Chimmigrants Year in Review 2021
“2021 continued to be hard for the members of our Chimer Resource Group (CRG), Chimmigrants, because of travel restrictions,” says Anna Kusyk (she/her/hers), one of the group’s co-leads. “Our Slack channel saw many stories of Chimers who missed their homes and families over the past year.”
As a result, Chimmigrants worked extra hard to create events that made its members feel at home with the company and connected to their fellow Chimers. “We wanted to make sure that Chime became more than just a place we work each day,” says JJ Vanichanon (she/her/hers), another Chimmigrants co-lead. “We wanted to foster an environment where friendships and community could flourish.”
Chimmigrants provided a place for Chimers to share their feelings, offer care and support, and come together over shared experiences. Here’s a look at just how they did that over the past year.
The year’s defining moments for Chimmigrants
Learning about cultures — without traveling to them
Despite many Chimmigrants’ inability to travel outside of the U.S. due to immigration restrictions, the group still helped many Chimers share and connect with different cultural experiences through their programming. At every Chimmigrants meeting, they invited members to introduce their hometowns and share fun facts about their culture. “People shared stories from their childhood and learning these details about Chimmigrants’ lives was really heart-warming,” says Anna.
Immigrant experience panel
Chimmigrants hosted an immigrant experience panel in honor of Immigrant Heritage Month where Chimers talked about moving to the U.S. and what they learned along the way. “It was great to see leaders share insights about how their cultural experiences contribute to their professional experiences,” explains Cat Corcoran (she/her/hers), a Chimmigrants co-lead. “I loved hearing about how our COO, Mark Troughton, grew as his cultural horizons grew. I think the panel inspired Chimers to really value different cultures and experiences at work.”
Visa and immigration news
With travel still restricted for many, Chimmigrants tuned into updates on visas and immigration, sharing news often in their Slack channel. The group also hosted a presentation called Immigration 101, which touched on key details about immigrating to the U.S. and Canada. “We invited lawyers who represent Chime’s international employees on visas to educate Chimers on visas, paths to permanent residency, and more — as well as organized office hours for Chimers to receive legal advice afterward,” explains Anna. The event was helpful to both Chimmigrants members and other Chimers who wanted to familiarize themselves with what their coworkers might be going through with immigration.
Creating a positive environment in times of hardship
Though 2021 posed several challenges to Chimmigrants members, the group focused on creating a positive environment for folks to connect in and feel a sense of belonging. “Over the past year, we’ve seen engagement grow,” says Jillian Somera (she/her/hers), a Chimmigrants lead. “I think that’s because we’ve created a space for people to be vulnerable with each other, celebrate their wins, and have fun together.”
For Cat, adding a note of positivity to the CRG’s programming was crucial for helping the community bond. “Connection comes from experiencing hardship together and from positive experiences, too,” she says. “That’s why we started to host fun events, such as cocktail making and laughter yoga, to uplift the group and provide positive ways to connect.”
The lighter events helped people handle their struggles and even taught the group how to take hardship and turn it into happiness. “The host of our laughter yoga event is a woman who lost a family member to cancer and turned her grief into a laughter yoga practice to cope,” explains Jillian. “It was nice to see Chimers take a break from the stress of the year, connect through laughter, and meet such an inspiring person.”
Hopeful for 2022
Heading into 2022, Chimmigrants is excited for what’s to come. “We’re hopeful,” says Cat. “We’ve gotten used to a ‘new normal’ of working from home and not traveling internationally, and we’re optimistic about the new year opening things up a bit.”
The co-leads are planning several learning events, including how to improve their presentation skills and celebrating different immigrant heritages. “Over the last two years, we’ve really discovered our inner strength and ability to adapt,” says Jillian. “There’s a lot of power and strength in that and, next year, we’d like to build on that hope to help Chimmigrants members feel stronger than ever before.”
We can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the year ahead!
