“We all do better when we all do better.” — Paul Wellstone

At United Ways of California, we believe that every Californian should have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. 

When we say “all” and “every Californian,” we mean all—regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin.

For those of us who do not have indigenous Native American roots, we all have our own stories of how we got to the United States, and those stories may span one or multiple generations.

California is home to an estimated 10.6 million immigrants, the highest number of any state in the United States. Nearly half (45%) of all California children have at least one immigrant parent. Of these immigrants originating from dozens of countries across the world, only 1.8 million are undocumented—meaning more than 8 in 10 immigrants in California are citizens or have status as legal residents.

Millions of immigrant and mixed-status families are living, working, and bringing rich culture to our neighborhoods and communities. We all deserve the opportunity to live in peace and care for our children, families, and local communities.

While United Ways of California is a nonpartisan organization, we are never neutral about our values, including our core belief that every person be treated with dignity and respect. We are proud to stand in kinship and solidarity with our immigrant neighbors, advocating for their right to be treated with dignity and respect, contribute to our community’s overall well-being, and have opportunities to build a healthy, prosperous life.

As community-building organizations, California United Ways remain committed to being trusted sources of information and support for all Californians, regardless of immigration status. Many United Ways across the state are also strengthening partnerships in their communities to provide workshops and resources for community members. Programs United Ways offer such as free tax preparation, financial counseling, early grade reading, and more are open to all families and individuals with low incomes, and we take measures to protect the privacy of all of our community members. California’s 211 information and referral programs (most of which are operated or funded by United Ways), provide confidential access to live, trained specialists and vetted resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to connect people to a broad range of community resources, including legal aid, refugee resettlement, immigration assistance, and other services relevant to the wide variety of needs immigrants may have.

In alignment with our vision to create an equitable California where every individual has the resources and opportunities they need to thrive, United Ways of California and our partners have advocated successfully to include Californians of all documentation statuses in state healthcare coverage as well as tax filers of all documentation statuses in refundable California tax credits like the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) and Young Child Tax Credit. We also provide free tax prep and Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) application and renewal support for those who earn less than $67,000, including those who are not eligible for a Social Security number. United Ways of California is also convening conversations to support learning and best practice sharing across our network of local California United Ways to facilitate activities, actions, and conversations that support our communities, including community members who are undocumented.

In these uncertain times, we must support and protect our friends, families, neighbors, and communities who came seeking safety and opportunity. We all deserve to feel safe where we live and work. We all deserve to be surrounded by our loved ones. Join us in building a stronger California.