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A New American StoryPromoting Opportunity in a
Changing America
Alan JenkinsThe Opportunity Agenda
GCYF Annual Conference October, 2012
Attitudes at a Crossroads
Attitudes at a Crossroads
A Majority of Americans:
•Support the Dream Act (54%)
•Support a Roadmap to Citizenship (72%)
•Support Arizona’s SB 1070 (61%)
•Support the principle of citizenship for all American-born children as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution (57%)
•Are split on whether immigrants strengthen American society (49 percent)
•Oppose mass deportation (56%)
Millennials are More Welcoming
Eighteen to Twenty-Nine Year Olds:
•More likely (65%) to believe immigrants strengthen America (compared to 49% total).
•More strongly oppose mass deportation of undocumented immigrants than their elders (67% to 56%).
•Show greater support for birthright citizenship (73% to 57%).
•Support in-state college tuition for qualified children of undocumented immigrants (57% to 44%).
•More supportive of a roadmap to citizenship for undocumented immigrants (81% to 72%), and the DREAM Act (66% to 54%).
•But just as likely (35%) to say immigrants “threaten their jobs.”
Challenges on Services
6
The Anti-Immigrant Narrative
Law and OrderOverwhelming of Scarce
Resources
Creating a New Narrative
Creating a New Narrative
Commonsense Solutions
Upholding our National Values
Moving Forward together
Understand your Audience
Lead with Values
Appeal to Common Sense
Frame Thematically
Highlight Solutions
Use a Contribution Model
Don’t “Mythbust”
Communicating the New Narrative
Understand Your Audience
11
Leading with Values
Section 8 Vouchers
Earned Income Tax Credit
Secure Communities
Immigration
Affordable HousingCivil Rights
Tax Policy
K-12 Education
Affirmative Action Policies
Equality
Community
Opportunity
Values
Issues
Policies
Fairness
FamilyHard Work
Common Sense
Human RightsCommunity
Opportunity Ingenuity
Focus on Solutions
Tell a Thematic Story
Enlightened Insiders
Affected Change Agents
Group Stories
Tell a Thematic Story
Tell Your Story, Not the Myth
Tell Your Story, Not the Myth
Narrative DisciplineDifferent Roles for Different Spokespeople
Questions?Comments?
www.OpportunityAgenda.org
Developing Effective Messages
The General Public
Reaching Strategic Audiences
Decisionmakers• Policymakers• Swing Voters• Boards of Directors
Influencers• Constituents• Faith Leaders• Editorial Boards• Stockholders
Base• To be mobilized
Persuadables• To be persuaded
Opposition• To be ignored or
marginalized
Understanding Audiences
Strategy:
Mobilize/Energize 1-2’s.
Choose messages, spokespeople to move 3’s and 4’s.
Ignore or demobilize 5’s.
1 2 3 4 5
With Us Persuadable Opposed
Who are your target audiences?
Decisionmakers•President, Congress•State Legislature, Governor•Immigrants•Business owners•Swing voters•Law enforcement•Donors
Influencers
•Base voters
•Swing voters
•Faith leaders
•Business leaders
•Editorial boards
•Police chiefs
•Donors
Crafting a Values Message
Our future depends on seeing that all kids have the opportunity to grow up healthy and well educated.
But that can’t happen when some kids are singled out, harassed, or excluded because of where their parents came from.
We need to invest in all kids so they can thrive and contribute fully to our community.
Tell the City Council to protect our future by including all children in education and health services.
Value
Problem
Solution
Action
Crafting a Values Message
When it comes to immigration, we need commonsense approaches that uphold our values and move us forward together.
Trying to deport 11 million families, workers, and children who are our neighbors, co-workers, and friends would be impossible, and would tear our communities apart.
We need a roadmap to citizenship for immigrants who are part of our economic engine and our social fabric, starting with students who are Americans in all but the paperwork.
We call on Congress to pass the DREAM Act, and to adopt commonsense reform of our immigration laws.
Value
Problem
Solution
Action
Questions?Comments?
www.OpportunityAgenda.org
