Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and over two hundred new Bostonians celebrated the city's 2000 City Livability Award at New Bostonians Community Day at Boston's City Hall on October 25, 2000. New Bostonians Community Day was held to highlight the work of the Office of New Bostonians, which Mayor Menino created in 1998 to affirm the diversity of Boston, celebrate the contributions of immigrants, and encourage immigrants' full participation in the social, cultural, economic and civic life of the city.

City Livability Awards, which are sponsored by The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Waste Management, recognize and honor mayors for exemplary leadership in developing and implementing programs that improve the quality of life in America's cities. The winning cities are determined by an independent panel of judges, selected by The U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The awards were first announced in Seattle on June 10 at the 68th Annual Conference of Mayors by Mr. Maury Myers, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Waste Management, Inc., the world's largest provider of comprehensive waste services. Waste Management's support makes the City Livability Awards Program possible.

Mayor Menino established the Office of New Bostonians in response to Boston's rapidly changing demographics. By 1990, over 20 percent of Boston residents were foreign born. No longer predominantly Irish or Italian, these new residents spoke 141 languages and hailed from over 100 countries around the globe. Recognizing that this diverse population holds the key to Boston's future, Mayor Menino created the Office of New Bostonians to ensure that immigrants have access to all city services and resources, and that they are encouraged to participate in the life of the city and its government.

Mayor Menino's leadership enabled city officials to recognize the potential of isolated groups and proactively reach out to build on their strengths, drawing them into civic life. Through the multilingual Guide to City Services, 45,000 Boston residents now have information about essential services such as trash collection, building permits or school registration. With the Interpreters Pool, immigrants can now access these essential services even if they don't speak English, and directly improve quality of life in the city. After identifying a dramatic need for English as a Second Language classes for immigrants across the city, 50 community leaders collaborated with ONB to develop a $4 million public-private partnership to increase adult English classes in Boston. Over the long term, citywide department-based cultural competence plans instituted comprehensive change throughout the city, raising cultural awareness and appreciation of diversity.

"Again, mayoral leadership was the key to the success of this program," said one City Livability judge. "Once Mayor Menino got the ball rolling, the Office of New Bostonians enabled immigrants to find better jobs and participate in city life through improved English skills, empowering citizens to do more by themselves." "This program recognizes our rich heritage as a nation of cultural diversity, tapping into what is surely one of our country's greatest strengths," said another.

New Bostonians Community Day opened with a representation of the 2000 City Livability Award to Mayor Menino, followed by City Hall tours in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, Russian and English. The day continued with a series of workshops, voting booth demonstrations, a tour of City Council Chamber, and various information booth discussions. The celebration ended with a Mayor's Evening Reception, attended by Cabinet Chiefs, department heads, elected officials and other community leaders from the City of Boston.