Giving Compass' Take:
- Birdie Soti, philanthropy director for the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, discusses why immigrant justice should be addressed intersectionally, especially for children's rights.
- How you best support justice for immigrant children?
- Read more about immigrant justice.
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Every year, from all across the globe, tens of thousands of children migrate to the United States in search of safety. Their reasons for leaving home span all issues—from climate change to gender-based violence to racial injustice and religious persecution. Yet, far too often, their stories and experiences are reduced to their immigration journey and separated from all other aspects of their identities—which are affected by the same social issues that impact all of us.
Immigrant justice, like any social cause, is intersectional. For a child fleeing climate catastrophes, immigrant justice is also climate justice. For a pregnant teen held in immigration custody and in need of reproductive care, immigrant justice is also reproductive justice. For a trans migrant facing persecution for their identity, immigrant justice is also LGBTQ justice. And at the heart of each of these issues is also the fight for racial justice, as Black and brown communities remain disproportionately threatened by systemic racism, institutional barriers, and restrictive government policies our society is grappling with today.
For decades, the culture of fundraising and philanthropy has encouraged donors to select a well-defined cause and support it through ongoing monetary investments. Without question, these investments have been critical in deepening the work of nonprofits all over the world, and the impact of this financial support cannot be overstated. Yet, fundraising and philanthropy, like everything else, must adapt to meet the moment. The reality is that our safety and our rights are at stake. We must recognize ourselves as part of a global community and understand that whatever social cause we care about does not exist in isolation.
In June, just days after ruling to make it easier to carry guns in a country reeling from mass shootings, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and effectively ended the constitutional right to abortion access. There is no overstating that the effects of both decisions will be felt most deeply by communities of color, LGBTQ communities, and immigrants who face ongoing anti-immigrant hate, xenophobia, racial violence, and criminalization, including the unaccompanied immigrant children in federal custody we serve at the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.
Read the full article about immigrant children's justice by Birdie Soti at Philanthropy News Digest.