Collaboration with New Yorker Cartoonist, Julian Rowe

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We teamed up with New Yorker Cartoonist Julian Rowe to illustrate the cases covered in our new workshop, Getting Ready: Migratory Processes and My Money in this 3 part series of videos.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/221278503″][vc_column_text]This first case deals with preparedness and the importance of seeking verifiable information to avoid immigration fraud. While immigration fraud has always been a threat to the Hispanic community, the Attorney General of New York recently put out an Urgent Fraud Alert On “ICE” Immigration Scams. At Qualitas, we have been working to raise awareness of these common frauds by focusing on financial preparedness in the face of shifts in immigration policy.

Through our courses we aim to diminish the number of Hispanic individuals who are at risk of falling prey to scams contributing to an overall community that is more informed of their rights as well as their responsibilities in this country.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/220640290″][vc_column_text]

Picture yourself as the child of undocumented parents. Your mother left her home country after growing up in violence, feeling that her life was on the line. Your father left seeking opportunities for a steady income to help support his family at home. Both arrived in the US alone, found each other, fell in love and made a life for themselves. They had you, and your sister. They worked hard and earned just enough to cover their bills and send money home to pay for your grandfather’s caretaker. Their lack of legal status was always on your family’s mind, yet they never let that get in the way of your life. They always encouraged you to take advantage of the opportunities that they lacked growing up. They taught you the value of hard work and a good education. Their motivation and sacrifice helped you get a scholarship to attend college. Life was going great, until one day your father got deported.

What would your mother do? How would she manage the household without him? What would she do to make sure the family felt safe and that your little sister was cared for in case she was deported as well? Knowing her, she’d seek answers. That’s where we come in. Through this case participants learn about different options at their disposal should they be going through an immigration proceeding, such as a deportation in the family.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/221610945″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our participant, Maria, has lived in Harlem for 13 years with her husband, Pablo, and three daughters. Maria and Pablo have been saving towards the common goal of starting a stationery store (papeleria) together in Mexico. The family already has a house in Mexico where they will be able to live a more comfortable life closer to the extended family. To achieve this, the couple agrees that Pablo should earn a bit more money before joining them. They weren’t sure how they both could access their accounts from different countries at the same time. After attending our new workshop, Maria’s family is now taking concrete steps towards their goal: Maria and Pablo have opened a joint bank account allowing them both to access their funds remotely; they also made an appointment with the Mexican Consulate to get their kid’s passports and make arrangements for them to start school in Mexico when they arrive.

This family is on their way to achieving their goal. 

At Qualitas, we encourage our participants to dream big and to take measured steps towards achieving their goals. Many of our participants hope to one day find themselves back among their family and friends in their home countries. Others are unaware of the benefits of getting their US-born children  passports or providing them with controlled access to a family account. No matter their circumstance, we believe that everyone is entitled to know what their options are.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]