Stories
Refugees Learn English — Then Buoy Kentucky Economy
It’s been four decades since Skip Cleavinger moved to Bowling Green to study at Western Kentucky University, and in that time he has witnessed a significant shift in the demographics of west-central Kentucky. A local refugee resettlement program and a livable community — with job opportunities, strong schools, and a… Read More
Unintended Consequences: When U.S. Blocks Access, Fewer Unauthorized Immigrants Leave America
David Molina, a professor at the University of North Texas, is the product of two cultures. Born in Detroit, Molina was raised by an American mother and a Mexican father, who was in Michigan to complete a medical residency. The family moved to Mexico City when Molina was… Read More
Wisconsin Dairy Farms Rely on Immigrant Labor
John Holevoet is the director of government affairs for the Dairy Business Milk Marketing Cooperative, a Midwest trade group. The Green Bay, Wisconsin, organization advocates for the industry and the farmers and workers that drive it — and that includes the region’s immigrant residents. “In Wisconsin, we rely pretty… Read More
Long-Time HR Manager Could Lose Own Job Without DACA Fix
As the human resources manager for a Greensboro, North Carolina, company, Laura Garduño García has had to tell many job applicants that she cannot hired them if they are unauthorized to work in the United States. But there’s a twist: While she has lived in North Carolina for the past… Read More
Iranian Refugee Fills In-Demand Role in U.S. Workforce
When Iranian refugee Muhsin Kazemipour stepped into his first accounting class at Amarillo College, he knew it was a good fit. “I saw my classmates struggling through the class, and I really enjoyed it. It was like a fun puzzle to fix. After the first semester of those classes, I… Read More
Doctor Restores Vision Globally but Needs Skilled Workers in U.S.
Since 1986, Dr. Jash Sharma has run CIMA Life Science, an international company that fulfills a personal mission: Inspired by his father, who went blind at age 62, Dr. Sharma is helping tens of thousands of vision-impaired people to see. The company manufactures intraocular lenses, which replace a patient’s natural… Read More
Dreamer Brings Innovation to North Carolina Farmers
In 2013, Estefania Castro Vazquez was valedictorian at Smithfield-Selma high school, where she gave an upbeat speech urging her fellow graduates to set out fearlessly, and build a life on their own terms. But when she went to embrace her mother afterward, Estefania saw that she was crying. These weren’t… Read More
Cuban-American Eases Pain — and Doctor Shortage
On a recent Monday at the Vital Pain Center in Pittsburgh, a $700,000 business that serves some 1,500 patients, a patient asked Dr. Jorge Rivero-Becerra for clearance to start playing hockey again. Rivero-Becerra was happy to give him the OK to hit the ice. “It’s really rewarding to help people… Read More
Becoming a citizen would mean finally being accepted in my own country
Like her parents, Leslie is an undocumented immigrant. But while her parents are still working hard in low-paid jobs, Leslie is majoring in psychology at Meredith College, working at a student-run preschool for children with autism, and dreaming of a career as a high school psychologist or counselor. “There’s… Read More
Immigrant Dishwashers Do the Jobs Americans Don’t Want, Says Mexican-American Restaurant Owner
When Jose Villa was a 16-year-old dishwasher, he didn’t mind putting in 72-hour weeks or working the graveyard shift at a diner in Kingston, New York. He didn’t mind the mile long walk back to the house he shared with four other people. It was very hard work, Villa says,… Read More
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