(The national perspective is excerpted from Out of Many, One - A History of the Immigration and Refugee Services of America * Network, 1998, IRSA, by Margi Dunlap and Nicholas Montalto)
Staffing at the International Institutes reflected the national and linguistic mix in each community. Mrs. Bremer saw each nationality group as having its own psychological unity. Her goal was not to create an amalgamation of groups but to recognize the unique identity of each group as the basis for work done together. With national and ethnic identity as the starting point, newcomers could build their path toward US Citizenship on a firmer foundation that any effort to strip them of their history and language might produce.
Hiring honored the value of ethnic and cultural identity. Immigrant workers were hired as "nationality secretaries." The Institutes started a tradition of training, leadership development, and upward mobility for immigrant leaders.
In Jersey City, Italian and Polish immigrants were represented; in Bridgeport, Italian and Slovak. In Indiana, Gary had Czech and Bulgarian staff. Akron had Albanian and Serbian. In Providence, Armenian and Portuguese people worked for the International Institute in their communities. San Francisco had Greek, Russian, and Chinese nationality secretaries.
* IRSA changes its name to US Committee for Refugees & Immigrants (USCRI) in 2004
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