New Haven has earned the right to call itself a sanctuary city. When people seek refuge from their country, they often turn to New Haven to obtain a better life through jobs and opportunities.
New Haven’s first immigrants were the British in 1779, and since then then they welcomed immigrants with open arms. The city not only welcomes immigrants, New Haven also helps them with their legal status and gives them opportunities.
In 1937 Germans, Polish, Greeks, Syrians, Italians, and many different ethnicities from England came to New Haven for jobs. Since then immigration in New Haven has continued to grow, increasing by 51% from 2000 to 2012.
Black or African American and white residents make up the majority of New Haven, each with 36% of the population. Hispanic residents make up 21% of New Haven, and Asian residents make up 4% of the population, leaving 3% of the population as other or mixed race individuals.
With the ongoing struggle of immigration, New Haven has stayed strong and hasn’t let people intimidate them into changing their immigration policies.