America is the world’s melting pot—a place open to anyone with as little as a dream—and it is the hopes, dreams, and entrepreneurial spirit of millions of immigrants, past and present, that helped build the country and make it what it is today.
In 1987, Congress formally recognized National Immigrants Day as a way to pay homage to the spirit and determination of the millions of immigrants that have come to the United States, in pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. Today, we at On Lok pay tribute to our seniors and staff that are part of our nation’s immigrant community.
The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most diverse regions in the nation, and it was this vibrant, diverse population, each different and deserved of care, that was at the heart of the organization’s founding. Founded nearly 50 years ago by Dr. William Gee and Marie-Louise Ansak, immigrants themselves, On Lok’s mission was to provide culturally appropriate care to underserved seniors, while also providing jobs for immigrants.
That bold idea, almost half a century later, is still at the heart of On Lok. Today, every senior, no matter their background, is supported with culturally appropriate, compassionate care. And our staff is as diverse as the community we serve—many immigrants themselves—with an estimated 67% of staff Asian, 16% Hispanic or Latino, 4% Black or African American, and 1% Native Hawaiian or two or more races.
Every day, On Lok’s multi-generational workforce draws from their own backgrounds, to deliver care and services with cultural understanding and in a variety of languages. Our workforce of more than 1,000 team members have come to the United States from more than a dozen countries and speak more than 35 languages, including Cantonese, Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Panjabi, Korean, and many more.
While a little more than a quarter of our staff do not speak English, making it difficult to find jobs, On Lok provides them with meaningful employment in a supportive atmosphere. The organization treats people equally from different races and migrant status, and provides a sense of safety and belonging for all team members.
"We recognize our organization's strength and resilience is directly connected to the unique gifts and experience of each of our staff members. We are proud of our diverse workforce and dedicated to creating a place of respect and fairness," said Aché Lytle, Manager of Leadership Development & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
On behalf of everyone at On Lok, we wish our community, staff, and every immigrant, a Happy National Immigrants Day.
