AAPIP Voices

Joint Foundation Statement on Immigration

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AAPIP, along with more than 30 foundations, have signed on to a statement in support of immigrants and refugees. Original Ssatement posted at Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees.

The United States stands at a historical crossroads. Founded as a refuge from religious persecution and built by generations of immigrants, our country has been the standard bearer internationally for the assertion and protection of inalienable rights and freedoms, a beacon of hope for refugees facing oppression and persecution, and a land of opportunity for immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their families.

 

As philanthropic institutions, we have built our missions on this proud and rich tradition. We have invested in creating healthy communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, building a vibrant democracy, and advancing equity and equality for all people, regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, immigration status, and national origin.

 

The recently issued immigration executive orders compromise our nation’s founding principles and the Constitution, our standing in the world, and our core values of liberty, justice, and due process. They weaken our moral leadership, fuel the efforts of those who wish us ill, harm our global competitiveness, and fray our social fabric.

 

Our foundations support diverse issues, strategies, and communities across the country, but we are united in the belief that immigrants and refugees are integral to every aspect of our society. Newcomers enrich our culture and tradition as artists, playwrights, and dancers. Naturalized citizens strengthen our civic life as voters, jurors, school-board members, and elected officials. Immigrant entrepreneurs and refugee-owned businesses revitalize neighborhoods, towns, and cities across America. Foreign-born scientists and engineers fuel innovations and help our country prosper. Farmworkers put food on our tables, and caregivers nurture our children, care for our elders, and nurse our ill. Young newcomers—including DACA beneficiaries—demonstrate their patriotism and enthusiasm for American ideals in schools, communities, workplaces, and the armed forces. Without the contributions of immigrants and refugees now and throughout our history, our collective wellbeing and economic vitality would be greatly diminished.

 

We, the undersigned philanthropies, join public officials, the faith community, business leaders, and the American public in supporting policies that protect our national security, strengthen our economy, and uphold core American values. We stand with our grantees—advocates, organizers, researchers, and service providers—in calling for policies that reflect our nation’s founding principles, promote cohesion and inclusion, instill hope, and show compassion. Policies that recognize our global interdependence, that honor our tradition of welcoming those seeking refuge and a better life, and that keep families together will make our communities stronger, safer, and more prosperous.

 

We expect additional challenges in the weeks and months ahead on the immigration front, including expanded detention and deportations, and on policies affecting the rights of women, African Americans, the LGBTQ community, and other vulnerable groups. The issues, communities, and core values that our foundations have sought to advance are under serious and imminent danger. With history and morality as our guide, we reject discriminatory policies that target individuals based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender expression, and other grounds. We stand committed to the inherent value and dignity of every person at home and abroad. We stand together for the American Dream.

Signatories

Cora Mirikitani, President & CEO
Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP)
Audrey Yamamoto, President & Executive Director
Asian Pacific Fund
   
Jerry Greenfield, President
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
Antonia Hernández, President & CEO
California Community Foundation  
   
Karen A. Simmons, President & CEO
Chester County Community Foundation
Laura Livoti, CEO
Common Counsel Foundation 
   
Joe Goldman, President
Democracy Fund 
Jennie Lehua Watson, Interim President
Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
   
Marcos Vargas, Executive Director
Fund for Santa Barbara
Ben Francisco Maulbeck, President
Funders for LGBTQ Issues  
   
Dimple Abichandani, Executive Director
General Service Foundation
Eva Grove, Founder & Board Member
Leslie Dorosin, Executive Director
Grove Foundation
   
Darren Sandow, Executive Director
Hagedorn Foundation  
Nat Williams, Ph.D, Executive Director
Hill-Snowdon Foundation
   
Diana Campoamor, President
Hispanics in Philanthropy
Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, CEO
Latino Community Foundation 
   
Debora Ortega, Ph.d., Board Chair
Carlos Martinez, Executive Director
Latino Community Foundation of Colorado
James S. Farley, Esquire, President & CEO
Leichtag Foundation
   
Helen Brunner, Foundation Director
Media Democracy Fund
Charles Wilhoite, Board Chair
Doug Stamm, CEO
Meyer Memorial Trust 
   
Frank I. Sanchez, Executive Director
Needmor Fund  
Michele Lord, President
NEO Philanthropy
   

Lorie A. Slutsky, President
New York Community Trust

Maria Mottola, Executive Director
New York Foundation

   
Kevin F. Walker, President & CEO
Northwest Area Foundation
Ken Zimmerman, Director of U.S. Programs
Open Society Foundations 
   
Gillian Darlow, CEO
Polk Bros. Foundation
Mary E. McClymont,
President and CEO
Public Welfare Foundation
   
Timothy P. Silard, President
Rosenberg Foundation
Aixa N. Cintrón-Vélez, Ph.D., Program Director
Russell Sage Foundation
   
Fo-Ching Lu, President
Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation
Tom Keith, President
Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina 
   
Molly Gochman, Founder
Stardust Fund
Robert K. Ross, M.D., President & CEO
The California Endowment
   
Truman Collins, President
Cynthia G. Addams, CEO
The Collins Foundation 
Alicia Phillip, President
The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta 
   
Don Howard, President & CEO
The James Irvine Foundation
Pedro Ramos, President & CEO
The Philadelphia Foundation 
   
Fred Blackwell, CEO
The San Francisco Foundation
Amanda Cloud, President & CEO
The Simmons Foundation 
   
Rick Kinsel, President
The Vilcek Foundation
Edward Kissam, Trustee
The Werner-Kohnstamm Family Fund 
   
Larry Kramer, President
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation 
Taryn Higashi, Executive Director
Unbound Philanthropy 
   
Kate Kroeger, Executive Director
Urgent Action Fund  

Nancy Wiltsek, Executive Director
van Löben Sels/RembeRock Foundation

   
William S. Goldman, President of the Board of Trustees
Pamela H. David, Executive Director
Walter & Elise Haas Fund
Fred Ali, President & CEO
Weingart Foundation   
   
Donna P. Hall, President & CEO
Women Donors Network 
Grace Hou, President
Woods Fund Chicago 
   
Bob Uyeki, CEO
Y & H Soda Foundation 
Allison Magee, Executive Director
Zellerbach Family Foundation