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Immigration, Race, and Organizational Power

A flock of large cranes flying across a misty landscape at sunrise, their wings outstretched as they move together through soft pink and orange light above a fog-covered valley.

Is your organization unknowingly perpetuating assumptions about belonging, professionalism, safety, and who “counts” as an immigrant?

Anti-immigrant bias is often imagined as overt hostility or political rhetoric. In the United States, immigrant identity has long been racialized—shaping whose belonging is questioned and whose labor is valued, but whose presence remains conditional. But in nonprofit organizations, it more often shows up through quieter assumptions about belonging, professionalism, safety, and who “counts” as an immigrant. Many organizations that serve immigrant communities have never examined how anti-immigrant bias may operate within their own institutions—through hiring practices, workplace norms, leadership pipelines, and the silence around immigration as a workplace issue.

Immigration in the United States has long been tied to race, labor, and belonging. In this session, we’ll explore the hidden assumptions that shape how immigrant identity is recognized, erased, or made conditional in professional spaces—even among people who believe they support immigrant communities.

Participants who attend live will receive curated resources and tools they can adapt and tailor for their own organizational contexts.

What we'll explore together:

  • How immigration in the United States has historically been connected to race, labor, and belonging

  • How anti-immigrant bias shows up in nonprofit organizations—even when leaders see themselves as supportive of immigrant communities

  • What it means to build protective infrastructure—policies, practices, and culture—in a moment of heightened enforcement

  • How white-led and white-dominant organizations can move from performative allyship to meaningful action


What you'll leave with:

  • A deeper understanding of how anti-immigrant bias can operate within mission-driven organizations

  • Language and frameworks for recognizing hidden assumptions about immigrant identity in professional spaces

  • Ideas for creating workplaces where immigrant staff and community members feel visible, supported, and safe

  • For those who attend live, guiding questions to help examine your organization’s culture, leadership norms, and workplace practices


Who this is for:

  • Executive Directors, CEOs, and senior leaders responsible for organizational strategy and culture

  • Board members and governance leaders shaping policy and organizational direction

  • HR, operations, and program leaders who influence hiring, workplace policies, and service delivery

  • Leaders committed to ensuring their organizations are places of protection and solidarity—not harm—for immigrant communities in 2026 and beyond

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March 24

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