NATIONALITIES SERVICE CENTER
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NSC's HISTORY
Nationalities Service Center (NSC) is a United Way member agency which provides legal, social and educational services to immigrants, refugees, limited and/or non-English speakers. It was founded in 1921 under the aegis of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) as the International Institute (II). It came into being through the efforts of a group of concerned women at the "Y," who had learned from a national study that newly-arrived immigrant women needed help and protection against "exploitation and unfavorable conditions." Specifically, help was needed with immigration/naturalization and with the English language.
During the post World War I
years, service programs evolved and expanded to include and respond to
the changing needs of not only immigrant women, but men and families.
The II staff during these early years was composed of interpreters, immigration
casework counselors, and volunteers. The latter performed a multitude
of tasks, although most of their volunteer time was devoted to teaching
English. As service programs and staff grew it became increasingly difficult
for the "Y" to continue its support. In 1934 the II became an
independent agency and the following year was incorporated as non-profit
in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Core funding came from the Community
Chest, today the United Way.
The international and national social, political, and economic upheavals, along with restrictive immigration legislation, made the work of the agency vital, albeit budgetary/financial conditions continuously threatened its well-being during the 1920s and 1930s. Nonetheless, basic services continued and innovative intergroup programs were initiated. Programs that focused on bringing together the diverse ethnic, racial, cultural, and nationality groups in the city to share their commonalities, and talk about their differences were regularly taking place. At these meetings cultural diversity was discussed as a strength, something to build upon as a positive force for all Americans. Linguistic and cultural differences were identified not as inferior or superior, simply as differences that, put to work, could enhance the quality of life for all in the community.
Prejudices and hatreds found easy expression as a result of the Second World War, and groups sometimes refused to work together. Despite negative public sentiment towards immigrants, the II's staff increased from three to 13 full-time persons, and membership grew. (BACK TO TOP)
In the years immediately following WW II -- 1945-50 -- the agency worked with Displaced Persons and in the 1950s with Hungarian refugees...housing, jobs, immigration counseling and English language services were provided through public and/or private funding sources. The agency also assisted Japanese Americans who were wrongfully interned as they resettled on the East Coast.
To reinforce its commitment to cultural pluralism and its work towards the elimination of barriers caused by linguistic and cultural differences, the II sponsored the first Philadelphia Folk Fair at the old High School for Girls in 1955. The Folk Fair became the most ambitious undertaking of the II, when in 1962 it was expanded from a one-day to a three-day event, recognized by the City of Philadelphia, and relocated to the Civic Center where 50-60 different ethnic/racial/cultural/nationality groups, all volunteers, came together to celebrate "who they are/were, and who they were becoming" through the performing, visual, and culinary arts.
The agency purchased its present building in 1961 to accommodate increased staff and activities. Among them was the resettlement of Cuban refugees in 1962, at which time the agency networked with other social service providers, churches, and the New York-based International Rescue Committee. Housing, furniture, clothing, linens, cooking utensils/dishes were provided for every family. Through the International Rescue Committee, financial assistance for rent and food was provided until employment was procured or public assistance made available. (BACK TO TOP)
The II officially changed its name to the Nationalities Service Center in 1963, in part to reinforce its affiliation with its national organization, the American Council for Nationalities Service (ACNS) in New York City, and to avoid confusion with the newly opened International House on the University of Pennsylvania campus.
NSC celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1971 and in the years that followed, thousands of refugees from countries such as Uganda, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Angola, Haiti and the "Mariel" Cubans (socially or politically dubbed "undesirables" by the Cuban government) -- along with Eastern Europeans, began arriving in unprecedented numbers.
In 1978 the agency restructured the organization of its services into four Service Divisions: Community Services; Counseling; Education; and Migration Services. A fifth Service division was added in 1986, Aging. Please see NSC Organizational Chart and Description of Current Services which follow. (BACK TO TOP)
From 1978-82 and again from 1985-90, NSC was contracted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Public Welfare, to provide Counseling and English as a Second Language services to all eligible refugees in the southeast region. Staff increased dramatically and during these years numbered 130 persons.
In Education Services, enrollment in the Refugee Assistance Program (RAP) for ESL skyrocketed and frequently exceeded 1000 students attending classes daily.
Major changes in English language instruction had to be made to respond to the needs of the refugees, some of whom were not literate in their native languages, and still others, who came from a preliterate culture, needed special attention.
During these years the agency sponsored and provided resettlement, counseling, job development/placement and English language training to an estimated 200-300 refugees a year.
To recapitulate briefly..from the 1930s through the 1980s the agency had the capacity to respond to changing immigration laws, the post WW I years, the aftermath of the Great Depression, WW II and the aftermath, the Korean War, the Cuban crisis (revolution), the Vietnam War, and the stress of maintaining financial stability plus two physical moves.(BACK TO TOP)
Although the Philadelphia Folk Fair closed its doors in 1984, NSC continues to cooperate with racial/ethnic cultural groups in the preservation and presentation of performing and visual arts programs in the city. It maintains membership in the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance representing its unique constituency.
The Educational Services Division was accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) in 1983. Accreditation was renewed in 1988 and 1991.
The legal and social services -- immigration, counseling/assistance, family and individual counseling -- were accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Services to Families and Children (COA) in 1984. Accreditation for these services was also renewed in 1991.
Throughout the history of the agency the volunteer has been a mainstay, whether as a Board Member providing leadership and setting policy, or as one of the thousands who made the Philadelphia Folk Fair possible for over 30 years, or as a teacher/tutor contributing time, talent, and skills to help newcomers make the transition from country of origin to the U.S., or now as a Green Circle facilitator promoting intergroup understanding.
The decade of the '90s brought
with it a troubled economy, high unemployment and a myriad of other problems,
local, national and international, that directly affect NSC. Nonetheless,
NSC continues to "hold its own"...maintaining service quality,
even though staff and public funding have markedly decreased. (BACK TO
TOP)