Indiana, District 3

Polish Immigrant Gives Back to Community that Welcomed Her
By the time she moved to Fort Wayne in 1998, Polish native Ewelina Connolly had already visited the city several times with the dance troupe in which she performed. On one of these trips, she fell in love with an American. But when they decided to marry, Connolly faced a… Read More

Self-Taught Immigrant and Accountant Has Long Considered Fort Wayne Home
Ning Sanderson grew up in small town in Thailand, hours from her single mother, who worked in Bangkok for the hospitality sector. Then, when she was 13, her mom married an American civil engineer, and the family moved to Saudi Arabia for his job. Since their new Saudi town lacked… Read More

Mexican Immigrant and Community Leader Appointed to Indiana Statewide Commission
The youngest of three in the Galindo family and at the age of 15, Palermo Galindo left behind Mexico— with his mother’s blessing—in search of greater opportunities in the United States. He joined his father, who was already living and working as a land surveyor in San Antonio, but the… Read More

Without Migrant Workers, Texas Shrimp Trawlers Forced to Tie Up Boats
In 2007, Andrea Hance and her husband decided to buy a shrimp boat. The couple had stable careers in South Texas — he as a crop insurance agent and she as the owner of a mortgage company. But they were looking for a new challenge and were taken with the… Read More

Tulsa World: Tulsa’s growing immigrant population responsible for significant economic gains, study shows
If you told Manuel Gomez 15 years ago how much of an impact Tulsa’s immigrant population would have on its economy now, he probably wouldn’t have believed you. Gomez, co-owner of local grocery chain Supermercados Morelos, is one of thousands of Tulsa immigrants contributing to the economic boost outlined in… Read More

Iranian Immigrant Builds Homes and Donates Millions in California’s Central Valley
In 1978, Darius Assemi emigrated from Iran to California, seeking an American education and better career opportunities. Today, the entrepreneur and CEO of Granville Homes, in California’s Central Valley, builds an average of 200 homes annually in the greater Fresno region and employs a staff of 80. Over the last… Read More

DACA Pre-Med Student ‘One of the People Who Makes America Great’
Maria’s mother never finished high school in Mexico. Instead, after having Maria at age 16, she and Maria’s father crossed the border into the United States. “They decided the best thing would be to come here and look for a better life,” says Maria, who has lived in Fort Wayne,… Read More

New Americans ‘Find a Way’ to Success, says President of Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Today, Mexican immigrant Palermo Galindo is president of the Greater Fort Wayne Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Indiana and serves as the city’s community liaison officer, working with over 200 neighborhood associations. “As a person who wasn’t born in this country, this is my way to pay something back,” he… Read More

At One-Year Anniversary of Immigration Actions, Administration Must Vigorously Defend Authority
Washington D.C. – Friday, marks the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s announcement of his executive actions on immigration, which at their heart, are first steps towards common-sense reforms to an outdated immigration system. The series of reforms range from temporary protections for an expanded group of unauthorized young people (expanded DACA) and… Read More

Celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month
America is a nation of immigrants and descendants of immigrants, and in recognition of this, June marks Immigrant Heritage Month, which honors our origins as a nation of immigrants through community activities and events. Whether it was our mothers and fathers, grandparents, or distant ancestors who made the journey to… Read More
Make a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
