Inform. Engage. Impact.
Welcome To New Americans Initiative
Committed to assisting Kentuckiana’s immigrant population through the naturalization process and informing the community on current issues in immigration.

WHO WE ARE
We are a non-profit organization founded in 2015 by Nima Kulkarni, an immigration attorney in Louisville, Kentucky, whose own family immigrated to the United States when she was young.
Kentucky’s Immigrant Population
- In 2015, there were 157,336 immigrants (foreign-born individuals) comprised 3.6 percent of the state’s population (68,802 women, 70,300 men, and 18,234 children).
- In 2016, 115,969 people in Kentucky (2.7 percent of the state’s population) were native-born Americans who had at least one immigrant parent.
Top Countries of Origin
- Mexico (19.2 percent of immigrants); India (6.9 percent); Cuba (5.1 percent); China (4.5 percent); and Guatemala (3.7 percent).
Taxes Paid by Immigrants to Kentucky
- Immigrant-led households paid $719.3 million in federal taxes and $343.1 million in state and local taxes in 2014.
- Undocumented immigrants paid an estimated $36.6 million in state and local taxes in 2014 (this would rise to $52.7 million if they could receive legal status).
- DACA recipients paid an estimated $9.1 million in state and local taxes in 2016.
Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Kentucky
- 8,690 immigrant business owners accounted for 4.6 percent of all self-employed Kentucky residents
in 2015 and generated $283.5 million in business income.

“I serve the community because I want to help people. I have been very fortunate in the opportunities that have been given to me and want to share that with others. I am devoted to immigrants and immigrants’ rights and feel that they should be involved and engaged members of our community and that we should all benefit and learn from each other. I strive to achieve that goal as often as I can.”
Nima Kulkarni, Founder and President of New Americans Initiative