Stories
Immigration Reform Directly Tied to Agriculture’s Labor Needs, Says Massachusetts Farm Owner
“I spend a lot of time trying to explain why immigration reform is tied to agriculture’s labor needs—many people just don’t get it,” says Mark Amato. The manager of a century-old family farm in Concord, Massachusetts, Amato believes more Americans would support immigration reform if they understood the central role… Read More
A Lack of Farm Worker Visa Reforms Means Higher Produce Prices or More Imported Produce
Jeff Bender’s 400-acre farm grows labor-intensive crops, including tobacco, melons and cabbage. Yet when he needs to hire a dozen people during the peak of the growing season, he often cannot find qualified workers. He’s truly in a bind. He cannot be certain that foreign-born workers are giving him real… Read More
Immigration Reform Gives All Young People “A Seat at the Table,” Says D.C. Lobbyist
When Dallas native and D.C. lobbyist Cristina Antelo first arrived at the Brooks School, a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts, she immediately felt out of place. It wasn’t just her Texas-style big bangs and colorful clothes that set her apart. As the daughter of Cuban immigrants, Antelo was one of… Read More
After Witnessing an ICE Raid, Restaurant Consultant Considers the Value — and Virtue — of Immigration Reform
Derrick De Lise’s job as a restaurant and hotel consultant is relatively drama-free — except for that one time Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) showed up. De Lise, a Culinary Institute of America graduate in Poughkeepsie, New York, typically spends six to eight weeks at a client’s business, helping to… Read More
Republican and Prominent Maryland Businessman Says Immigration Reform Must Complement Border Security
Today, Manuel “Manny” A. Rosales is the CEO of a global IT firm and has had a long career helping small businesses expand into foreign markets. He has served in several leadership positions, including as vice president of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, commissioner to California’s Small Business Development Board,… Read More
Weekend Reading: Highlights from this week’s immigration news (May 9 – 13)
Pew Research Center found that the number of citizenship applications reached its record high in four years. From last October to this January, 249,609 permanent residents applied for naturalization, a 5-percent increase from the same period ahead of the 2012 elections. Though recent headlines have suggested that the… Read More
DC Business Owner’s Immigrant Father Worked to Give Family a Better Life in America
Though Teri Galvez grew up in a working-class family in a rural farming community in Modesto, California, her immigrant father worked hard to create a stable family life. “I never grew up feeling less than or being embarrassed of our socioeconomic status,” says Galvez. “I never felt inferior like so… Read More
How a Former Undocumented Immigrant Started a $3 Million Business That Created 80 Jobs
Jorge Fierro was making himself a burrito after his dishwashing shift when he got the idea for the business that would eventually become Rico Brands, a $3 million food business and employer of 80. “I opened a can of refried beans,” Fierro says, “and I just couldn’t believe how bad… Read More
President/CEO of Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Calls Immigration Reform “Critical” to Local Economy
Since he joined the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2013 as President and CEO, Mark Madrid has seen the city’s Hispanic community have a tremendous economic impact. But he’s also witnessed a lot of lost opportunities. “Austin is an academic hub,” he says. “But the limited supply of… Read More
Positive Economic Impact of Immigration is Well Documented, Says Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President
Rick Ortiz has been president and CEO of the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce since 2012. He’s proud of the support the chamber provides to Latino small business owners and the assistance it gives to low-income residents of the community. But he’s especially proud that the chamber’s members have… Read More
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