Kurdish Americans exist within a broader ecosystem of immigrant and refugee communities, and the challenges they face — navigating legal status, accessing public services, finding employment, overcoming language barriers — are not unique to them. KASA has joined a coalition of organizations that work with refugee and immigrant communities across the region, recognizing that collective advocacy is more effective than any single organization working alone.

The coalition includes resettlement agencies, legal aid organizations, workforce development nonprofits, and community health providers. KASA brings something specific to the table: deep connections within the Kurdish American community and the cultural credibility that allows us to reach families who may be reluctant to engage with mainstream social service organizations. In return, coalition partners offer capacity and expertise that KASA does not have internally.

Membership in the coalition also connects KASA to advocacy efforts at the state and federal level — efforts to protect refugee admission programs, to ensure access to public benefits, and to maintain the legal pathways through which Kurdish and other families come to the United States. This work is not KASA’s primary focus, but it is part of the environment in which all of our programs operate.