OUR STORY
United Voices for Newcomer Rights (UVNR) grew out of over a decade of community-based work through the Refugee and Immigrant Well-Being Project (RIWP) at the University of New Mexico. RIWP brought newcomer families and UNM students together through weekly Learning Circles and one-on-one advocacy partnerships, creating spaces for mutual learning, cultural exchange, and collective problem-solving. As trust deepened and relationships strengthened, newcomer families voiced the need for a permanent, community-led organization to extend this work beyond the university. In response, UVNR was founded in 2019 by community leaders, former RIWP participants, student advocates, and faculty partners—united by a shared vision of a more welcoming and equitable New Mexico.UVNR builds on the core strengths of RIWP—deep relationships, flexible support systems, and evidence-based practices—while expanding its reach to promote newcomer well-being, integration, and structural change. Today, UVNR is a community-led organization powered by the voices, needs, and leadership of refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers.We mobilize resources, create pathways to education and economic opportunity, and work alongside communities to transform the systems that shape their lives. Our story began with research and partnership. It continues with community power at the center. Learn more about the Refugee and Immigrant Well-Being Project at rwp.unm.edu.
VISION
We envision a New Mexico that welcomes newcomers, builds on our collective strengths, and promotes well-being and community participation.
MISSION
We foster newcomer well-being by improving access to resources and strengthening collaboration among newcomers and within the broader community, so all can learn from one another and contribute fully.
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