Stories
1986 Immigration Reform Allowed This Mexican Immigrant to Capture his American Dream
Oscar Gutierrez is Controller of one of Indiana’s wealthiest cities and has an impressive record of service in the U.S. military. And yet, as a child, he never wanted to come to America. His childhood in Toluca, a bustling town near Mexico City, was comfortably middle class, thanks to the… Read More
Finding Workers in Washington to Harvest Fresh Produce Increasingly Difficult, Says Washington Asparagus Commission Director
In 2012, Washington farmers could not fully harvest their asparagus crops because there simply were not enough workers available. This highlights a larger trend in the state: Between 2002 and 2014, real wages of Washington field and crop workers jumped 18.6 percent, signaling a possible labor… Read More
This Illinois Resident Learned the True Meaning of Community From His Town’s Diverse Immigrant Population
Lincoln Lounsbury didn’t grow up with a deep understanding of community, but as an adult, his experience living and socializing with immigrants has shown him how important community can be. His wife comes from a line of Irish Catholic and Czech Catholic immigrants. “It was so interesting to me when… Read More
Though Able to Work, This DACA Recipient Hopes to Eventually Return to School
It wasn’t until she was in high school, that Mari Pachuca learned she didn’t have a Social Security number. Pachuca knew she was undocumented. She was brought to Washington state by her parents at age six and raised by her mother. But the real implications of her legal status only… Read More
Working with Immigrants Convinced One Law Student About the Need for Immigration Reform
Annie Zangari didn’t have particularly strong views on immigration growing up in the predominately white town of Northampton, Pa. But after completing her first year at Villanova University law school, the 23-year-old joined the school’s immigration clinic in May 2013. And she has come to believe that the public perceptions… Read More
Weekend Reading: Highlights from this week’s immigration news (May 23-27)
In case you missed the compelling image of 2nd Lt. Alix Schoelcher Idrache standing at attention with a tear streaming down his cheek during the commencement ceremony at West Point’s U.S. Military Academy going viral on social media this week, check out the Washington Post’s feature on Idrache, who… Read More
After Coming as a Refugee, Pastor Creates App to Bring Tithing Into the 21st Century
Ten years ago, Oswaldo Otero was given a chance to start his life anew in the United States, after being threatened for his work for the conservative party and his political journalism in Bogota, Colombia. “I came here running away from death,” he said. “I had to flee for my… Read More
Ohio County Commissioner Doesn’t Shy Away from Talking Immigration
Tom Dunlap spent 18 years in the Huron County Sheriff’s office, including four years as Sheriff. In that time, he encountered almost no trouble from the county’s Hispanic residents. “Over the years, many of the migrant farm workers in the muck farm area have stayed and grown roots,” he says. Read More
Refugees Help Manufacturing Firm Remain in South Dakota
South Dakota has an enviable problem, at least for workers: The state has a consistently low unemployment rate, typically about half the national average. This spring it dropped to 2.5 percent, the lowest in the country. For businesses, however—which are drawn to the state for its friendly tax… Read More
St. Louis Lawyer Sees Businesses Falter When Immigration Policy Blocks Foreign Hires
A senior partner at Polsinelli, a law firm in St. Louis, Doreen Dodson often works with American businesses that want to hire talented foreign nationals. “Many of these companies want international employees with a specialized skill set, ranging from medical technologists and computer scientists to professional winemakers,” she says. Read More
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