Conference Sessions
Building Community Trust, Agency, and Allyship
This panel of community leaders discusses the successes and challenges they have faced in organizing and serving members of their community. Geoffrey Soyiantet (Vitendo4Africa), Angeles Ochoa-Raya (LifeWise STL), Esma Karakas (International Institute), Fahima Band Ali will share advice on effective allyship and building trust within communities and with service providers.
Intersections: Affirming LGBTQIA+ Immigrant Experiences
The St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline (SQSH) will be leading a training geared toward immigrant service providers about working with immigrants who are LGBTQIA+. This training will focus on immigrant and LGBTQIA+ experiences.
Intersections: Navigating the St. Louis Ecosystem as a Black Immigrant
What would equitable access to resources and opportunities in St. Louis look like? How do diverse communities of Black Immigrants in St. Louis – from Africa to the Caribbean – navigate systemic oppression while also creating opportunities to thrive? How can advocates and service providers support these efforts? Join us to hear from community leaders Brian Barlay, Sunita Manu, and Dr. Muthoni Musangali.
Trauma Aware: It’s for Everyone
Exposure to traumatic events is very common in today’s world. Over the past ten years there have been major shifts in the attention that exposure to traumatic events has on individuals, families, and communities. Understanding the impact of trauma, recognizing the signs and symptoms as they are manifested in behaviors, attitudes and interactions, as well as the pathways to recovery are critical to a successful experience, regardless of the service sector or population. This is even more important when bridging different cultures, religions, and languages. This workshop will provide a brief overview of the basics, and more importantly, explore the ways that simply our awareness can change perceptions and experiences. This will be an active workshop with audience participation.
Intersections: Addressing Mental Health Needs Among AAPI Youth
These past two years have revealed the critical importance of strengthening access to mental health care, particularly for immigrant youth. This session’s panelists will explore the intersections of age, gender, immigration experience, and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) identity to reflect on the specific experiences, needs, and care barriers for AAPI youth here in St. Louis. Dr. Min Liu will moderate this discussion with Luka Cai (they/them, Co-founder, SQSH), Dr. Neha Navsaria (Associate Professor in Psychiatry, Washington University), and Yuhan Sun (Youth leader).
Immigration Policy: What’s Changed? What’s Next?
The last several years have seen whiplash-inducing changes to immigration policy. Immigration attorneys and policy experts Kris Walentik, Sara John, and Nicole Cortes will define key policies that everyone should understand, recap the changes we’ve seen thus far, and outline what we can expect going forward. Discussion will highlight how these policies have played out in current events.
Intersections: DACA-mented in St. Louis
Join us for a panel to hear from DACA recipients in our region. Alisson Morales, Belem Gomez, and Ivonne Ramirez will discuss their lived experiences at the intersection of undocumented status, racial justice, and service provision in St. Louis. We will highlight the gaps in services, the possible paths toward permanent status, and ways to advocate.
COVID-19 Impacts in St. Louis: Policy Roundtable
COVID-19 and subsequent response measures have specific impacts in terms of immigrants’ health, safety, income, families, communities, and access to basic needs. Moreover, immigrants may face specific barriers to accessing information, services, and other support needs. Many of these challenges are linked to community members’ immigration status in combination with other factors (eg, gender, sexual orientation, age, employment, language proficiency, access to healthcare). The ISPN and a multi-disciplinary research team at Washington University conducted a mixed methods study to understand and address the specific impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on St. Louis’ immigrant community and service providers. Join us for a presentation of results and a policy roundtable discussion, where we will identify avenues for translating research findings into policy and practice. Kim Thuy Seelinger (Principal Investigator, Washington University) will moderate a conversation with research team members, community partners, and Director of the St. Louis City Department of Health, Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis.