Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Reaffirming the City of Madison as an open and welcoming city and recognizing the contributions of immigrants to Madison, Wisconsin and the United States.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Madison recognizes its diversity as one of its greatest strengths and appreciates the culture and history of our various communities, including immigrant communities, all of whom add to the greatness of our City; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison objects to the negative characterization of certain countries especially African nations, El Salvador, and Haiti in recent comments by the President of the United States; and,
WHEREAS, El Salvadorans were granted Temporary Protected Status as a result of the 2001 earthquake. The Protected Status was rescinded in January 2018, putting 200,000 El Salvadoran's at risk of deportation from the United States; and,
WHEREAS, Haitians were granted Temporary Protected Status as a result of the 2010 earthquake. Haitian Protected Status was rescinded in 2017 and approximately 59,000 Haitians are now at risk of deportation from the United States; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison proclaimed March 21, 2017 to be Cities’ Immigration Day of Action, declaring its solidarity with the immigrant community, and asserting its commitment to the values of diversity, inclusiveness, and equality; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison and the United States have benefited from the repeated waves of immigration from communities around the world; and,
WHEREAS, it is important to reaffirm the value of immigrants because they contribute to Madison's cultural, economic and social well-being; and,
WHEREAS, there are 43,905 immigrants in Madison's Metro Area, comprising 7.1% of the population; and,
WHEREAS, immigrants are vital students and teachers in higher education, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). There are more than 50 international graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in each of the following majors: chemical engineering, chemistry, civil and environmental engineering, computer sciences, curriculum and instruction, economics, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, mathematics, mechanical engineering, as well as statistics; and,
WHEREAS, 112 students from the African Nations of Cameroon, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and,
WHEREAS, African immigrants boast higher levels of education than the overall U.S. population, with a particular focus on STEM. Forty percent of African immigrants have at least a bachelor’s degree-making them 30% more likely to achieve that level of education than the U.S. population overall. Of this group, about one in three have STEM degrees, training heavily in demand by today’s employers; and
WHEREAS, the African Association of Madison serves as a forum to unite people of African descent and friends of Africa in Madison. The African Association of Madison hosts the annual Africa Fest which boasts attendance of 10,000 people. Africa Fest invites Madisonians to experience the music, food, and cultural identity of the African Diaspora; and
WHEREAS, 29.5% of Madison Metro Area Immigrants have a graduate degree compared with 15% of the native born population; and,
WHEREAS, immigrants have a positive impact on local economy; and
WHEREAS, over 2000 local immigrants are entrepreneurs; and,
WHEREAS, immigrant household income in the Madison Metro Area totals $1.3 billion. Immigrants paid $352.4 million in local, state and federal taxes (2014) resulting in $934.2 million in spending power; and
WHEREAS, immigrants own 7,314 homes in the Madison Metro Area; and,
WHEREAS, there are 39,776 eligible immigrant voters in the Madison Metro Area; and,
WHEREAS, there are over 900,000 Haitians in the United States. The children of Haitian immigrants are graduating from college and earning advanced degrees at rates above the U.S. population; and,
WHEREAS, a number of Haitians in Madison work in the health care industry providing needed care to patients in hospitals and other facilities; and,
WHEREAS, the Haitian community in Madison together with Wisconsin Microfinance host the annual Flavors of Haiti five-course dinner to raise funds for programs in Haiti; and,
WHEREAS, over 2 million El Salvadorans and their children live in the United States. El Salvadorans are more likely than the general population to be in the work force than the general population (75% versus 64%). The Salvadoran diaspora in the United States supports El Salvador by sending about $3.6 billion in remittances annually,
THEREFORE, NOW BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Madison reaffirms its appreciation for immigrant communities and embraces the values of a diverse community.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Madison welcomes all residents, especially members of African, El Salvadoran and Haitian communities.