White House Author

Adolfo Hernandez serves as the Director of Chicago’s Office of New Americans (ONA). Launched in 2011, the Office of New Americans is dedicated to making Chicago the most immigrant friendly city in the world by better leveraging the contributions of immigrants through enhanced collaboration between city government, community organizations, academic and faith based institutions, and the private sector. Mr. Hernandez has worked to develop and implement policies and strategies that support the creation and expansion of immigrant-owned businesses, that develop, attract, and retain talent and expertise from other countries, and that bolster Chicago’s status as a vibrant and welcoming international city. Under his leadership the ONA has launched the New Americans Small Business Series, the Chicago New Americans Initiative offering assistance to thousands of legal permanent residents who are ready to become U.S. citizens, and the creation of The Chicago New Americans Plan. The son of Mexican immigrants, Mr. Hernandez was born and raised in Chicago’s Little Village community.