Stories
First-Generation American Entrepreneur Needs Immigration Reform to Compete Globally
As Argentine immigrants, Betty Manetta’s parents worked long hours in factory jobs to put their daughters through private school. Witnessing her parents’ work ethic and their belief that education is the key to success, cultivated a drive in Manetta. After high school, she worked for Western Electric, put herself through… Read More
U.S. Economy Can’t Win Without Guest Workers, Says Arizona Business Consultant
Republican Jaime Molera, founding partner of Phoenix consultancy Molera Alvarez, says a strong business climate depends on immigration reform. “When Arizona was going through a number of challenging policy issues, like the infamous and controversial Senate Bill 1070” — a law requiring police to determine the immigration status of… Read More
Texas Mayor: America Can’t Turn its Back on Immigrants ‘We Invited’ Here ‘Through Our Conduct’
Austin, Texas, is known for being one of the most creative, innovative cities in the United States. It’s why Steve Adler is so proud to be the city’s mayor — and he knows that to maintain the city’s vibrancy it needs to celebrate its immigrant residents. In Austin,… Read More
Pakistani Immigrant, Navy Reservist, Successful Businessman Believes in a “Nation of Optimism and Ideas”
When Ali Samana came to the United States from Pakistan as a 13-year old, he immediately adopted America as his home. “This is my country of choice,” he says. “I make a conscious choice every day to be an American.” Nearly 20 years later, Samana is a U.S. citizen, a… Read More
Young Republican Argues for Fiscally Responsible Approach to Undocumented Immigrants
Michael Banerian, the youth vice-chair of the Michigan Republican party, is a 22-year-old political science major at Oakland University, a part-time salesman and deliveryman for his family’s Detroit-based wine-distribution business — and a proud fourth-generation Armenian-American. “When you look at the American dream, and the successes people have been… Read More
Latina Entrepreneur Says Immigrants Play an Important Role Filling STEM Positions
Laura Sanchez, one of a tiny number of Latinas who own IT companies in the Chicago area, is proud to be a link between Chicago’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Hispanic communities. Sanchez was born in Mexico got her degree from Tec de Monterrey, a school she… Read More
CEO of Mavin Global says Immigration System Makes U.S. Firms Less Competitive
Sai Naik’s father came to America from Mumbai in the 1960s with little more than the few cents in his pocket and an abiding love of Elvis Presley. Over the decades that followed, he earned a PhD in materials engineering, held a series of well-paid jobs, and went on to… Read More
Immigration System is Holding Back Social Enterprise
In 2007, Catalina Rojas and her husband started the Peace and Collaborative Development Network (PCDN), a social enterprise that connects more than 35,500 professionals, organizations, and students with the resources they need to scale social change. With help from their two part-time employees, their goal for this year is to… Read More
Immigrant Entrepreneur Wants to Bring 500 Jobs to Tennessee, Needs Immigration Reform to Do It
When Darius Mir opened his company Made in America (MIA) Seating in Union City, Tenn. two years ago, he pledged to create 500 jobs for Tennessee’s 8th Congressional district in five years. Despite earning a projected $50 million in group sales this year alone, the U.S. immigration system may actually… Read More
This Regional Franchise Owner Recognizes Value of Immigrant Business Owners
As the regional franchise owner for commercial cleaning giant Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems Midwest, Alison Mairet oversees more than 40 franchisees, ranging in size from single-person businesses with revenues of $5,000 a year to million-dollar operations with large teams that serve scores of commercial clients. Mairet estimates that 40 percent of… Read More
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