Napkins of Rights

Inspired by street food signage, the humble napkin becomes a trusted source of information.

In the US, there are over 11 million undocumented immigrants. But most of them live in the shadows, unaware that they have basic human rights protected by US law. Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) works to inform immigrants of their rights by getting critical information to them in places immigrants feel safe and trust – their community restaurants.

In the United States, even undocumented immigrants have rights. But they don’t know this. At FLIC, we work to help them, which becomes challenging because they don’t trust in institutions.”

Renata Bozzetto

Deputy Director, FLIC

Many undocumented immigrants in the United States don’t know that regardless of their immigration status, they have rights under the US Constitution. Some authorities take advantage of this lack of knowledge to detain and deport them, needlessly and unconstitutionally breaking up families and communities in the process.

Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) works to inform immigrants of their rights but getting the information to them is challenging because undocumented immigrants are hard to reach and generally distrust authorities and institutions, including non-profit organizations like FLIC.

FLIC needed to find a new way to reach the undocumented immigrant community, letting them know that they are a trusted resource that can help undocumented immigrants with everything from educating them about their rights to getting free legal advice about their status.

Understanding the critical need for a trustworthy communication channel, we sought out a familiar and dependable environment where undocumented immigrants feel safe and valued. Local community restaurants emerged as the perfect ally in bridging this crucial information gap.

We transformed the humble napkin into a powerful tool for change, turning it into a bill of rights distributed through community restaurants, food trucks and local markets. These napkins not only provide essential legal information but also feature a QR code for further resources. By leveraging the trust placed in these local eateries, we created a discreet and reliable method for immigrants to learn about their rights without fear or suspicion.

To date, over 50 restaurants, food trucks and eateries in Miami are using the "Napkins of Rights" with about 30 more looking to join the project.

Through our website, napkinsdelosderechos.com, the napkins are available for any restaurant across the country to purchase.