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From YouTube: MOIA Immigrants Lead Boston Graduation 2023
Description
Mayor Michelle Wu joins the Office for Immigrant Advancement at Boston City Hall Pavilion to congratulate the first-ever graduates of the Immigrants Lead Boston Lab. Graduates were asked to reflect on the skills they brought with them into the program as well as their vision for the future.
A
A
A
Your
support
has
been
invaluable
throughout
the
program
and
your
support
for
these
immigrant
leaders
in
our
future
Journey
means
everything
we're
also
thrilled
to
have
the
mayor,
Michelle,
Wu,
Chief,
marianji,
Solis
Severa
and
our
ilb
Alum
here
tonight
tonight
we
celebrate
the
achievements
of
13
immigrant
leaders,
who
I
am
confident
will
continue
to
contribute
greatly
to
the
city
of
Boston
and
our
communities.
They.
B
A
A
Our
13
ilb
graduates
here
tonight
develop
essential
skills
like
meeting
facilitation,
storytelling,
public
speaking
and
Community,
organizing
I
hope
to
see
you
cultivate
the
leadership
of
many
other
people
that
implant
the
seeds,
because
every
time
we
see
a
leader,
there's
other
10c,
10
leaders
behind
you
and
we
look
forward
to
building
the
leadership
of
over
a
thousand
people
over
the
next
five
years.
Who
are
Civic
leaders
in
the
Boston
community.
A
And
we
want
to
make
sure
that
immigrants
leave.
Boston
is
just
a
seed
and
planning
for
the
future
and
making
sure
that
our
office
is
able
to
meet
the
needs
of
200
immigrants
in
the
city
of
Boston.
Everything
that
you
envision
is
the
same
vision
that
the
mayor
has
for
working
on:
affordable
housing
and
rent
stability,
rent
stability
from
making
sure
that
the
city
constituents
know
about
city
services
and
also
working
on
tuition.
Equity
that
passed
last
week
in
the
state.
A
C
Mayor
will
esteem
guests
and
graduates
I
come
before
you
not
only
as
an
immigrant,
but
like
many
of
you,
a
brave
soul
who
has
endured
the
twists
and
turns
of
a
remarkable
Adventure
filled
with
hope,
grit
an
unwavering
resolve.
They
are
in
individuals
who
left
behind
the
familiarity
of
our
homes,
loved
ones
and
cozy
Corners
to
change.
C
It
struck
a
heartfelt
chord
Within
Me,
ignited
boundless
optimism
and
a
unwavering
belief
and
Endless
Possibilities.
This
land
held
in
its
embrace
harsh
reality
soon,
sudden
the
rejections
and
limitations
impose
upon
me
were
disheartening.
No,
you
cannot
work.
No,
you
cannot
go
to
college.
No,
you
cannot.
These
words
became
a
painful
chorus,
constantly
reminded
me
of
the
barriers
in
my
path,
opportunities
Reserve
only
for
the
privileged
few,
while
the
rest
of
us
had
no
choice
but
to
settle
for
menial
jobs
or
limited
prospects.
C
I
tied
the
nut,
but
little
did
I
know
that
a
whirlwind
of
violence
awaited
me
with
my
six-month-old
daughter
into
I
left
the
marriage
as
a
non-documented
individual.
My
ex-husband
made
it
his
personal
mission
to
torment
me
and
relentlessly
pursue
my
deportation
as
I
sat
in
the
immigration
office
for
my
Green
Card
interview
Baby
by
my
side,
my
heart
pounding
I
received
a
crushing
blow
of
a
denied
application.
Just
when
I
taught
all
hope
was
lost,
A
call
came
that
would
forever
change
the
trajectory
of
my
life.
C
Legal
Services
eagerly
represented
me
under
the
1994
Violence
Against
Woman
Act,
grasping
onto
the
glimmer
of
hope,
I'm
back
on
a
grueling
journey
toward
Justice
on
September
30th
2001
I
proudly
became
a
United
States
citizen.
My
journey
didn't
end.
There
I
earned
my
bachelor's
degree
went
on
to
get
a
very
successful
job.
My
commitment
towards
my
community
and
most
of
all
I
am
a
loving
wife,
a
devoted
mother
and
a
proud
grandmother.
C
My
life
filled
with
immense
Beauty
and
fulfillment
I
am
acutely
aware
that
none
of
this
would
have
been
possible
without
the
tireless
Advocates,
who
fought
for
the
rights
of
non-citizen
survivors
like
myself.
I
can
go
on
and
on,
but
my
timekeeper
said
it's
time,
but
these
laws
have
paved
the
way
for
our
individuals
like
us
to
rebuild
our
lives
and
pursue
our
dreams.
Mayor
will
demolish
staff,
repower
and
all
our
cultures.
Thank
you
for
your
unwavering
dedication
to
our
cause
and
providing
this
opportunity
to
the
graduating
immigrants.
Thank
you.
D
D
D
Ladies
and
gentlemen,
I'd
like
to
ask
all
of
us
to
reflect
once
again
on
our
responsibility
as
bostonians
reflect
on
how
we
can
promote
our
symbol
of
American
consciousness,
the
fundamental
values
that
funded
this
nation,
the
values
promoting
life,
liberty
and
the
pursuit
of
happiness
and
ask
ourselves?
How
can
you
keep
these
values
alive
for
the
generations
to
come?
D
D
D
D
And
to
my
parents
here
present
it's
their
first
time
to
attend
such
events
and
where
I
am
here
present
in
front
of
everybody.
So
I
want
to
thank
them
so
much
for
the
values
that
they've
entered.
They
have
given
me
along
the
entire
life,
and
this
value
have
made
me
the
person
I
am
today
a
hard-working
individual,
a
man
of
morality
and,
above
all,
a
person
always
ready
to
serve
his
community.
Thank
you.
So
much.
D
Dear
bostonians
I'd
like
to
ask
all
of
us
every
single
day
when
we
wake
up,
look
yourself
in
the
mirror
and
ask
yourself
what
am
I
going
to
do
today.
That's
with
me
is
going
to
make
the
city
of
Boston
better.
Let
us
all
do
something
for
the
city
of
Boston.
It
needs
all
of
us,
no
matter
how
small
is
it
because
great
things
are
done
by
this
series
of
small
things
brought
together?
Thank
you.
So
much.
A
If
that's
not
a
testament
of
how
good
the
program
is,
I,
don't
know
what
to
tell
you.
Thank
you,
everyone
for
your
Reflections
and
thank
you
Cindy
and
Nathan
for
your
powerful
words,
we'll
hear
everyone's
amazing
Reflections
towards
the
end
of
the
program
as
well,
so
stay
tuned,
because
there's
many
more
to
come
now,
I'd
like
to
welcome
our
keynote
speaker,
mayor,
Michelle
Wu,
the
mayor
is
a
daughter
of
immigrants,
has
made
Equity
part
of
everything
we
do
in
City
Hall.
A
She
is
the
best
example
of
immigrant
leader
affecting
the
change
in
the
in
big
and
small
ways.
It
really
means
a
lot
to
us
that
you're
here
with
us
today,
thank
you
for
your
commitment
to
the
Immigrant
community
and
the
Boston
Community
as
a
whole,
and
and
leaders
like
myself,
and
the
leaders
that
are
here
with
us
today
so
give
a
warm
welcome
to
Mayor
Michelle
Wu.
E
E
E
I
am
I'm,
I'm,
really
emotional.
To
be
here,
it
is
bringing
back
frankly
a
lot
of
memories
of
my
childhood
and
I'll.
Just
okay.
Maybe
I
want
to
I'll
use
my
time
wisely
and
just
try
to
share
two
two
stories
that
maybe
illustrate
a
little
bit
of
how
I
grew
up
and
and
how
I
think
about
the
city
and
where
we're
going
today,
I'm
the
oldest
kid
and
my
parents
had
immigrated
from
Taiwan
to
the
U.S
before
shortly
before
I
was
born,
and
so
they
didn't
really
speak
English
comfortably.
E
E
What
that
meant
in
my
role
as
someone
who
did
grow
up
here,
but
still
never
quite
felt,
like
I
belonged
either
in
any
of
those
spaces.
One
time
my
grandfather
was
visiting
us
and
we
lived
in
Chicago
at
the
time
and
it
was
probably
late
fall
and
my
grandfather
lived
in
Hawaii,
that's
where
he
had
immigrated
to
and
we
you
know
he
lived
in
public
housing
there.
So
he
didn't
get
the
chance
to
visit
very
often,
and
we
didn't
have
enough
money
to
take
our
whole
family
ever
to
go
visit
him
in
Hawaii.
E
E
Was
there
and
I
remember
these
gigantic
men
coming
taking
our
family
over
into
a
side
room
and
then
having
to
translate
for
them
as
they
accuse
my
family
of
trying
to
steal
things
while
I
was
explaining
that
it
was
an
accident
and
I
was
five
six
years
old
and
it
felt
like
so
much
pressure
in
that
moment
and
I
was
talking
to
my
grandparents
and
my
mom
and
then
back
to
these
gigantic
men
and
at
the
end
they.
Finally
just
let
us
leave
but
I.
E
I
had
somehow
kept
it
together
myself
during
that
store
visit,
but
as
soon
as
we
got
home,
I
just
went
to
my
room
and
was
crying
and
crying
under
the
pressure
and
a
few
minutes
later,
I
heard
a
knock
at
the
door
and
I
looked
and
we
were
you
know.
Inside
indoors,
there
was
my
grandfather
dressed
in
history,
gigantic
puffy
coat
who
had
come,
and
he
said
to
me.
Don't
don't
remember
the
gloves.
E
E
All
of
us
remember
that
our
responsibility
is
to
those
who
are
outside
these
tables
and
doors
and
and
rooms
of
decision
making,
and
it
is
in
fact
in
our
communities
in
those
store
security
rooms
and
hospitals
and
homes
where
we
need
to
ensure
that
people
feel
like
the
city
sees
them
and
is
for
them
and
belongs
to
them.
You
all
are
the
most
important
part
of
making
sure
we
can
see
that
happen
and
connect
to
our
communities
in
Boston.
E
It
really
is
on
all
of
our
shoulders
bostonians
to
wake
up
every
day
and
think
about
how
we
can
live
out
those
values
and
so
I'll,
just
close
by
offering
a
few
Reflections
on
something
else
that
we
did
this
last
year,
I
believe
firmly
as
the
First
mom
with
young
kids
in
this
role
as
mayor
in
Boston.
That,
if
you
want
the
most
honest
answers,
usually
you
should
just
ask
kids
what
they
think
about
anything.
E
In
fact,
when
you
visited
the
the
their
final
results,
it
wasn't
about
the
buildings
at
all.
There
was
no
one
who
had
wanted
to
build
the
tallest
structure
or
the
most
crazy
shape,
or
anything
like
that.
What
I
saw
in
all
of
their
projects
were
free
beds,
so
that
people
would
have
places
to
sleep
at
night.
I
did
see
a
lot
of
free
ice
cream
stores
as
well.
In
a
lot
of
places.
There
was
one
project
where
someone
had.
E
This
was
a
kind
of
a
recurring
theme
that
made
me
realize
we
need
to
even
engage
our
young
people
on
the
street
cleaning
and
everything
one
one
had
designed
a
very
fancy
street
sweeper.
That
would
automatically
do
a
bunch
of
things.
Another
project
had
a
gigantic
tree
and
nest
in
it
and
when
I
asked
that
kindergartner
they
said
this
was
an
Owl's
Nest
and
I
was
like.
Oh
that's
so
interesting.
Do
you
really
like
owls
and
they
said
no,
but
the
owls
would
catch
all
the
rats
that
are
around
at
night.
E
They
were
trying
to
solve
problems
in
their
in
their
own
way
that
they
had
noticed
around
their
neighborhoods,
and
so
our
young
people
know
what
our
city
needs,
that
it's
not
about
the
structures
of
the
buildings,
how
they
look
or
how
they're
shaped
it's
about
what
people
are
coming
together
to
to
dream
about
and
then
to
get
done
together,
and
so
most
of
all.
I
hope
that
that
is
the
legacy
of
our
city
in
this
moment
is
to
be
a
city.
That's
really
focused
on
people.
We
want
to
be
a
Boston
for
everyone.
E
We
want
to
be
a
Boston
for
families
of
every
generation,
every
Walk
of
Life
every
background,
and
you
all
are
the
leaders
who
are
going
to
make
that
happen
so
I.
Thank
you
so
much
for
all
that.
You
do
all
that.
You
have
done
to
get
to
this
point
in
your
amazing
Journeys
and
for
not
only
experiencing
all
of
that
and
being
here
today,
but
for
making
the
choice
on
top
of
that
to
share
your
gifts
and
your
talent
with
the
entire
city
of
Boston.
Congratulations
and
thank
you.
Thank
you.
A
Thank
you
mayor
and
now
I
welcome
our
chief
of
equity
and
inclusion,
Mary
angelis
Solis
Severa.
To
this
stage,
our
cabinets
is
to
ensure
that
Equity
is
embedded
throughout
the
whole
city
to
making
sure
that
the
whole
city
works
for
especially
marginalized
communities,
have
been
historically
excluded,
so
I'm,
welcoming
Chief,
who
is
going
to
share
some
words
of
inspiration
and
encouragement.
Thank
you.
F
And
if
there's
one
thing
that
I
hope
that
we
as
a
city
can
do
better
is
mitigate
those
factors
that
make
you
have
to
sacrifice
so
much
because
you
too
deserve
to
breathe
and
you
two
deserve
to
go
home
and
just
watch
Netflix,
sometimes
or
whatever.
It
is
that
you
like
to
watch
I
want
to
shout
out
Monique,
who
has
been
an
incredible
Visionary
leader
who
took
a
program
that
was
already
good
and
saw
a
different
vision
and
just
made
it
much
better.
F
Who
is
somebody
that
leads
with
so
much
grace
and
love
and
Sass
too,
and
just
put
so
much
intention
behind
this
into
to
us
to
Mayor,
wood
and
I?
This
is
so
much
about
uplifting
and
showing
the
work
that
you
are
already
doing.
So
congratulations
and
I
can't
wait
for
you
to
take
my
job
in
a
few
years.
F
A
Thank
you
so
much
Chief
and
now
I,
welcome
conrado
from
the
power
and
I
just
want
to
tell
a
short
story
about
how
I
even
know
Canada,
because
we
actually
met
each
other
when
I
was
a
baby.
Organizer
I
was
in
in
your
shoes
when
I
first
started,
organizing
I
wanted
to
fight
for
tuition,
equity
and
I
met
corado
on
the
same
campaign
and
we've
crossed
paths
again,
because
we
wanted
to
help
Empower
other
people
of
the
following
the
same
type
of
path
that
we
did
as
organizers.
A
G
G
G
And
tour
graduates.
Thank
you
so
much
for
engaging
with
us
in
this
process
for
trusting
us
to
share
some
of
what
we
have
put
together
for
you
and
to
engage
in
this
with
your
hearts,
with
your
minds
open
at
re-power,
your
organization
that
I'm
with.
We
really
believe
that
investing
leaders
of
color
is
the
path
to
building
the
multiracial
Democracy,
that
we
really
need
to
build
the
world
that
we
want
for
ourselves
and
for
our
children.
G
My
own
growth
as
a
leader
started
right
around
here
when
students
from
East
Boston
high
school
came
to
visit
me.
This
was
18
years
ago
as
a
high
school
high
school
student
myself,
and
they
were
the
first
to
ask
some
of
the
questions
that
we
got
to
ask
you.
Who
are
your
people?
What
are
you
faced
with,
and
what
are
you
going
to
do
about
it
and
I?
Remember
that
question
sticking
in
our
mind:
okay,
what
are
you
going
to
do
about
it?
What
are
you
going
to
do
about
it?
G
And
it's
been
close
to
20
years
now
of
trying
to
work
through
that
question
that
little
youth
group
then
came
grew
into
an
organization.
The
organization
paired
came
together
with
others,
and
we
went
on
to
build
what
came
to
be
known
as
a
dream
movement,
and
so
from
a
little
high
school
presentation.
G
We
eventually
managed
to
stop
hundreds
of
deportation
styles
of
deportations,
eventually,
when
DACA
that
allowed
about
a
million
young
people,
including
myself,
to
receive
our
work
permits
for
the
first
time
and
so
I
know
you
know
it's
a
little
coarse,
you're
like
two
hours
a
night
I'm
like
all
right.
Let
me
think
about
this,
but
the
reality
is:
is
that
as
folks
have
shared,
it
really
is
built
in
small
steps
and
so
I
think
my
My
Hope
for
you,
my
challenge
to
you
is
to
think
as
Nathan
was
sharing
about.
G
What
is
the
small
step
that
you're
going
to
take,
and
this
journey
for
me
was
an
exciting
one.
One
full
of
small
steps
and
I'm
really
excited
to
see
where
that
journey
is
going
to
take
all
of
you.
So
congratulations,
graduates
and
thank
you
again
to
the
mayor's
office
for
the
Immigrant
advancement
for
bringing
us
in
to
help
support
you
in
this.
Thank
you.
A
I
would
like
to
invite
counselor
Braden
to
come
up
to
share
a
few
words
she's.
A
great
big
advocate
for
immigrant
Community,
especially
in
Austin,
who
have
been
working
on
ensuring
that
esol
programs
are
expanded.
So
I
would
love
to
have
a
few
words
from
her
as
well
to
welcome
you
all
and
congratulate
you
all
as
well.
So
please
give
her
a
round
of
applause.
H
H
I'm,
an
immigrant
from
Northern
Ireland,
I
came
in
95
and
Boston
is
a
really
really
exciting
place
for
I.
It
was
life-changing
for
me
to
come
here,
but
I
came
with
advantages
that
many
of
our
immigrant
brothers
and
sisters
have
different
challenges.
I
I
came
from
a
country,
I
had
a
professional
qualification.
I
was
hired
to
come
here.
I
speak
English
and
very
very
aware
of
the
fact
that
it
was
very
easy
for
me
to
be
here
and
come
here.
H
It's
not
as
easy
for
so
many
of
our
other
immigrant
brothers
and
sisters,
and
they
really
applaud
all
of
you
for
stepping
up.
I'm
also
really
excited
to
hear
from
repar
used
to
be
wellstone
action
way
back
when
in
192004
at
the
Democratic
Convention
in
Boston,
wellstone
action
did
a
training
for
campaign
skills
and
Community.
Organizing
and
I
took
that
training.
H
2004
and
I'm
really
excited
to
see
that
you
know
well
this,
that
the
legacy
of
Paul
wellstone
lives
on
through
every
par
and
and
Community
organizing
is
such
an
important
part
of
the
work
that
we
do
so
congratulations.
Everyone
I,
don't
want
to
take
too
much
of
the
time,
but
I'm
so
impressed
with
all
that.
H
You
do
and
count
me
as
a
partner
and
I
know
in
Alston
Brighton,
it's
really
about
building
relationships
and
connections
and
working
together
to
try
and
solve
the
problems
that
we
face
in
our
city
and
in
our
neighborhoods
and
across
the
country
for
that
matter.
So
thank
you.
Thank
you
for
doing
this.