Immigration Loans Changed Lives This Year
The success of OPA is based on the relationships we have built with our borrowers, our community allies, our donors and investors. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with, and for you. Our mission to build communities of Americans and future citizens all working toward the greater good of our country remains strong.
Over this past year we have:
- Grown our staff
- Released two independent national reports (Financial Disparities Between Immigrants and U.S.-born and Why Immigrants Stop Short of Getting Citizenship)
- Lent nearly $300,000 dollars in 1% interest loans to 360 borrowers
- Lent to borrowers in 32 states
- Lent to borrowers getting their citizenship, green card, TPS, and DACA in descending order
- Our website has had over 150,000 unique visitors
- Our social media channels have grown to over 6,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube
- Our community outreach through Citizenship Day events had us at four cities
- Earned video and print press coverage in Spanish and English, from Univision to the NY Times
As our first official year lending, publishing original research, and forging community relationships, we could not be more pleased!
The Immigration Loan Making a Difference
OPA has proven that there is an urgent need to service the millions of eligible immigrants who not only want to become citizens but also want to establish themselves as Americans by achieving the same financial goals U.S.-born citizens reach.
One of the most encouraging stories showing this is that of Alvaro Garcia.
As a long-time immigrant in the U.S., Alvaro struggled to complete his citizenship application because he never had enough money to pay the USCIS fee. As a wage worker for a solar panel company, he did not have much money at the end of each month to save for his citizenship dream. A soon-to-be senior, saving for retirement while paying for rent and family needs have been a priority- especially since getting a mortgage or a retirement account were not easily accessible to him as a non-citizen.
Alvaro’s wife, also a long-time resident, heard about OPA in a news story this spring. In disbelief he applied and received our 1% interest loan. Not wasting a minute, he printed and mailed his citizenship application along with his OPA check to USCIS. By this Thanksgiving Alvaro had citizenship and a U.S. passport! Alvaro helped his wife get her own OPA loan and referred two fellow Venezuelans. All of them received the loan, completed their USCIS process, and are repaying their OPA loan.
Changing More Lives in 2023
No matter what the economic climate has been, we have persevered and confirmed that immigrants are a driver of growth. Equally, we have confirmed that in community change can happen, and together we can make a difference.
We are so excited for all that 2023 has in store for us; enthusiasm and anticipation are building around our loan, our research and our organization. We hope you are equally excited and eager to join forces in this movement.
If you’d like to join our community of supporters, you can invest or donate today.
Thank you, from the team at One Percent for America!
