Immigration: Long Island & National

The Board and staff of the Hagedorn Foundation believe that the strongest, most vibrant communities embody the ideals of justice, equity, respect, and goodwill towards all of their members. As Long Island wrestles with the challenges arising from the meeting of established residents and newly arrived immigrants, the Foundation seeks to reduce tensions emerging from these encounters. The Foundation strives to help Nassau and Suffolk Counties - governments, businesses, nonprofits, neighborhoods, and residents - achieve the ideal of a truly welcoming and just Long Island by supporting organizations and partnerships working to improve their communities through practical and respectful policies and creative programs.

The Hagedorn Foundation supports organizations engaged in one or more of the following activities:

• Alliance building that fosters improved relations between long-time residents and newly arrived immigrants
• Advocacy and education that help empower immigrants to be engaged members of their communities
• Civic participation campaigns that encourage immigrants to become fully involved in the American democratic process
• Public information campaigns that challenge and dispel inaccurate perceptions of immigrants and emphasize immigrants' contributions to Long Island
• Collaborations, including those between the public and private sectors, that ease tensions stemming from immigration - and responses to it - in local communities

National Strategy

Failed national immigration policies are the root causes behind many of the tensions experienced across Long Island. The Hagedorn Foundation therefore supports initiatives and organizations throughout the nation that work strategically to repair these broken systems.

Giving in Action

Educating Long Islanders About Immigrants and Immigration

Long Island, particularly Suffolk County, has earned the reputation of being a hostile place for America’s newest immigrants, most of whom are from Latin America. The hate-crime murder of Marcelo Lucero in 2008 in Patchogue was the culmination of a pattern of violence against Latinos in Suffolk County. With documentary films like Farmingville (2004) and Deputized (2012) chronicling the tensions and the often aggressive reactions to immigration, the issue has gained increased attention over the past decade.

Since 2005, the Hagedorn Foundation has granted nearly $10 million to programs that support Long Island immigrants, including $4.2 million since 2009 to organizations working to educate Long Islanders about immigrants and immigration.

Strengthening the Collective Voice of Long Island Immigrants

Some of our nation’s costliest social problems—child abuse and neglect, school failure, poverty, unemployment and crime—are rooted in early childhood. Home visiting matches parents with trained professionals to provide information and support during pregnancy and throughout their child’s first three years, a critical development period. This quality interaction not only improves birth outcomes but also results in fewer children in social welfare programs and in mental health and juvenile corrections systems.

“I travel to and from work every day on a bicycle. I have learned to keep an eye all around me. Many times, people have thrown things at me when they drive by. Apples, pens, bottles, cans. Sometimes they throw and miss and turn around to get another shot. This happens to a lot of us. My friend was hit by a car three times trying to avoid flying things from cars. He finally decided to go home [to Guatemala] because he was too scared to bike and walk in the street.”

— Lorenzo, Guatemala.