On Friday February 3rd, Danish Deputy Minister for Social Affairs Jesper Ostrup Zwisler and his delegation visited Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House to meet with four beneficiaries of our Immigrant Services program. The meeting was an opportunity for the delegation to hear real-life stories of immigrant struggle and success and how Riis Settlement played a major role in changing their circumstances. Denmark, a country with an immigrant population of 10%, has long struggled with how to best serve immigrant residents and is rethinking ways to change the widely held perception of immigration as a “cost to society” to one that is an “investment and strategy for growth.”
Claire Johnson from Haiti, Jose Fernandez from Mexico, and Zaida Verding and Pablo Arias from Ecuador gave impassioned testimonies of their struggles with English and petitions to have loved ones from their home countries join them in the US. Today, all four speak English and two of them have successfully sponsored family members’ immigration to the US, in large part thanks to Riis Settlement’s ESOL classes and Immigration Lawyer Paula Forero.
Riis Settlement serves 450 immigrants annually through ESOL classes, job training, educational opportunities, resources to health benefits, legal services and preparation for the naturalization exam to become a citizen. Riis is dedicated to “helping people help themselves” to better opportunities and a better future for them and their families. Jose Fernandez is hopeful about the future and has big plans, “my dream is the American dream, to go to college and improve life for my family,” Jose is currently applying to colleges and looks forward to attending next fall.
