Children from immigrant communities make up 26 percent of the school population nationwide, but these students are not always able to access books readily – nor to see their backgrounds reflected in the books that are available to them. September 8-17 is national Welcoming Week, an annual campaign that celebrates the work in communities to become welcoming places for all, including immigrants. We’ll learn what some organizations in Maine are doing to get books into the hands of immigrant children and their families.
Panelists:
Kirsten Cappy, Executive Director & Co-founder, I’m Your Neighbor Books
Charles Mugabe, Assistant Program Director, Refugee & Immigrant Services, Catholic Charities Maine; creator of the New Arrival Book Project to gift books to refugee children when they arrive in Maine
Anne Sibley O'Brien, children's book author & illustrator; creator of the interconnected books I'm New Here and Someone New
Resources:
Welcoming Week - Welcoming America
Children of Immigrants and the Future of Maine (urban.org)
18 Inspiring Books About Immigration for Kids | Brightly (readbrightly.com)
Why Americanization makes immigrant children less successful | The New Republic
