Narrative
The public conversation about immigrant families and safety net programs shapes the outcomes of our advocacy and community engagement work. We engage our partners and allies to shape the narrative and uplift stories and messages that build power and accelerate the pace of change.
Communications and Narrative
Lies about immigrant families drive anti-immigrant politics and deceive immigrant families about their eligibility for care and help, and even about their own self-worth. Two important truths drive our communication and narrative work:
- The United States thrives when immigrant families thrive
- Immigration-based health and social services restrictions put our nation at risk
During the 2018 public charge debate, we uplifted these narratives to focus thought leader and popular opinion on the proposal’s danger for the nation, driving record-breaking public engagement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we uplifted those narratives to document that harm and push for reversal of the policy. That work to shape the narrative made it easier for Joe Biden to make public charge reversal a campaign promise, and to keep that commitment as president.
Today, our communication and narrative efforts focus on:
- Shaping the public conversation about anti-immigrant policies and proposals
- Providing timely, accurate information to immigrant families, as eligibility requirements and other factors affecting choices about safety net services change
Our Working Group
Partner organizations engage in this work through PIF’s Communication and Narrative Working Group. Through our working group, members collaborate to:
- Develop PIF’s communication strategy
- Assess the narrative through opinion research, active listening, and partner engagement
- Amplify message and narrative themes through media outreach and digital communication
- Facilitate story collection and dissemination
- Develop materials that help partner organizations contribute to shaping the public conversation, and
- Engage PIF partners and allies in shared narrative work
