Empowering New Americans: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Photo credit: Lindsay Mensch
“Communities need intentional, inclusive policies, practices, and norms that enable all residents to live, thrive, and contribute fully to our society. Atlanta becomes more resilient and equitable when we welcome new citizens like all of you here today.” — Mayor Andre Dickens, City of Atlanta
In 2023, the City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of International and Immigrant Affairs (also known as Welcoming Atlanta) co-hosted two Welcoming Week events. These events impacted newcomer communities by amplifying local resources and building connections with immigrants living in Atlanta.
Welcoming Atlanta hosted a naturalization ceremony at Atlanta City Hall. Fifty candidates from 30 countries took the naturalization oath and received citizenship certificates. Beyond the speakers and presentations at the ceremony, Welcoming Atlanta brought partners such as Mi Familia Vota and the Atlanta Passport Agency to the event to provide resources like voter registration and passport information for these new U.S. citizens.
The second Welcoming Week event was a commemorative event in celebration of Mexican Independence Day. This is the third year that Welcoming Atlanta and the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta collaborated on this event and recognized the contributions of Atlanta’s Mexican and Mexican-American communities. Mayor Andre Dickens and Javier Díaz de León, Consul General of Mexico, were present at the event.