California, District 1
Economist Escapes Ethiopia to Start Own Business in the U.S.
In his native Ethiopia, where he’d earned an economics degree and held a government job calculating GDP statistics, Mahfuz Mummed faced a quandary. He’d given eight years of loyal service when his bosses began pressuring his department to falsify data. Mummed watched as colleagues who protested faced violent reprisals. “I… Read More
First Generation Farmer May Be Only-Generation Farmer if Foreign Labor Stays Home
Brandon Fawaz grew up tending backyard crops on 15 acres in Fort Jones, a small town in California’s far north Scotts Valley. The son of a Lebanese-American highway patrolman and a school principal, Fawaz ultimately stuck with farming. Today, Fawaz Farming, located 12 miles south of his hometown, produces hay… Read More
Son of Migrant Workers Knows When Kids Learn They Contribute
Tony Diaz is the founder of Nuestra Palabra, a Houston-based nonprofit that aims to promote Latino literature and literacy. Since its launch in 1988, Diaz and his team have worked to educate, cultivate, and promote talent within the Latino community. It’s part of a greater belief that American culture must… Read More
From Political Asylee to Employer — Colombian Immigrant Believes ‘You Have To Do Things in the Right Way’
Diva Herazo knows the value of good medical care. Originally from Colombia, she and her family were in the United States, in the process of applying for political asylum, when her daughter became ill. “She was born with just one kidney, and she got an infection and needed surgery while… Read More
Understanding H.R. 3431: The American Families United Act
On October 30, 2013, Representatives Steve Pearce (R-NM) and Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) announced the introduction of H.R. 3431, the American Families United Act (AFUA). Co-sponsors as of January 2014 included Jim Costa (D-CA) and James McGovern (D-MA). This bipartisan immigration bill approaches immigration reform from a unique angle, focusing on amendments to the system that address the separation of immigrants from their U.S. family members. The bill expands the discretionary authority of government officials to waive minor violations of law, but does not create new mechanisms for legalizing undocumented individuals. Thus, in contrast to S. 744, the comprehensive immigration bill passed by the Senate in 2013, the AFUA focuses on a narrower group of individuals who might be eligible for lawful permanent residence under current standards if not for certain legal obstacles. Read More
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