Earlier this summer, Mayor Rahm Emanuel created the Advisory Council for the Office of New Americans, designed to increase the quality of life and improve the integration of immigrants and their families into the Chicago community.  This Council will be advising the Mayor and designing a plan to make Chicago the most immigrant friendly city in the world.

Luis Gutierrez, Executive Director of Latinos Progresando, was recently appointed to the Advisory Council for the Office of New Americans and will be serving on the Economic Opportunities subcommittee.  This section of the Advisory Council will focus on increasing financial opportunities, eliminating barriers to entrepreneurship, and strengthening small business. All boards of the Advisory Council, including health, culture, education, and more, will present a comprehensive plan to the Mayor by the end of this summer.

Chicago has historically been an immigrant city and has embraced the diversity of cultures and nationalities that contribute to its vitality, but this represents a greater recognition of the tremendous value immigrant families bring to American cities.

This collaboration between the Mayor and the Advisory Council will help current immigrants and their families strengthen their financial, cultural, and educational presence in Chicago, while also attracting future talent to the city.