About US

About US

Our Mission

AnewAmerica's mission is to promote the long-term economic empowerment of new Americans - new citizens, immigrants, and refugees - and to encourage their full participation in the political, social and cultural growth of America.

Our Vision

Develop socially responsible new American entrepreneurs and families

Socially responsible microentrepreneurs and their families build successful and well-managed microbusinesses in conjunction with civic-minded community organizations. They care for the triple bottom line: their profits, the well-being of their communities, and our global environmental health. Thus, they strive to develop products and business practices that include these values.

Build stronger social fabric in our communities through economic justice

New American families owning small businesses contribute to the economic health of their communities by building assets, such as a first home, retirement funds, and college mutual funds, for the long-term sustainability of their families and communities; and by exercising leadership in local government and on the boards of community organizations. With greater family assets, more new American children finish high school and apply to college. Poverty and crime is reduced in their neighborhoods with effective community leadership and civic engagement.

Foster the growth of the new American identity through knowledge and culture transfer between the “old” and the “new” American

The distinct difference between the process of integration and the old notion of assimilation is that integration recognizes the mutual enrichment and evolution of identity experienced by both the established American and the newcomer. The first represents and shares the history and opportunities of the American way, while the other presents the opportunity to expand our identity as a people and as a nation.

The Need

Many new Americans were barely able to make ends meet before the current recession. Studies show that one quarter of foreign-born Latino and Southeast Asian individuals in California live at or below the poverty line. Despite their high entrepreneurial energy and well-developed community support networks, newcomers from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Mexico and Central America, often find it difficult to break out of a cycle of poverty.

The Opportunity

To address this need, AnewAmerica offers a holistic three-year program, the Business Incubator, that assists new Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area to establish or expand microbusinesses, build personal assets for the sustainability of their families, and develop the community assets necessary to support the political, social, and cultural empowerment of their communities.

Our History

AnewAmerica Community Corporation (formerly The New America Foundation) was founded in 1999 by a group of community leaders, led by Sylvia Rosales-Fike (AnewAmerica Founder, President & CEO 1999-2010) representing immigrants and community development advocates who saw a continuing lack of integrated job creation, asset development, and community empowerment strategies for low-income new Americans living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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AnewAmerica is an equal opportunity service provider. Our programs are open to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, familial status or disability.