Migration Services

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Among its peers, the Greater Philadelphia area has the greatest and fastest growing immigrant population, which is now more than 500,000 (Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings 2008.) From 2000 to 2006 the immigrant population in the Philadelphia region grew by 113,000 (Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings 2008.) Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, are among the largest immigrant and refugee communities in Philadelphia (Brookings 2006). According to the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, there are roughly 50,000 African immigrants living in the Greater Philadelphia area. The increasing number of immigrants, refugees, and asylees in Philadelphia presents a number of unique challenges, as well as opportunities for the city and communities.

Southwest Philadelphia is home to many immigrant populations, particularly African and Caribbean communities. As a result, Philadelphia has become home to many vulnerable adults, elderly, and children uprooted from war-torn countries. These families face a number of unique challenges including mental health problems, language barriers, illiteracy, and unemployment, which complicate their cultural adjustment process.

ACANA is committed to combating many of the difficulties associated with immigration and the resettlement process, and it has sought to continually expand its services to fit the needs of the increasing immigrant population. In order to address the aforementioned challenges, ACANA runs a series of programs to assist in dealing with the problems this population faces. These programs include: immigration counseling, ESL, literacy and computer classes, refugee and asylee assistance, citizenship counseling, job training assistance, and youth programming. ACANA also organizes workshops and seminars that bring immigrants, social service providers, attorneys, and public officials together on issues relevant to the community. Our goal is to integrate entire families into our community center where we are best able to refer them to further services that they may need. We want Philadelphia feel like home to them.

Immigration Counseling

This region of Philadelphia is home to thousands of newly settled immigrants, refugees, and asylees. In July 2010 ACANA became accredited by the Bureau of Immigration Appeals (BIA) as a Full Immigration Services Agency with a special focus on African and Caribbean immigrants. ACANA provides low-cost immigration counseling services to immigrants, refugees, and asylees, including court representation and advocacy. The majority of our clients are from Africa, however all nationalities are welcome to take advantage of the programs and services that we offer. ACANA serves about 780 African immigrants on average per year.

Refugee and Asylee Assistance

ACANA assists refugees and asylees in accessing housing, employment, healthcare, and other services. Through its outreach services, case management, and workshops.

Citizenship Instruction

Becoming an American citizen allows immigrants to vote in elections, become eligible for scholarships and job opportunities, and become more engaged residents in the United States. ACANA offers one-on-one tutoring for foreign residents seeking citizenship in US history and politics, reading, writing, speaking, and community engagement.

English Classes

ACANA has offered many ESL and literacy classes over the years. It is currently offering ESL and computer classes to parents with children in the Philadelphia School District. For more information, please see the Parent University program under Adult Education.