A Long Beach nonprofit granted $340,100 to the City’s workforce development arm, Pacific Gateway, to help undocumented immigrants become successful entrepreneurs.
Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation and Empowerment (ÓRALE), funded by the James Irvine Foundation, will launch the Long Beach Economic Liberation Project in partnership with Pacific Gateway. It will provide workshops, training, case management services and entrepreneurship training.
James Irvine Foundation was founded in 1937 and works to help low-income workers in California become more economically stable through awarding grants to organizations throughout the state.
The nonprofit was formed in 2006, previously known as Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition, and focuses on decriminalizing immigrants of color, creating a sense of safety in their communities and helping them to secure opportunities.
“We hope for this partnership to bring systemic changes and reduce barriers for our community to access economic justice and stability through entrepreneurship,” said Gaby Hernandez, Executive Director of ÓRALE in a public statement.
“Together, we will walk alongside undocumented entrepreneurs to ensure they flourish and have the guidance and support they deserve because when they thrive, Long Beach as a whole succeeds.”
ÓRALE hopes to graduate two cohorts of entrepreneurs each year of the program. Eligible participants will be from the more than 30,000 undocumented immigrants living in Long Beach and surrounding Harbor communities, according to a statement from the City.
Another goal of the Long Beach Economic Liberation Project is to work with local businesses that provide legal referrals, supportive services and skill-building opportunities. ÓRALE will hire an Economic Justice Manager and an Economic Justice Coordinator to help run the program.
“We are excited about how this public-private partnership will support the development of future entrepreneurs in Long Beach and demonstrate that anyone, irrespective of immigration status, can start a business, create jobs, and thrive when community stakeholders come together and work together in genuine partnership,” said Kriztina Palone, Senior Program Officer for the James Irvine Foundation.
The program will be evaluated by the UCLA Labor Center, and lessons learned will help develop best practices to be shared with other communities.
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