Something Else is Possible.
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
On a recent Friday afternoon, the halls of Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana, Illinois, were brimming with color and community. Flags from dozens of countries lined the walls, and the air was filled with aromas of cultural cuisines from around the world. As shoppers moved from store to store, a high school senior named Gisselle Alquicira stepped courageously onto the stage with her violin and began performing with Mariachi Tigres de Urbana, a musical group from Urbana High School.
After her performance, a student journalist from IPM News asked Giselle about the music, to which she replied, "You may not understand the words, but you understand the emotion."
Gisselle was one of more than 80,000 people who came together earlier this month for Welcoming Week, the annual celebration hosted by Welcoming America, an organization that helps local governments and nonprofits build more inclusive, prosperous communities.
Over 10 days in September, there were more than 1,760 events in all 50 states and five countries. There were potlucks and proclamations, citizenship ceremonies and crafting cafés. In Colorado, more than 20 partner organizations each designed a patch for a digital welcoming quilt.
This year's theme was Stories We Share: The Courage to Connect, but it's hardly the first time I've connected courage to this movement.
Back in April 2024, I sat down with Rachel Perić, Welcoming America's Executive Director, on the Mission Forward podcast to talk about the state of welcoming in America, and to explore the concept of "civitas", which describes the spirit of what's possible when a collective body comes together for good; the mutual, often unspoken contract that binds us to one another.
At the time, 24 U.S. cities and counties had earned the organization's Certified Welcoming designation: a rigorous, independent audit of how well a community makes it possible for newcomers to fully participate in civic, social, and economic life.
Rachel told me the goal was to hit 50 Certified Welcoming communities by 2026, to coincide with America's 250th. She wanted to send a message about the country we're becoming.
This month, they got there.
Fifty communities now hold the Certified Welcoming seal. That's nearly 25 million people living somewhere that has made a formal, verified commitment to welcoming.
It's also a commitment that requires much more than words.
In Boston last week, Mayor Michelle Wu marked her city's new designation by reminding the crowd that one in four Bostonians was born in another country.
And in Bend, Oregon, the Latino Community Association answered hostile rhetoric toward its neighbors by asking residents to show up. It recruited volunteers for welcome tables, interpretation, and de-escalation efforts.
Yes, you read that right. A welcoming celebration that included de-escalation volunteers. That's the moment we're in. And still, people keep showing up for their communities and each other, because they know that something else is possible.
That's civitas in action. It's aspirational by nature, but you can see it in any one of those 50 Certified Welcoming communities.
A teenager playing the violin in Lincoln Square Mall.
A digital quilt "stitched" from 20 patches in Colorado.
Neighbors in Oregon volunteering to keep the peace so everyone can celebrate safely.
None of this happens by accident. It requires the courage to connect.
And connecting comes with real benefits, too. In St. Louis last week, for instance, the city's Office of New Americans called migration an asset, a source of population growth, new businesses and economic strength.
Communities that welcome tend to grow stronger, for everyone who lives there.
But, as you might imagine, the contract only holds if we all keep it. Civitas can't be handed off as someone else's job. It needs to show up in how we greet the new family on our street, in who we invite to our tables, and in what we say when someone is being made to feel they don't belong.
I know the times we're living in feel bleak, for so many reasons. And yet, there's a bright spot here. There are now more than 80 local Offices of New Americans across the country- a number that has skyrocketed since Welcoming America was founded. Chambers of Commerce, libraries, arts groups and funders all now call this work their own.
The courage to connect, as it turns out, can be contagious. When one institution finds the words to say "Welcoming matters to us", it becomes easier for the next community to say it too.
And, as Rachel said last week, Welcoming Week is evidence that something else is possible.
You don’t have to wait for next September to be part of it, either.
Learn the name of a family that just moved into the neighborhood.
Host a meal.
Find out if your community is Certified Welcoming. If it's not, suggest that it works to become one.
And, if you lead a team, take a fresh look at who your programs, hiring practices, and materials are really built for and who they might be leaving out. Language access is often where newcomers first hit a wall.
Many years ago, a neighbor of ours from Ethiopia who spoke very little English shared a phrase: "Neighbor is family." Turns out we don't need to understand every word to understand the emotion. We just need the courage to connect.
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
