202,900 immigrants live in Kentucky.
If we were all in one county, our population would be bigger than every county in KY other than Jefferson and Fayette. *American Immigration Council
82,600 Kentucky immigrants are eligible to vote.
Language barriers, trust, and accessibility of information can make it difficult for immigrants to become informed about issues and candidates, and to register to vote. *American Immigration Council
30,800 are eligible for naturalization right now.
However, there are many immigrants eligible for naturalization who do not become citizens mainly due to financial and language barriers. *American Immigration Council
Who We Are.
We are a diverse group of Kentuckians from across the state committed to making space for the voices of foreign-born Kentuckians in our electoral process. We are community leaders, elected officials, business owners, attorneys, students, volunteers, and every day Kentuckians.
Our staff is women-led. 80% of our board members are first and second generation immigrants. Together, we want to help immigrant and refugee communities by establishing legal pathways to citizenship, helping eligible immigrants become citizens, and keeping naturalized citizens engaged and active in our electoral and civic processes.
What we do.
Legal Support & Pathways to Citizenship
The New Americans Initiative works to ensure that eligible immigrants and refugees in Kentucky have access to trusted, accurate legal information and support as they pursue stable immigration status and citizenship. Many eligible individuals face barriers such as high legal costs, language access challenges, and misinformation about the immigration process. NAI addresses these barriers by hosting community-based green card and naturalization workshops where eligible participants can receive guidance from legal professionals.
These workshops provide step-by-step assistance with applications, document preparation, and referrals to trusted immigration attorneys when more complex legal representation is needed. By offering language support, culturally responsive services, and low‑ or no‑cost assistance, NAI helps eligible families move toward permanent residency and U.S. citizenship. Expanding access to lawful status not only strengthens individual families but also contributes to stronger communities and local economies.
What we do.
Outreach & Nonpartisan Civic Engagement
NAI believes that strong democracies require broad participation. Through its outreach and civic engagement work, the organization provides year‑round voter registration assistance and nonpartisan voter education to eligible immigrants and refugees. Many new Americans face barriers to participation, including language access, lack of familiarity with election systems, and misinformation about eligibility.
NAI provides clear, accessible information about voter registration, election processes, and voting rights in multiple languages. The organization also leads nonpartisan Get‑Out‑The‑Vote (GOTV) efforts designed to encourage eligible voters to participate in local, state, and national elections. These efforts may include community events, educational workshops, and culturally relevant outreach campaigns.
Importantly, all civic engagement activities are strictly nonpartisan. The focus is on empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools they need to participate confidently in the democratic process.
What we do.
Advocacy & Community Building
NAI plays a key role in convening community members and partner organizations to respond to immigration‑related policy issues that affect Kentucky families. Through advocacy and community building efforts, the organization creates spaces for immigrants and refugees to share their lived experiences and help shape conversations about policies that impact their lives.
This work includes organizing community responses to proposed legislation, facilitating policy discussions with stakeholders, and supporting immigrant leaders in speaking directly with decision‑makers. By centering the voices of those most directly impacted, NAI helps ensure that policy conversations reflect real community needs.
In addition to policy engagement, NAI fosters community connection and collective action. Building strong networks among immigrant communities, service providers, advocates, and allies strengthens the ability of communities to respond to challenges and work toward long‑term, systemic change.
What we do.
Storytelling & Narrative Change
Public understanding of immigration is often shaped by incomplete or inaccurate narratives. NAI’s storytelling and narrative change work seeks to amplify the authentic voices of immigrants and refugees living in Kentucky. Through digital storytelling, media engagement, and community storytelling initiatives, NAI highlights the lived experiences of immigrant families and the contributions they make to local communities.
This program works to promote accurate and positive narratives that reflect immigrants as neighbors, entrepreneurs, workers, parents, and community leaders. By sharing real stories through social media, community events, and partnerships with journalists and media outlets, NAI helps build empathy and understanding. Changing the narrative is a critical component of long-term systems change because public perception strongly influences policy and community response.
Our Partners & Collaborators
NAI is partners with organizations such as law schools at the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky; direct service organizations such as International Rescue Commission (IRC), Catholic Charities of Kentucky, and Kentucky Refugee Ministries; government entities such as Lexington's Civic Lex and Louisville's Office of Immigrant Affairs; and, civil rights organizations such as American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky (ACLU-KY), Kentucky Civic Engagement Table (KCET), and Kentucky League of Women Voters.
https://www.lfpl.org/services#125
https://www.seeforwardministry.org
https://www.rescue.org/united-states/louisville-ky
https://www.aclu-ky.org
https://kentuckyrefugees.org
How you can help.
Get Involved.
- Provide pro bono legal support
- Volunteer to interpret or translate
- Volunteer at a legal workshops
- Staff an NAI table at community events
- Register new eligible voters
- Work a GOTV (Get out the vote) event
- Sponsor a naturalization or work permit workshop
- Provide child care for children during workshops
2026 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Legal Workshops
In 2026, NAI will hold refugee adjustment of status and naturalization limited representation workshops in Lexington, Louisville and Covington. Participants are required to pre-register for these events.
Voter Engagement Events
In 2026, NAI will be engaging and registering eligible voters throughout Kentucky at these festivals. Check back here as dates are confirmed by organizers.
- World Fest (Louisville)
- International Festival (Bowling Green)
- International Festival (Frankfort)
- Festival Latino de Lexington (Lexington)
- Owensboro Multicultural Festival (Owensboro)
- Esperanza Center Health Festival (Northern KY)
Meet the Team
At the heart of the New Americans Initiative, our small but mighty team works to connect individuals to essential resources and become engaged in civic life. Our efforts extend to supporting our incredible volunteers, empowering them to become leaders and champions within their communities.
Together, we are fostering an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to our communities. Our staff is women-led with 50% being first and second generation immigrants. 80% of our board is also made of first and second generation immigrants.
Nima Kulkarni
Executive Director
Nima Kulkarni is the founder and executive director of the New Americans Initiative. In 2018, Nima Kulkarni became the first Indian immigrant to be elected in the history of the Kentucky Legislature. She represents the 40th District in Louisville, which includes the University of Louisville and Churchill Downs.
Since 2010, she has also managed her own immigration law practice, helping others achieve the American Dream. Nima has earned a BA in English Literature, a Juris Doctor, and an MBA in Entrepreneurship. As a legislator, Nima has focused her work on issues of economic, social, racial, and environmental justice, and has dedicated her time as a public servant to helping the most vulnerable Kentuckians.
Emily Jones
Legal Director
Emily oversees the planning and implementation of legal workshops and provides trainings and expertise on immigration-related policies to communities throughout Kentucky. Emily also serves as an instructor in the Political Science Department at the University of Kentucky teaching pre-law classes to undergraduates. She has also served as an adjunct faculty at the Rosenberg College of Law and the supervisor of their Kentucky Refugee Ministries Externship. Emily is an At Large Commissioner on the Mayor’s International Affairs Advisory Commission (MIAAC) in Lexington, Kentucky.
Emily graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in Political Science and French and holds a law degree from the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law. Prior to joining NAI, Emily worked as the Senior Immigration Attorney at Kentucky Refugee Ministries (KRM) in Lexington. For over a decade, Emily has focused on the practice of humanitarian and family-based immigration law assisting thousands of clients with a variety of cases in front of US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Executive Office of Immigration Review.
Mae Suramek
Operations Director
Mae Suramek (she/her) has been involved in non-profit management at the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission, the North Carolina Human Relations Commission, Berea College, and the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center. After spending 20 years getting an up-close and personal view of the funding challenges of the non-profit world, she went on to create Noodle Nirvana, a socially-conscious restaurant in Berea, KY that raised nearly $200,000 for four non-profits during its seven years of operations.
Mae currently serves as the Operations Director of the New Americans Initiative where she heads up strategic operations, development and communications. Mae and her husband, Adam are also partners of the Good Dwellings Group, a real estate business that is committed to promoting equal and accessible housing in Kentucky. Mae has a B.A. in psychology from Berea College and an M.A. in counseling from Eastern Kentucky University.
Kit O'Connor
Program Coordinator
Kit O’Connor (they/them), is a lifelong activist. A high school Social Studies teacher turned human rights advocate, they have held multiple volunteer positions, including Legislative Coordinator for Vermont for Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), for which they coordinated and trained volunteers to do constituent lobbying in the offices of Vermont’s Members of Congress. They later worked as a staff member at AIUSA as the Refugee and Migrant Rights Campaign Organizer and, with volunteers, passed over 50 nonbinding “I Welcome Refugees” resolutions through elected bodies across the US. They are still involved with AIUSA as a workshop presenter. After working as Victim’s Advocate at Kentucky Refugee Ministries, they more recently were a founding Welcome Corps staff member at the Community Sponsorship Hub which served as the consortium lead for the then nascent resettlement initiative.
Kit oversees NAI's volunteer and outreach programs and supports the planning of legal workshops. A graduate of Michigan State University (BA) and Harvard (M.Ed), Kit is originally from the great state of Maine and lives happily in Kentucky with their spouse, two cats, and dog, spending their time split between Franklin and Estill counties. They regularly take part in various organizing and advocacy endeavors at the local level and is a strong believer in the power of community.
