC provides basic human services to over 30,000 Southeast Asian refugees in the area to aid self-sufficiency and integration into American life.
RUTGERS-CAMDEN LAW SCHOOL claims one of the nation's leading scholars of immigration and citizenship law, the author of "The Citizen and The Alien: Dilemmas of Contemporary Membership" (Princeton University Press, 2006).
VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL has a Farmworker Legal Aid Clinic whose director specializes in immigration law and international economic, social and cultural rights.
THE AFRICAN CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF NORTH AMERICA provides direct services to refugees, immigrants and asylees from the African community in Philadelphia. The nonprofit social-services and cultural organization seeks to increase opportunities for area Africans "to adapt to their new environment and becoming self determined and productive member of the community."
BHARATIYA TEMPLE is a large Hindu complex recently built by Indian immigrants in the northern suburbs. A visit there would show how these prosperous expatriates are coping in their diaspora. Bharatiya is a pan-Indian "multi-diety" temple. To help keep the culture alive, Bharatiya also houses a cultural center for the community where children of the area can learn languages and their culture.
CENTRO NUEVA CREACION is a nonprofit in the Fairhill and West Kensington sections of Philadelphia. Centro offers programs in education, community service, career development, technology and the arts.
HAITIAN COMMUNITY HELP CENTER says it is the only community center in the region that serves the Haitian, Caribbean and African French-speaking immigrants. It provides immigration counseling and referrals; job preparation and job placement; document translation; recreational services; after-school tutoring; GED / ESL classes; computer classes; and mentoring/peer support for "gracefully transitioning from Haitian to American culture."
PROJECT SHINE (Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders), based at Temple University, connects college students with older immigrants and refugees to tutor them in English, literacy or citizenship. Students tutor elders in community-based organizations, senior centers, ESL or citizenship classes, faith-based organizations, and ethnic organizations.
THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN MUTUAL ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION COALITION serves Cambodian, Ethnic Chinese, Hmong, Laotian and Vietnamese populations. Its Project Thrive has outreach workers who provide direct translation and accompaniment services to vulnerable adults on issues such as utility cutoff notices; landlord/tenant disputes; meetings with school officials; and food stamp and medical assistance. It also has a senior citizen program, after-school classes, and ESL and citizenship instruction.
TALLER PUERTORRIQUENO promotes Puerto Rican artistic and cultural traditions, as well as promoting a better understanding of other Latin American cultures. It mounts theatrical performances, dance and music recitals, readings, and discussions with writers, activists, and scholars. It also has an Adopt a School program and a Visiting Artists Outreach program.
PHILADELPHIA AREA IMMIGRATION RESOURCE provides guidance and professional services to both immigrants and their families. It also aims to foster a greater understanding of the struggles immigrants face in adjusting to the complexities of American life.
AMERICAN MUSLIM SOCIETY OF THE TRISTATE AREA promotes programs for the advancement of civil rights and the social, economic, educational, cultural and ethnic interests of Muslims.
AMERICAN SWEDISH HISTORICAL MUSEUM is dedicated to preserving and promoting the contributions of Swedes and Swedish-Americans in the United States. It has 12 permanent galleries, a changing exhibition gallery and a library, all of which are outstanding examples of 20th century Swedish interior design.
THE CENTER FOR EAST ASIAN STUDIES at Penn is one of the first, formed soon after World War II. In 1995, the center became an interdisciplinary unit composed of faculty whose teaching and research focus primarily on China, Japan, Korea and bordering areas.
INTERNATIONAL HOUSE at is home to international students and scholars, and a meeting place for Philadelphians interested in world culture.
THE FOUNDATION FOR ISLAMIC EDUCATION is a private institute that houses a masjid, the Villanova Academy for Honor Studies (a madrassah, grades pre- kindergarten through 6th), the Villanova Weekend School (Qur'anic, Islamic and Arabic studies and other educational and recreational activities), the Da'wah and Media Department and the Community Service Department.
GREATER PHILADELPHIA OVERSEAS CHINESE ASSOCIATION is a refugee assistance organization helping ethnic Chinese make the transition to a new culture with educational, casework and support services. A variety of programs, including citizenship test preparation, classes teaching school age children traditional Chinese cultural dances and heritage, job placement services, ESL for adults, social services, youth bilingual programs and more.
