Celebrate Immigrants

Immigrant Heritage Month

Immigrant Heritage Month was started in June 2014 by the I Stand With Immigrants Initiative and FWD.us as part of their I Am An Immigrant campaign. This campaign "encourages all Americans to celebrate the monumental contributions that immigrants have made — and continue to make — every day" and hopes we use this month to "explore [our] own heritage and celebrate the shared diversity that forms the unique story of America". (Information from I Am An Immigrant and FWD.us).

Scroll to the bottom of the page for downloadable resource lists and resource trackers.

As part of our Read Wider program we have downloadable resource lists and resource trackers.

Downloadable resource lists are full of books, movies, music, and online resources. Each list is carefully curated by our collection librarians to highlight own-voice stories, stories of struggle, and stories of strength.

Resource trackers for kids and teens or adults are a great way to record and highlight your favorite books, movies, music, and online resources for this month. Teens can choose to use the kids and teens or the adult resource tracker. Download a resource tracker at the bottom of the page, complete it, and join us for a discussion at the end of the month on new lessons learned and what actions could be taken in the future.

Who is an immigrant?

An immigrant is a person who migrated from another country with the intention of settling in a different country. They are able to return home, though many do not as they build lives and careers in their chosen community.

An immigrant is different than a refugee as a refugee cannot return to their home country due to war and/or violence. Refugees have been forced to flee their home and seek refugee status in safer countries.

Similarly, asylum seekers have fled their home country due to fear for their lives and to seek protection from safer countries. Asylum seekers can apply for refugee status once they have reached safety. Please note: Seeking asylum is not an illegal act and many wrongfully identify asylum seekers as "illegal" immigrants. 

(Information from the International Rescue Committee).

Immigrant Voices by English in Action

English In Action is dedicated to helping immigrants learn English and develop the skills they need to pursue their dreams. They also bridge cultural divides and offer opportunities to celebrate and learn about the diverse community here. They are a nonprofit organization based in the Roaring Fork Valley of western Colorado and our partners working out of the Pitkin County Library and other libraries throughout the valley (English in Action About Us Page). 

English in Action hosts "Immigrant Voices" events yearly starting in 2017 as a way to connect to the community through storytelling. Learn more and find all "Immigrant Voices" video stories on the English in Action Immigrant Voices page or on their YouTube.   

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