Welcoming Indianapolis Week Aims to Build Bridges Across Cultures

Over the last decade, Indianapolis has had one of the fastest growing immigrant populations of any U.S. city, and today foreign-born residents make up nearly 8-and-a-half percent of the city’s population.

The Immigrant Welcome Center, a nonprofit that helps newcomers get settled here, is heading up a week-long series of events this week meant to build some bridges for both newcomers and longtime residents. Welcome center director Terri Morris Downs said people should embrace Indy's multicultural aspects.

"Immigrants and refugees are making a contribution to the vitality of our city," she said.

Indianapolis is among cities and town in 27 states that are celebrating the economic, social and cultural contributions of immigrants through their ‘welcoming weeks.’

“We’re really trying to help people who have been part of our community for a long, long time meet other new neighbors, new Americans who are here and understand that they should not feel threatened by any means by having someone from a different culture who’s now part of their neighborhood," Downs said.

The activities of welcome week range from a tour of the city-county building geared to recent immigrants to an international picnic and party on Friday.

See the full schedule of events.