Mayor's Office of New Americans
Within the Mayor’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Mayor's Office of New Americans works to engage immigrants and empower them to participate in our government and our community.
The number of foreign-born residents in Nashville has more than doubled over the past decade. Nearly 12 percent of our population was born outside of the United States, and nearly half of those people are recent immigrants who entered the country since 2000. In fact, in 2012, Nashville had the fastest-growing immigrant population of any American city. Today, 30% of students enrolled in Metro Schools speak a language other than English at home.
Today Nashville is the proud home of the nation's largest Kurdish population, as well as growing enclaves of immigrants from Somalia, Burma, and all over the world. Mayor Briley believes that the diversity in our city enables a unique discussion where new ideas and approaches to solving problems can emerge and that the New American community in Nashville strengthens our economy and broadens our cultural horizons because we have created a warm and welcoming environment for all in our city.
Mayor Briley and the Metro Government have a number of initiatives to help ensure that immigrants and refugees have a chance to pursue a better life for themselves and their families.
MyCity Academy is a free leadership-training program that empowers New Americans to understand and participate in Metro Government. Parent Ambassadors pairs New American parents who are veterans of Metro Schools with immigrant and refugee families whose children are newly enrolled. Pathway for New Americans is a partnership between Metro Government and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that supports immigrants in Nashville who aspire to become U.S. citizens. The Mayor's New Americans Advisory Council ensures that New American leaders have a voice in Metro Government.
Mayor Briley’s Office of New Americans seeks qualified individuals to learn and contribute via the Mayor’s Office Internship Program. Please check out the Internship Program page for more details and make sure you mention your desire to work with us!
