Stories
Broken Immigration Policy a Risk to U.S. Crops, Says Farmer
California’s lush Salinas Valley remains America’s Salad Bowl, producing some 80 percent of all the leafy greens grown in the United States, in addition to berries, almonds, and other high-value crops. But ongoing labor shortages are forcing farmers to change to low-labor crops and those amenable to mechanized harvests. Ken… Read More
Once an Undocumented Child, Now He Educates Virginia’s Youth
Sal Romero Jr. came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico when he was 13 years old. Today, he is a citizen and serves on the Virginia Board of Education and as the first-ever Coordinator of Family and Community Engagement for Harrisonburg City Public Schools. It is… Read More
Startup Offers Simplicity, but Visa Process Still Cumbersome
When Xiao Wang’s parents came to Phoenix from China nearly three decades ago, they hired an immigration lawyer to help them obtain their green cards and, later, their citizenship. The cost: The equivalent of five months of rent. Wang’s parents believed the steep investment was worth the price: As graduate… Read More
A Stowaway’s Son Uses Business Acumen to Help New Jersey Elders
Dominican immigrant Jose Brito Bueno grew up in poverty but now runs WeCare, a domestic-care company with 213 employees. When he was just 10 years old, his father — leaving their home in Santo Domingo — stowed away in a cargo ship bound for the United States. He hid in… Read More
Child of Immigrant Shopkeepers is a Powerful Force for Small Businesses
Ron Kim grew up working in his parents’ small grocery store in New York City. The family had immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 1987, when Kim was 7 years old. “I saw my parents, both of them, work nonstop,” he says, noting that the store was… Read More
After Decade in U.S., Still No Visa for Successful Startup Founder
Chris Choi has a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a master’s degree in investments and securities from Pace University. He also co-founded a growing company called Spryfit, a reward-based fitness app that uses cash prizes and other rewards to… Read More
Want Safe, Homegrown Food? Then Look to Immigration Reform, Says Tennessee Farm Bureau
“The most important industry that we have in this country is agriculture,” says Lee Maddox, of the Tennessee Farm Bureau. “We depend on it every day, and we’ve got to take care of it to make sure it stays that way for future generations.” To do that, however, America must… Read More
Immigration Policy Doesn’t Succeed When Politically Driven, Says Tennessee Lawyer
Casey Bryant grew up in Springdale, Arkansas, home to the largest population of Marshallese people in the continental United States. Most Americans probably aren’t familiar with these Pacific Islanders, but 4,300 of them live in Bryant’s landlocked hometown. “The Marshall Islands were subject to thermonuclear experiments in the ‘40s and… Read More
Local Businessman Says, Even with U.S. Citizenship, He’s “Worried”
Mauricio Roca, is an U.S. citizen. His wife is American, and they have two American children. However, with so much negative rhetoric around immigrants these days, the Mexican-born Roca feels nervous whenever he sees a police officer. “Most Hispanics I know who are living in the United States right now… Read More
Diversity Lottery Winner Will Help Ease America’s Doctor Shortage
Tarig Elhakim was in medical school in Sudan in 2014 when his father persuaded him to apply for a U. S. residency permit through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, a highly competitive lottery that allows 50,000 people a year to immigrate without a family sponsor or a special skill. Elhakim… Read More
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