Stories
Indiana’s Primary: Immigrants in the Hoosier State
The 2016 primaries are rapidly nearing a close, and today the votes are being held in Indiana. There are 57 Republican delegates and 83 Democratic delegates to be awarded, and they can be critical wins for any candidate to secure nomination. Indiana’s immigrant population growth was relatively slow… Read More
Business Owner With 45 Employees Began Career With No Work Permit, Sees Same Potential in Immigrants
Kevin Devine did not grow up in an affluent family. His father had an eighth-grade education, and Devine shared a bed with his three brothers until he was 11 years old. At age 14, he started working as a night janitor. On his first day, his employer asked… Read More
Visionary Indian Entrepreneur Has Created Thousands of Jobs for Americans
Ragy Thomas, founder and CEO of the social media platform Sprinklr, believes that a welcoming, streamlined immigration policy is vital to the economic future of America. As a technology entrepreneur, investor, and visionary, who has founded four startups and created thousands of jobs, Thomas’ own story reveals how drawing global… Read More
Mexican-Born Immigrant Has a Ninth Grade Education—and a Highly Successful Restaurant in Waco
For Cesar Leal, life in the United States “is like having a big table full of food and you’re just allowed to eat until you’re full.” It’s fitting then, that Leal’s livelihood in Waco, Texas, revolves around food. Originally from Mexico and now a U.S. citizen, the entrepreneur opened Leal’s… Read More
Today’s NY Primary: How Immigrants are Contributing in the Empire State
After rigorous campaigning in the Empire State, the presidential hopefuls watch as New Yorkers head to the polls today to vote in the state’s primary election. Clinton, Sanders, and Trump certainly hope to reign victorious on their home turf, especially since New York has the potential to award a large… Read More
Serial Entrepreneur and Ethiopian Refugee Reminds Everyone: Immigrants ‘Work Hard and Play by the Rules’
When Fasil Muche was in high school, he received a letter telling him he was about to be deported back to his native Ethiopia. It turned out the letter was a mistake, but the emotional upheaval shaped Muche’s views on undocumented immigrants. He wishes no one had to live with… Read More
From Political Asylee to Employer — Colombian Immigrant Believes ‘You Have To Do Things in the Right Way’
Diva Herazo knows the value of good medical care. Originally from Colombia, she and her family were in the United States, in the process of applying for political asylum, when her daughter became ill. “She was born with just one kidney, and she got an infection and needed surgery while… Read More
Contractor Sees Firsthand How Draconian Immigrant Laws Hurt Arizona’s Economy
In 2012, Luis de la Cruz was at a banquet in Washington, D.C., being held to recognize minority-owned businesses. But when guests learned that he was from Arizona, they walked away in disgust. The state’s recently enacted anti-immigration bill had poisoned his reputation. “The only thing that happens” when… Read More
If Entrepreneur Doesn’t Get a Visa Renewal, Texans Stand to Lose Jobs — and Chocolate
Stefano Zullian never dreamed of being a chocolatier. But the Venezuelan-born mechanical engineer with an MBA from Emory University now runs Araya Artisan Chocolates, a Houston company with roughly $700,000 in annual sales and 11 employees. “It’s way more complex to start a business in Venezuela, and we started thinking… Read More
Citing U.S. Immigration Policy, Award-Winning Entrepreneur Forced to Move 25 Jobs to South America
It’s no surprise that Colombian-born entrepreneur Alex Torrenegra was named one of the World Economic Forum’s 2015 Young Global Leaders, MIT’s TR35 Colombia Top Innovator of the Year in 2012, and one of Business Insider’s 2013 “Badass Immigrants in Tech.” Fifteen years ago, after… Read More
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