City of Belonging Festival
The Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) launched the annual City of Belonging Festival in observance of Immigrant Heritage Month by unveiling the You Belong Here banners at City Hall’s Mezzanine Gallery.
The large-format banners will hang in the Mezzanine until July 19. After this, they will be displayed at different locations for a You Belong Here banner tour to continue spreading the message of belonging across the city for the remainder of 2025. MOIA welcomes community requests for banner display.
The gallery launch will take place on May 21 at 1 p.m. and include food, photos, and a speaking program. The event is open to the public, but registration is requested.
MOIA designated 2025 as the Year of Belonging with the You Belong Here campaign to integrate its goals of creating a more inclusive Boston while addressing pressing challenges, such as public sentiment and policy shifts on immigration. The campaign supports immigrant communities through grants, empowers resilience with morale-boosting messaging, and inspires action through events.
“Our immigrant families and communities play a critical role in making Boston more welcoming, resilient, and joyful,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “MOIA’s City of Belonging initiative supports our work in making Boston a home for everyone and ensuring that all residents across our neighborhoods are connected to their communities.”
The campaign aims to ensure Boston remains a community where residents feel welcomed, respected, and valued, regardless of background. This awareness campaign prioritizes diversity, equity, and social cohesion for residents across Boston’s neighborhoods, sharing one message, “You Belong Here,” in the city’s 12 main languages. The large-scale banners are also in these languages, and the campaign design has already been featured in digital billboards across the city, most recently at Opening Day in Fenway Park.
MOIA will host free events for the City of Belonging Festival. These include:
- May 29 - Belonging in Boston: LGBTQIA2S+ Panel in collaboration with MOLA
- June 12 - Belonging in Boston: MOIAxSofar Sounds Community Concert
- June 29 - Belonging in Boston: MOIAxDaybreaker Movement and Dance Party
- Stories of Belonging: A comic series with original stories on MOIA’s social media
- Independent community events sponsored or endorsed by MOIA
"The celebration of all people is integral to the heart of the City of Boston," said Monique Tú Nguyen, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement. "Through partnerships with local nonprofits with over $2 million in grant investment, we're building a City of Belonging where every resident feels connected to Boston and each other. We’re excited to continue sharing our message of belonging and celebrating our diverse city all month with the City of Belonging Festival."
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Questions? Contact:
Immigrant Advancement
About the Initiative
The celebration of all people is integral to the heart of the City of Boston. We want residents to feel both a sense of belonging in the City and to each other, and to know that Boston belongs to you. Through building a City of Belonging, we want to ensure that Boston includes people of all backgrounds, and that we are a City where all immigrants feel a deep sense of connection, acceptance, and inclusion.
A City of Belonging is more than just a place. It's a community where newcomers feel welcomed, respected, and valued, regardless of their cultural background or origin. It's a city that prioritizes diversity, equity, and social cohesion. It's a home where immigrants can thrive and fully participate in all aspects of economic, civic, social, and cultural life.
Who's Involved:
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Questions? Contact:
Immigrant Advancement
