Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) is the largest organization in New England promoting the rights and integration of immigrants and refugees. We serve the Commonwealth's one million foreign-born residents with policy analysis and advocacy, institutional organizing, training and leadership development, strategic communications, citizenship assistance, and AmeriCorps initiatives that provide capacity-building for community-based organizations. The Coalition involves an active membership of over 130 organizations, including community-based groups, social service organizations, ethnic associations, schools, refugee resettlement agencies, health centers, hospitals, religious institutions, unions and law firms, as well as thousands of individual members, contributors, and allies. We also serve immigrants in New Hampshire through our affiliate, theNew Hampshire Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees (NHAIR). Read More

• About Us
  The New Americans Integration Institute (NAII), launched in 2011, focuses on helping newcomers claim their place in the civic, economic, and social life of America. A focus on immigrant integration means acknowledging the role of foreign born communities as crucial contributors to the social, economic, civic and cultural life of the nation, now and throughout its history, and a key source of the energy, creativity and human capital needed for the country to remain competitive and move forward in an increasingly complex and globalized world. We see immigrant integration as a two-way process--one that strengthens the systems and tools that allow immigrants in the U.S. to participate fully in their families, jobs and communities, and that benefits all Americans by providing immigrants with the opportunity to contribute to their fullest capacity to those jobs and communities and to the strength of the nation as a whole.
  
  The Institute will work through policy-oriented research and direct, on-the-ground integration projects that help drive that research, as well as through media and communications efforts to enhance the image of immigrants in our society and public discourse. The the Institute's current areas of work include: citizenship; immigrant entrepreneurship; workforce development and immigrant professional integration; and access to education for immigrant and dual language learner children, from pre-K to college.
• Our Impact
  New American Integration Program (NAIP)
  The MIRA Coalition, The Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants, and English for New Bostonians partnered in 2011 to form the Massachusetts AmeriCorps New American Integration Program (NAIP). Currently, AmeriCorps members work at different immigrant- and refugee-serving organizations in Greater Boston, Lynn, MetroWest, Central Massachusetts, New Bedford, and the Merrimack Valley. Members commit to a full-time, full or half year service position while receiving a modest living allowance, health benefits, training, and an educational award at completion of service.NAIP AmeriCorps Members assist immigrants and refugees gain economic stability and more fully participate in our society through learning English, applying for citizenship, job readiness training, and accessing community services. Through high quality training and experience, NAIP AmeriCorps members, many of whom are from immigrant and refugee communities themselves, become skilled and passionate service providers, educators, interpreters, and leaders.