Born and raised in Ecuador, Jonathan A. Fein Proaño has worked with immigrants and in immigrant justice for the last 11 years. Currently, he is Integration Manager at the International Rescue Committee in Los Angeles (IRC-LA). He oversees an innovative department that promotes civic engagement for refugees, asylees and immigrants. The Integration Programs department also drives IRC’s Economic Empowerment for New Americans programming. Jonathan has served over 3,500 people at 21-plus library branches with an original curriculum combining civics education and financial education and coaching.
As a Department of Justice accredited representative, Jonathan also focuses on naturalization, adjustment of status and other immigration legal services. He works to make these services accessible through libraries and across the LA region. A certified financial coach, he has shaped economic empowerment programs for clients, including financial education, coaching, counseling and asset building. With graduate schooling in international studies and business administration, as well as post-graduate studies in international negotiation, Jonathan has expanded the program’s breadth and diversity. It is now a model that’s received regional and national recognition from the IRC and its partners and funders across the United States.
Storyteller, Healing Our World: Seeking Immigration Justice