PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia’s annual Welcoming Week for new immigrants kicks off this weekend. The theme this year is “Destination Belonging.”
The event runs from Sept. 8-17. City officials on Tuesday announced the lineup of events, including a Celebrate Asia Festival in Love Park on Saturday, Sept. 9 and a Global Food Festival at the Free Library on Friday, Sept. 15.
Chief Cultural Officer Kelly Lee says one highlight will be a visit from “Little Amal,” a 12-foot puppet that has traveled around the world spreading a message of hope for refugees.
"We want hundreds of Philadelphians of all ages to welcome Little Amal to Love Park on September 14 to show Little Amal how truly welcome she and all refugees are in Philadelphia," said Lee. The event is at 4 p.m. and includes performances by Ballet X and music by DJ Foxy, among other activities.
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New immigrants to the area include 800 Afghan families, who were among the 30,000 that came through Philadelphia International Airport two years ago. Since November, some 2,000 immigrants from the Southern border were sent here by bus from Texas. Mayor Jim Kenney says all are welcome.
"From my perspective it follows the same route the Irish followed, that the Italians followed, that every other group that came to this country followed. It’s something I think America’s about," he said.
Kenney says Philadelphia’s designation as an official Welcoming City means not just being friendly but creating policies that allow new residents to live and contribute fully.