Stories
Without DACA, Gifted Linguist Faces Deportation Instead of Law School
When Santiago Tobar Potes was brought to the United States at age 3, he spoke only Spanish. Now 20 and a student at Columbia University, he has become a gifted linguist, teaching himself English, French, Portuguese, Italian, Haitian Creole, and Chinese, and now working on Arabic and Russian. He wants… Read More
Undocumented for Years, Republican Immigrant Runs for State House
Not many brides choose GOP figureheads as their wedding inspiration, but for Brazilian-American newspaper editor, local Republican candidate, and formerly undocumented immigrant Emanuela Palmares, it was a no-brainer. This fall, when Palmares married Connecticut Rep. J.P. Sredzinski, the couple put portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson on their wedding… Read More
First Generation Farmer May Be Only-Generation Farmer if Foreign Labor Stays Home
Brandon Fawaz grew up tending backyard crops on 15 acres in Fort Jones, a small town in California’s far north Scotts Valley. The son of a Lebanese-American highway patrolman and a school principal, Fawaz ultimately stuck with farming. Today, Fawaz Farming, located 12 miles south of his hometown, produces hay… Read More
Without Migrant Workers, Texas Shrimp Trawlers Forced to Tie Up Boats
In 2007, Andrea Hance and her husband decided to buy a shrimp boat. The couple had stable careers in South Texas — he as a crop insurance agent and she as the owner of a mortgage company. But they were looking for a new challenge and were taken with the… Read More
DACA Recipient Wants to Give Her All to Only Country She Knows
In 2012, when Liz Cortez finally got her work permit under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which allows undocumented immigrants brought to the country as young children to legally live and work in the United States, she treated the paper like a massive engagement ring. “I was obsessed… Read More
Pastor: U.S. Economy Needs Low-Skilled Immigrants, Too
The Missouri Bootheel, in the far southeastern corner of Missouri, is not known for its immigrants, who account for just 1.3 percent of the population. But Sunday mass at St. Cecilia’s Parish in Kennett is full of foreign-born worshippers. Of the 250 families who attend the church, roughly two-thirds are… Read More
Dreamers Play Vital Role in Texas Economy
Sergio Ramos was born in Texas and has lived in southeast Texas for more than 60 years. The only sign he is an immigrant is his lingering Spanish accent. As soon as he started studying English in the border town of Harlingen at age 13 — his father went back… Read More
Welcoming Immigrants to Georgia Affirms Basic Values, Reverend Says
To the Reverend James T. Said, rector of Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Augusta, Georgia, and a member of the local Progressive Religious Coalition (PRC), advocating for immigration reform is deeply tied to his religion. “The Progressive Religious Coalition believes we should affirm the values of love, justice,… Read More
Taiwanese Scholar Adds Value to Pennsylvania Campus
Students at Delaware Valley University, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, are often surprised to learn that their European history professor is a Taiwanese immigrant. But for Dr. Shih-chieh “Jay” Su, studying and teaching in the United States has made perfect sense. “Academic freedom in the U.S. higher education system is very protected for teachers,”… Read More
Adding ‘One More at the Table’ Reaps Rewards, Says Financial Advisor
When Colleen Beckemeyer was growing up in St. Louis, family Thanksgivings had an international flair. Her father was a professor of finance at St. Louis University and made a point of inviting students from places like Spain, Thailand, and Hong Kong to join them for dinner. “They were always so gracious… Read More
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