Stories
‘We Aren’t Protecting Ourselves When We Shun Talented, Hardworking People,’ Says Immigrant Entrepreneur
When he was 16, George Fernandez was forced to translate a devastating medical diagnosis to his mother, who didn’t speak English. “The doctor came in and told me she had cancer. I had to explain to her what this was and what was going to happen to her. I didn’t… Read More
Chamber VP Sees Firsthand How Immigrant Businesses Stimulate the Economy
Gilda Ramirez knows how much immigrants have to contribute to the United States. Her father was born in Mexico but grew up undocumented in Texas. Just after he received a letter of deportation, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and went to fight in Germany during World War II. Read More
Andrés Moreno Founded the Largest Online English School. Let’s Welcome More People Like Him
At the age of 25, with just $700 in his pocket, Venezuelan-born Andrés Moreno booked a flight to Silicon Valley, California. It was the right move at the right time for the young man. In Menlo Park, Moreno raised money from angel investors, slept on friends’ sofas and spent two… Read More
Starting a Promising Firm Didn’t Insulate this Iranian Scientist from Visa Worries
In 2004, Mehdi Yazdanpanah triggered a chemical reaction in a University of Louisville lab that, to his surprise, created tiny, metallic points. Intrigued, he devised a way to form individual needles – microscopic in size, yet conductive and strong, a unique combination that could advance cancer and other microscopic research. Read More
Ohio Entrepreneur Shares his Reason for Reform
Abe Miller co-owns an apparel embroidery and design business in Cleveland, Ohio. He supports immigration reform because he feels a connection between his largely Chinese workforce and his own immigrant grandparents who came to the United States from Eastern Europe. When Abe Miller looks out over his apparel factory in… Read More
Editor of Iowa’s Largest Spanish-Language Newspaper Living Proof of Value Undocumented Immigrants Bring to Rural America
As founder and editor of La Prensa, Iowa’s largest Spanish-language newspaper, Lorena Lopez has interviewed everyone from former President Barack Obama to former Governor Jeb Bush and become a sought-after expert on Iowa’s increasingly influential Latino voters. Lopez has plenty of experience: She worked for 11 years as… Read More
Immigrants Have an ‘Enormous Work Ethic,’ Says Acclaimed Documentarian and Entrepreneur
In 2011, photographer and documentarian Jesus Ramirez was asked to help produce a special about the Mexican Revolution, to highlight the untold historic contributions brought to the United States by Mexicans fleeing their country. The goal was a single hourlong episode, but the order quickly grew to 20 independent… Read More
Top Event Producer Thanks Ronald Reagan for Helping Him Realize His Dreams
Ricardo Luna’s mother always believed her son would become a successful entrepreneur, but she never could have guessed that less than 10 years after leaving Zacatecas, Mexico, he’d be hired to produce events for elite corporate and star-studded clientele, including the Grammy Awards. Luna came to the United States when… Read More
Successful Foreign-Born CEO Explains Why Immigrant-Run Franchises Almost Never Fail
Ask any Hawaiian about L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, a fast-food chain ubiquitous on the islands and the West Coast, and they can likely tell you about its traditional plate lunches complete with heaping scoops of macaroni salad. What they might not know is the company has more than 200 franchise locations,… Read More
Successful Education Startup Faces Challenges as Founders Straddle Three Continents
Thomas Ketchell hopes to transform America’s education system through a simple digital platform. The Belgian native is the CEO and co-founder of HSTRY, a tool that allows students and educators to create free interactive timelines—similar to those on Facebook or Twitter—documenting historical events. Ketchell first came up with the concept… Read More
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