This year has been exceedingly difficult for immigrants and refugees, and those who serve them.

I find that during times when you’re feeling low and things are at their darkest, humor helps for many reasons. Certainly, there is the catharsis that the physical act of laughing has on one’s body. The Cleveland Clinic reports that, in addition to stress relief, benefits include strengthening social bonds, increasing oxygen to your body, and improving heart health. However, a good laugh serves a much larger purpose.

In addition to its essential health benefits, laughter serves another purpose. Especially when shared in a group, it’s the glue that brings people together. Research also shows that when we laugh in a group, we laugh more deeply, and this can also strengthen relationships and a sense of community when compared to people who laugh alone.

To put it simply, now is the perfect opportunity to invite you to our major fundraiser for the year, which also happens to be a comedy show: The Refugees of Comedy 2025. 

If you are unfamiliar, we started this tradition a few years ago. Thom Tran, a refugee from Vietnam whose family we helped when they first arrived in Buffalo, has supplied the laughs as a way of giving back. This year, he will bring along Matt Kirshen (from the United Kingdom) and Corinna Yee (from China). All three are highly successful comedians with appearances in movies, television, and high-profile comedy tours to their credit. 

It all happens on Wednesday, October 15, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at Buffalo Toronto Public Media (BTPM). Please come to enjoy the evening, hearing their stories, savoring delicious international food from local restaurants, and sipping on an open bar featuring beer, wine, and soft drinks, all accompanied by Congolese rumba from Sawa Sawa band. There are general admission tickets and VIP tickets for those who want preferred seating, liquor options, and an exclusive meet-and-greet with the comedians. 

Now more than ever, we need a night like this – plus, it's good for your health. I hope to see you on October 15 for the Refugees of Comedy 2025!

Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, 
Executive Director

A fundraiser for the International Institute of Buffalo! Enjoy an evening of laughs from internationally touring comedians Thom Tran, Matt Kirshen, and Corrina Yee!

Open bar with beer, wine, and soft drinks and international food from local restaurants! There is free parking, too!

VIP packages available, including exclusive “meet and greet” access, liquor options, and preferred seating. 

During Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize the scientific, economic, cultural, political, and social contributions of influential Hispanic immigrants and refugees who’ve helped shape the vibrant tapestry of America. The celebration runs through mid-October but, so far, we featured:

Tom Araya, Chilean American metal vocalist and bassist

Desi Arnez, Cuban American actor and musician

Jaime Escalante, Bolivian American educator

There were two local naturalization ceremonies to welcome new American citizens to our country.

First, we helped welcome 38 New Americans from 20 countries as they took their citizenship oaths at the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services Naturalization Ceremony in downtown Buffalo early in the month. These New Americans are from: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Burundi, Canada, China, Congo, Germany, India, Iran, Jordan, Mexico, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine, and Yemen.

A week later at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site (pictured above), we were part of the ceremony welcoming 30 New Americans from 17 countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Burma, Canada, India, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen.

A few weeks after that, there was also a naturalization ceremony at the William-Emslie YMCA. There were 35 New Americans from 20 countries who took their citizenship oaths. These new American citizens were from Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Canada, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Jamaica, Lebanon, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Somalia, Vietnam, and Yemen.

Without dedicated people, IIB could not make Western New York a better place for, and because of, immigrants and refugees. Every month, we pause to acknowledge a few of them. Here is the latest spotlight on some of the people who make IIB great.

In case you missed it, Executive Director of the International Institute of Buffalo, Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, discussed recent issues related to immigrants and refugees in the new presidential administration during a recent interview on On Target with Penny Wolfgang.

Volunteers with the YMCA’s Y on the Fly program joined us for a Kid’s Back to School Field Day! In addition to outdoor activities provided by the Y, IIB staff spent time with the kids to do creative activities, including painting and crafting felt bookmarks. We also distributed backpacks donated by Molina Healthcare to get New American students ready for the schoolyear.

If you're interested in volunteering at IIB, please let us know.

This month, the Employment Services team hosted a financial literacy session in partnership with Good Neighbors Credit Union as part of our ongoing Job Club series. The session covered key topics, including the differences between various types of bank accounts, budgeting strategies, and how to access loans with low interest rates. The information was well-received and helped our clients build greater financial confidence.

We’re also proud to announce the successful completion of our September Job Club. Eight clients participated in and graduated from the two-week program. Job Club continues to provide job seekers with essential tools to strengthen their job readiness, build confidence, and take meaningful steps toward their career goals.

Our team remains dedicated to supporting foreign-trained professionals and all eligible job seekers in achieving employment success. We also welcome walk-ins who meet program requirements and are interested in learning more about our services.

Please help spread the word about our services and let your community know that we are currently supporting walk-in clients.

Get more information on how our Employment Services team helps build the local economy and trains people to be exceptional employees.

This month in NAI, we have been busy helping our clients navigate back-to-school activities. We were fortunate to receive generous back-to-school donations that helped equip the families we serve with the supplies their children need to start the school year off right. 

The NAI team has been assisting the legal team with the resumption of Green Card applications, connecting with previous clients to prepare them with all the necessary information to finalize their applications. 

Additionally, we solidified our partnership with FeedMore WNY and now have a weekly time slot to connect clients and IIB staff alike to nutritious food through the Farm Market Truck, which offers high-quality, fresh produce at affordable prices. 

Lastly, our partners at HOME (Housing Opportunities Made Equal) kindly visited IIB to speak with staff about the basics of fair housing law. We are grateful to their Education Manager, Steven Haagsma, who took the time to help equip us with tools to address the housing needs of our clients. 

Learn more about how our New American Integration team helps support our newest neighbors.

In September, our team welcomed two groups of international professionals from Near East and North African countries through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). These visitors shared best practices:

On the topic of the Rule of Law and the U.S. Judicial System, ten visitors from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Tunisia, with their interpreters, met with subject matter experts from organizations including the Family Justice Center, Buffalo Police Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, Buffalo City Court. 

On the topic of Disability Rights – Equal Access for All, seven visitors from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Morocco, their interpreters, and reasonable accommodation assistants met with resources, including people from Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports, Explore and More Museum, St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, and the Center for Self-Advocacy.

Both groups were welcomed for dinner by local host families and rode the Maid of the Mist boat in Niagara Falls! If you are interested in hosting visiting international dignitaries as a local family, please let us know.

Also, this month, we welcomed the Alzheimer’s Association to present a health session for IIB’s Job Club participants on the topic of supporting family members with dementia. These sessions provide resources to local refugee clients to help them navigate the American health system and promote everyday wellness. 

Learn more about how our International Exchanges and Education team contributes to greater knowledge and understanding in our community.   

Recently, the Interpreting team received 1,193 requests to provide interpreting services in 48 different languages. The most requested languages were Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Dari, Pashto, Rohingya, Somali, Spanish, and Swahili.  The team was proud to support the surrounding schools and their communities with Regents exams and school enrollment. 

The Translation team completed 93 individual projects last month, mostly into Buffalo’s top ten languages for the area’s richly diverse schools, government agencies, tourist attractions, and local employers throughout WNY. Individual projects included, but were not limited to, personal documents, human resource documents such as employee onboarding materials, legal documents, and genealogical research.

By sourcing talented, local interpreters and translators, we are better able to provide first-rate language access to our community. Are you multilingual and interested in joining our team of linguists? We are always looking to add quality linguists. Click to apply.

We are always looking for exceptional interpreters and translators. If you are multilingual and interested in joining our team, we are recruiting linguists for the following languages: Afar, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Pashto, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tamil, Tigrinya, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. Click to apply.

We are also seeking linguists with expertise in legal interpreting for our courts. The International Institute of Buffalo is offering training called Introduction to Court Interpretation.

Visit our website to learn more about our services.

Immigrants and refugees add to the vibrancy of a community; they also spur economic growth. There are many ways they do this in Western New York and the United States. Find them here.

A lot of folks are going on the social media platform, Bluesky. If one of them is you, follow us there!

Come Work with Us!

If you are interested, please take a look at our careers page.