Stories
Alabama Pastor: Immigrants ‘Will Give All They Have’
Raul Dominguez, the associate pastor of First United Methodist Church in Cullman, Alabama, has moved his family from Mexico to the United States three times to comply with visa regulations. Throughout, he has remained deeply committed to serving the faith community in his small, north-central Alabama town. “The call that… Read More
After a Devastating Hurricane, a Gulf Coast Entrepreneur Builds Community through Media
In 2004, Hurricane Ivan changed the course of Grace Resendez McCaffery’s life. The granddaughter of Mexican-American immigrants had worked as the director of public relations for the Pensacola chapter of the Red Cross. This became a crucial professional experience when the hurricane ravaged the Florida coast, and Spanish-speaking workers poured… Read More
Giving up ‘Not an Option’ For Child Farmworker Turned Entrepreneur
As the daughter of Mexican immigrants who came to America in 1963, Frances Prado started picking onions in the California fields alongside her parents and six siblings at age 6. At one point, her family was homeless. She remembers sleeping in the trunk of a car. Today, nearly five decades… Read More
Recognizing Foreign-born Teachers this National Teachers Day
Today, as we celebrate National Teachers Day, we would like to shine a spotlight on the important role immigrants play as our nation’s teachers and educators. Over the past few years, we have interviewed many foreign-born teachers who have made unique contributions to their communities; here are three of their… Read More
Undocumented Peruvian Works, Fuels Economy, and Lives in Fear
When Peruvian native Lisette — she asked not to use her last name — first arrived in North Carolina as an undocumented immigrant in 2001, she and her family had no trouble building a productive life in this country. The state was in the middle of a construction boom, and… Read More
Farmer: Without Immigration Reform ‘Agriculture is Going to Head South’
On America’s farms, it’s common to see foreign-born laborers harvesting crops and working long hours in the fields. It’s less common to see the very same workers ending up in charge. But Joe Del Bosque’s family, who came to California’s Imperial Valley from Mexico a century ago, accomplished just that. Read More
Immigration Policy Ineffective for Economic Development, Says Iowa CEO
As CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, an economic development organization, Jay Byers is trying to make the region a premier destination for immigrant workers, particularly in job-growth industries like bioscience and advanced manufacturing. “Recruiting international talent, especially in high-skilled industries, is absolutely critical to fueling future economic growth,”… Read More
Family’s 136-Year-Old Landscaping Business Depends on Immigrants
Hispanic immigrants make up roughly half of the workforce at Peter Scarff’s family nursery and landscaping business in New Carlisle, Ohio. Without immigrant labor, the agriculture and service industries in the United States would collapse, Scarff says. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s manual work or operating equipment, it is difficult… Read More
Business Owner: Immigrants Boost the Economy, Revitalize Alabama Town
Robert Hester has owned Hester Printing & Graphics, Inc. in Russellville since 1976. For much of that time, he’s relied on Hispanic immigrants and first-generation customers. “Their business has really helped me,” says Hester. “The invitations for quinceañeras and weddings and things like that are really big. Other people here… Read More
Immigration Policy Needs to Keep Families Together, Says Ohio Lawyer
Eugenio Mollo says that growing up as the child of Italian immigrants profoundly affected him and his career path. “My parents lacked a formal education, but they are the smartest and most hardworking people that I know,” he says. “And so I grew up seeing immigrants who wanted to work… Read More
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