Stories
Grocery Business Started by Indian Immigrants Thrives in Grand Rapids
When Sonal and Ramesh Patel built a house in Cascade, in southeast Grand Rapids, in 2011, they quickly noticed something missing: an Asian grocer on that side of town. The couple, from a small town in Gujarat, in western India, had been in West Michigan since 2004, when Ramesh was… Read More
Results of August 2018 National Voter Survey
In August 2018 New American Economy, Echelon Insights, and GBA Strategies conducted a national survey of voters across the country with a focus on voters in battleground districts looking at how a variety of immigration messages resonate with different voters. See the results here: Toplines Crosstabs… Read More
Mexican Immigrant Turns a Single Taqueria into a $25M Restaurant Group
Vicente Del Rio opened his first taquería while studying accounting in Mexico City — so when he came to Los Angeles in 2005 on an investor’s visa, it was only natural for him to start a restaurant serving up food from his homeland. Now his company, Frimex Hospitality Group, has… Read More
Immigrant to Denver Founds Dragon Boat Festival that Attracts 120,000 Attendees Annually
When Taiwanese Chinese immigrant Ding-Wen Hsu followed her engineer husband from Iowa to Denver after he received a job offer as a hydrologist, she admired the abundant Colorado sunshine and the beautiful Rocky Mountain landscape. But it was the welcoming attitude of Denverites that inspired her to stay for… Read More
Immigrant from China Builds Business in Seattle to Aid Other Immigrants with Naturalization
Two years ago, Chinese native Xiao Wang founded Boundless Immigration, a Seattle-based business that has helped over 30,000 immigrants apply for green cards and go through the naturalization process efficiently and economically. He was inspired by his own parents’ story: When they were graduate students in electrical engineering and… Read More
Argentinian Immigrant Provides Legal Advocacy to Families Across Nebraska and Southwest Iowa
As executive director of Immigrant Legal Center, Argentinian immigrant Emiliano Lerda provides legal advocacy to families across Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Recently his organization, which works primarily with new immigrants and low-income families, received a $4.5 million multi-year grant and an additional $3.1 million thanks to a capital campaign. When… Read More
Naturalized Citizen from Somalia Employs 50 in Minneapolis Restaurants
Abdirahman Kahin came to the United States in 1996 seeking asylum from Somalia. Today, he is a successful entrepreneur and the owner of Afro Deli, a fast-casual restaurant that serves a fusion of African, Mediterranean, and American food, with two locations in Minneapolis. He also co-owns Campus Cafe, a Turkish… Read More
Louisville-Based College President Applauds City’s Commitment to Diversity, International Students
Only 750 of the 12,000 students at Louisville’s Jefferson Community and Technical College are foreign-born, but college president Dr. Ty Handy calls them an inspiration. “Our international student population is absolutely an example to our other students,” he says. “Their retention rates, GPA exceed our institutional averages. They know… Read More
New Americans in Portland, Maine
A new report from New American Economy shows that immigrants in the Portland, ME metro area contributed $1.2 billion to the area’s GDP in 2016 and paid $133 million in federal taxes and $62 million in state and local taxes. The report, New Americans in Portland, ME, was developed… Read More
Iraqi Immigrant Who Served the U.S. Army Now Wants to Serve Maine
Ali Farid and his family had a good life in Iraq. His father worked as an electrical engineer. His mother was trained as an anthropologist. The family of six was safe. And, at age 18, Farid began a lucrative, albeit highly dangerous, job to support his concurrent university law… Read More
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