Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are tax dollars being used to fund the initiative?

No.  The initiative is funded for four years by The Colorado Trust.  In addition, in-kind assistance is provided by local agencies, businesses and private individuals. To make a tax exempt contribution contact Phil Cortese at 303-795-3732 or at pcortese@littletongov.org.

What is The Colorado Trust?

The Trust is a private grantmaking foundation dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of the people of Colorado.  The foundation develops long-term initiatives that respond to the needs of communities.  For more information about the foundation, visit www.ColoradoTrust.org.

What is immigrant integration?

Coming here from another country and learning a new way of life is an individualized process during which the newcomer both keeps and sheds some elements of his or her previous culture and adopts elements of the mainstream culture.  Immigrants/refugees and members of the established community both have roles to play in this process. 

Does the initiative have a position on immigration policy?

No.  Immigration policy is the responsibility of the federal government. 

Won’t the initiative encourage more immigrants to move here?

No.  Research shows that today’s immigrants (like immigrants of the past) move to where there are jobs and where they can be close to their families.

What’s the difference between an immigrant and a refugee?

An immigrant is a foreign-born individual who has been admitted to reside permanently in the United States as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).

Typically, a foreign-born individual seeking to become an LPR can do so in one of three ways:
 

• Through family-sponsored immigration, a U.S. citizen can sponsor his or her foreign-born spouse, parent (if the sponsor is over the age of 21), minor and adult married and unmarried children, and brothers and sisters. A Lawful Permanent Resident can sponsor his or her spouse, minor children, and adult unmarried children.
   
• Through employment-based immigration, a U.S. employer can sponsor an individual for a specific position where there is a demonstrated absence of U.S. workers.
   
• By winning one of a limited number of immigrant visas available in the annual diversity visa lottery that is open to immigrants from certain countries.
   

A refugee is a person outside of the United States who seeks protection on the grounds that he or she fears persecution in his or her homeland. To obtain refugee status, a person must prove that he or she has a "well-founded fear of persecution" on the basis of at least one of five specifically-enumerated and internationally-recognized grounds. Those grounds include the person's race, religion, membership in a social group, political opinion, or national origin.

A person who has already entered the United States, and who fears persecution if sent back to his or her country, may apply for asylum here. Once granted asylum, the person is called an "asylee." Like a refugee, an asylum applicant must also prove that he or she has a "well-founded fear of persecution" based on the same enumerated grounds. Both refugees and asylees may apply to become LPRs after one year.

Do immigrants take jobs away from Americans?

The reality is that immigrants want to work, and most are working within a few weeks of arrival.  Many work as unskilled laborers (what author Mary Pipher, in “The Middle of Everywhere,” calls 3-D work -- difficult, dirty and dangerous), doing work that Americans don’t want to do.

Why don’t more immigrants learn English?

Immigrants arrive in the U.S. with a wide range of educational backgrounds.  Some are well-educated and acquire English proficiency rapidly through immersion and grammar instruction, while others come from countries where government-funded education is provided only through the elementary grades.  For these students, language acquisition is extremely difficult.  Adults have a much harder time becoming fluent than children do. Nevertheless, many adult immigrants attend English classes consistently (some while working two jobs) and they strive to learn all they can.  Often students have limited opportunities for practice in their neighborhoods.  Some may feel self-conscious about initiating conversations in English with native speakers.  Still, the majority want to learn; 87 percent say it’s extremely important to learn English.

What do immigrants say about life in the U.S.?

A study for the Pew Charitable Trust shows that immigrants say the U.S. is better than their home country in the following ways:

• 88 percent say there is more opportunity in the U.S.

• 68 percent say there are better rights for women

• 67 percent say we have a more trustworthy legal system

• 62 percent say we have a more trustworthy government

• 60 percent say we have a better educational system.

Why don’t more immigrants become citizens?

It’s not easy to become a U.S. citizen, although many immigrants achieve that dream.  To become a citizen, a person must live in the U.S. at least five years, pass a written civics test, and pass an oral interview in English. Immigrants tell us that the oral interview is the hardest part for them.