Forum looking at "Lives in Limbo"

Please join Enroot for a conversation looking at "Lives in Limbo" by Professor Roberto Gonzales with insight from a local reporter.

Monday, November 13, 2017 at 6:30 PM

The Massachusetts' immigrant community is facing increasing threats. Please join Enroot to hear about how the climate has changed and what we can do to better support our immigrant students and their families. We'll hear from Professor Roberto Gonzales of Harvard Graduate School of Education, author of "Lives in Limbo: Undocumented and Coming of Age in America," as well as a local reporter covering immigration policy.

As our communities are raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Operation "Safe City" targeting sanctuary cities, DACA protections are rescinded for Dreamers, and there are threats to withhold renewals for Haitian and Central American immigrants protected under special visas, this is a troubling time for the immigrant community and organizations like Enroot that support students and their families. Let's explore together how to stand with our immigrant community.

Event generously hosted by RoAnn Costin in Cambridge, MA.

Please note: space will be extremely limited at this event. We will do our best to accommodate requests and encourage guests to get tickets early.

---

Our Speakers

Roberto Gonzales
Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Roberto G. Gonzales’ research centers on contemporary processes of immigration and social inequality, and stems from theoretical interests at the intersection of race and ethnicity, immigration, and policy. In particular, his research examines the effects of legal contexts on the coming of age experiences of vulnerable and hard-to-reach immigrant youth populations. Since 2002 he has carried out one of the most comprehensive studies of undocumented immigrants in the United States. His most recent book is Lives in Limbo: Undocumented and Coming of Age in America.

Moderated by Ben Clark
Executive Director, Enroot

Ben joined Enroot as Executive Director four years ago after spending most of his career working in international development. Most recently, as Director of Organizational Development for Teach For All, he collaborated closely with the leadership of Teach For All network programs in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe to build high performing, sustainable organizations and set solid foundations for scaling. Ben holds undergraduate degrees in International Relations and Sociology from Principia College and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School.

Enroot selected by SVP Boston

Note from the Executive Director:

Dear Friends of Enroot:

I am honored and excited to announce that after a rigorous vetting process, Enroot has been selected as the newest grantee for Social Venture Partners Boston! 

Enroot was awarded a major three-year investment by Social Venture Partners (SVP) Boston, including $100,000 in unrestricted funds and access to a pool of highly skilled business professionals to help us build capacity. 

SVP Boston chooses worthy nonprofits in which to invest financial and volunteer help from a network of highly skilled business professionals. Social Venture Partners Boston operates like a venture capital model for local early-stage nonprofits. It gives its Partners—or volunteers—the opportunity to invest their time, money, and expertise in innovative nonprofits that have the potential to make meaningful and sustainable improvements in the community.

As we enter this next chapter of Enroot's evolution, we are following in the footsteps of many impressive area nonprofits in the SVP Boston portfolio. We feel incredibly humbled to have been given this opportunity and excited about all that we'll accomplish together in the coming three years!

Please don't hesitate to be in touch with any questions. I look forward to providing updates throughout the grant process with Social Venture Partners Boston.

Ben Clark, Executive Director
Enroot

Student Reflection: Mentoring in Somerville

My name is Manuel, I am a freshman in Somerville High School.  I originated from the Dominican Republic, a country southeast of Florida. My Mentor and I work on assignments, play games and go out to restaurants. We went to Redbones Barbecue in Davis Sq. The Food and design of the restaurant was Southern American style. We ordered Beignets, long and skinny french fries, and pork sandwich. The food was marvelous and the service too!!!!!

I like it went my mentor helps me with my daily assignments but enjoy it more when we do fun stuff that does not include HOMEWORK. It was great to spend time with my mentor in a different way. We got to know each other as friends instead of student and mentor and we had a fun time together.

I never had this kind of food before. Beignets - are fried dough with powdered sugar and  they were FANTASTIC.

I want to learn about the food, culture and were they first originated. I like to learn more about Beignets and other food like Indian, Chinese, Russian, British, French, and  Italian.

It’s good to spent time with someone else that you are having a relationship.