Starting Immigration Services at Your Library

Panelists

Sebastian Zavala is a program manager at the Immigration Advocates Network (IAN) in San Francisco, Calif. Before he joined IAN, he was an adjudications officer for Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), interviewing applicants for naturalization and permanent residency. He also served as a chief program officer for Catholic Charities of the East Bay, director of programs at the International Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA), increasing the capacity of legal programs to serve low income clients through technology, efficient volunteer management, and cultivating the next generation of immigration advocates.

Sebastian was one of the founding members of the East Bay Naturalization Collaborative, and the Bay Area DACA Collaborative.

He received a B.A. in Raza Studies with an emphasis in behavioral and social sciences from San Francisco State University, and received a J.D. from Arizona State University, with the highest pro bono distinctions.

Zizi Bandera is the community engagement coordinator at Immigration Advocates Network (IAN) in San Francisco, Calif. They have experience working for immigrant, worker, and LGBTQ rights as an organizer, policy advocate, and community educator. Prior to joining IAN, they served as an organizer and community education coordinator at the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights (CHIRLA). They are currently working towards a Master’s in Public Policy at Mills College.

Julie Robinson moved from the Anaheim (Calif.) Public Library to the Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library in 2003. She spent 11 years as an embedded librarian at the Irene H. Ruiz Biblioteca de las Americas on Kansas City’s Westside. She has been the Refugee & Immigrant Services & Empowerment (RISE) outreach manager for almost three years.

Prior to working in public libraries, Julie was the corporate librarian for an international economics research firm and the project librarian for the Diamond Valley Reservoir project.

Helen Stewart is the literacy coordinator at the Schaumburg Township District Library—the second largest public library in Illinois. The library serves a vast array of multicultural patrons on a daily basis, and Helen represents the library in fulfilling their needs and answering their questions. Her day-to-day responsibilities range from management of a sizeable ESL collection, to liaising with local partners in class provision for the library—which includes ESL, literacy tutoring, and citizenship study classes. Hundreds of diverse patrons are served monthly. She also teaches a popular conversation club for immigrants to practice their newly acquired language skills and helps students access online and digital learning options, as well as consulting one-on-one with students who need particular literacy assistance.

She is proud to work with Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) biannually to coordinate naturalization ceremonies for new citizens at the library.

A native of the Scotland, and naturalized citizen herself, Helen has a deep understanding and empathy for the immigrant experience. She is proud to facilitate learning options for library patrons.