As your Mayor, I recognize that Tulsa’s greatest assets are our people. For the past few decades, a growing number of people from different countries are choosing to call Tulsa their home.
Trends show that immigrants have been a key part of Tulsa’s economic and social growth. As Tulsa becomes a world-class city, I believe that immigrants are valuable members of our community who can help contribute to our city’s overall success.
Recently, our city was selected as one of 25 Gateways for Growth Cities by the New American Economy (NAE) and Welcoming America. Our city has joined the ranks of Chicago, Dallas, Des Moines, Little Rock and Memphis, among others. The Gateways for Growth Grant will allow us to utilize data to better understand our growing immigrant and refugee population here in Tulsa.
With the Gateways for Growth Grant, I also announced a new effort to promote immigrant integration in Tulsa. The New Tulsans Initiative, spearheaded by Christina Starzl Mendoza community development and policy assistant in the Mayor’s Office, is a purposeful approach to promote the social inclusion of immigrants. Our partners in this new effort are the Schusterman Foundation, Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce, Tulsa County Health Department, Tulsa Area United Way and YWCA Tulsa.
