About CVIIC.

To serve as the leading immigrant integration organization in the Central Valley, dedicated to ensuring full participation of immigrants in building strong, vibrant, inclusive communities.

1. 01Collaborating, mobilizing and combining the resources and talents of our allies to offer, on a large scale, high quality immigration and naturalization services.
2. 02Strengthening and growing the capacity of our members to serve and empower immigrant communities, and support leadership development by leveraging needed public and private sector resources.
3. 03Working to change the dominant discourse about immigrants and immigration.
4. 04Working to achieve policies which support opportunities for immigrants to pursue their dreams.

Coordinate. Collaborate. Empower.

CVIIC’s work is guided by a philosophy of regional coordination and collaboration. The needs of the Central Valley’s immigrant communities are larger than any single agency, so partners plan together, share resources and reach rural and urban communities that none could reach alone.

Our work follows the 2014 regional strategic plan, developed with partner organizations and community leaders by a research team led by Manuel Pastor, with support from the Werner-Kohnstamm Family Giving Fund and the Rosenberg Foundation. The plan found that the region’s infrastructure could not meet the needs of 890,335 immigrants and 506,549 children with at least one immigrant parent.

1. 2013

   The Central Valley DACA Collaborative brings agencies together. An October regional convening in Fresno sets immigration priorities and assesses existing resources.

   

2. 2014

   The regional strategic plan is completed in January and presented to partners on February 26, the day CVIIC is launched. CVIIC and its partners also begin organizing free legal services workshops (naturalization, DACA, U and T visas, VAWA and asylum). Since 2014, they have held more than 1,000 in total.

3. 2015

   In February 2015, CVIIC and partner organizations create a regional Health Task Force to link immigrant rights directly with access to health.

4. 2016

   CVIIC organizes its first Regional Conference on Immigrant Integration, bringing together immigrant-serving organizations from across the Valley.

   

5. 2017

   CVIIC begins its census-related work. It conducts the field research in Fresno for a study, led by Ed Kissam, of unconventional housing units missing from the Census Bureau’s address list, and later does the same for a second study in Stockton.

6. 2018

   Regional conference with a keynote by Dr. Manuel Pastor. Executive Director Jesus Martinez is appointed to the California Complete Count Committee for the 2020 Census, serving from 2018 to 2021.

7. 2019

   CVIIC becomes a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It is the lead amicus on a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court opposing the 2020 Census citizenship question and publishes research on Latino immigrant census participation.

8. 2020

   Services move to webinars and virtual assistance during the pandemic. The regional conferences are not held in 2020 and 2021 and resume in 2022. The Immigrant Entrepreneurs Program launches.

9. 2021

   CVIIC begins its collaboration with Santa Clara University’s My Own Business Institute (MOBI), which continues today. CVIIC joins the Build from Within Alliance.

10. 2022

    Executive Director Jesus Martinez is appointed to the State of California’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Mobility Task Force, serving from 2022 to 2024. CVIIC’s regional conferences resume after the pandemic.

    

11. 2024

    Tenth anniversary, the Immigrant Entrepreneurs Expo and a published study of the entrepreneurs program. In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signs bills into law at CVIIC’s office, joined by three state legislators.

    

12. 2026

    CVIIC begins holding two regional conferences a year. The August conference features Thomas A. Saenz and Dr. Manuel Pastor. Preparations for the 2030 Census are underway.

    

CVIIC participates in multiple local, state, and national networks including the New Americans Campaign, Welcoming America, Build from Within Alliance, Scale Fresno, CAMEO and NALCAB.