In case you missed it, Executive Director Jennifer Rizzo-Choi recently stopped by the Buffalo Toronto Public Media NPR to chat with "What's Next?" anchor Jay Moran on how recent federal policy, including the suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), impacts Western New York and IIB operations. Rizzo-Choi also touched on the positive community response, broke down the differences…
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Jennifer Rizzo-Choi was invited to present while welcoming 55 New Americans from 25 countries as they took their citizenship oaths at a special U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services Naturalization Ceremony at Iroquois High School. These New Americans are from: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Burma, Canada, China, Congo, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Hungary, India, Italy, Jamaica, South Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia,…
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In honor of Arab American Heritage Month, we continue to recognize the economic, cultural, political, and social contributions of notable immigrants and refugees who've helped shape America's vibrant tapestry. Today, we highlight Farouk El-Baz, an Egyptian American scientist whose work was instrumental in planning NASA's Apollo Program. He was part of the team responsible for selecting the lunar sites…
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Image: Erin Schaff/The New York Times In honor of Women’s History Month, we continue to recognize the economic, cultural, political, and social contributions of influential immigrant and refugee women who’ve helped shape America’s vibrant tapestry. Today, we spotlight Filipino American Cristeta Comerford, the White House’s first female executive chef and its first executive chef of Asian descent. Cristeta Comerford was…
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In honor of Women’s History Month, we continue to recognize the economic, cultural, political, and social contributions of influential immigrant and refugee women who’ve helped shape the vibrant tapestry of America. Today, we spotlight Marlene Dietrich, a German American Actress known for her humanitarian efforts during World War II. Marie Magdalene Dietrich was born in Berlin, Germany, in December 1901.…
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We were honored to welcome 47 New Americans from 20 countries as they took their citizenship oaths at the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services Naturalization Ceremony at the Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse in downtown Buffalo. These New Americans are from: Bangladesh, Burma, Burundi, Canada, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), Cuba, Germany, Greece, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kuwait, Mexico, Pakistan, Somalia,…
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Executive Director Jennifer Rizzo-Choi appeared on the Spectrum News program Capitol Tonight to explain how recent federal government actions have hurt refugee families and the non-profit agencies that serve them. Representatives of the upstate resettlement agencies were in Albany to discuss the New York State Enhanced Services for Refugees Program (NYSESRP) funding. Refugees are legally in the United States. They…
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In honor of Women’s History Month, we are recognizing the economic, cultural, political, and social contributions of influential immigrant and refugee women who’ve helped shape America's vibrant tapestry. Today, we spotlight critically acclaimed Iranian American author and English Literature Professor Azar Nafisi. Azar Nafisi was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1948. Her father served as the youngest mayor in Tehran’s…
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In honor of Women’s History Month, we are recognizing the economic, cultural, political, and social contributions of influential immigrant and refugee women who’ve helped shape America's vibrant tapestry. Today, we spotlight Indian American business executive and trailblazer Indra Nooyi. Indra Nooyi has consistently been ranked among the most powerful women in business, known for her role as the Chief Executive…
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In case you missed it, a reporter for the flagship NPR station WNYC in New York City recently spoke with Executive Director Jennifer Rizzo-Choi to discuss the more than 1,000 refugees across the state left in limbo following the new federal administration’s freeze on funding, including for already contracted and completed work, to resettlement agencies doing integration. In the feature,…
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