Pennsylvania, District 18
Dreamer Pays Into America, Asks Only for Opportunity to Continue
Elvis Saldias knew when he was 9 years old and his mother brought him to the United States from Bolivia that he was from then on classified an undocumented immigrant. “As a kid, it always weighed on me. I was paranoid and afraid of the police,” he says. “It definitely… Read More
The Contributions of the DACA-Eligible Population in Key States
As recent days have made clear, many Americans see plenty of reasons to provide legal status to those eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. The initiative, created in 2012, gave undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children a reprieve from deportation, allowing many… Read More
Missourian: For high-skilled immigrants, policy shifts complicate path to entrepreneurship
Sitting in his company’s 6,000-square-foot facility in an industrial part of northeast Columbia, Hao Li, the chief executive officer of Nanova Biomaterials, recounted his journey to becoming an entrepreneur. Li, who grew up in China, said he always knew he wanted to start a business and make products to help… Read More
Ancient Indian Tradition Sparks 21st Century Business
When Sudha Krishnasamy was growing up in India, family meals were served on dried leaves. They were inexpensive, disposable, and completely biodegradable. After arriving in the United States, Krishnasamy was bothered by the frequent use of paper and Styrofoam plates; it felt wasteful to use something once, toss it in… Read More
Cuban-American Eases Pain — and Doctor Shortage
On a recent Monday at the Vital Pain Center in Pittsburgh, a $700,000 business that serves some 1,500 patients, a patient asked Dr. Jorge Rivero-Becerra for clearance to start playing hockey again. Rivero-Becerra was happy to give him the OK to hit the ice. “It’s really rewarding to help people… Read More
The Capital Times: “Study: Over 13,000 immigrants in Wisconsin are entrepreneurs”
As a little girl in Mexico, Armida Ramos remembers spending many days in her mother’s restaurant. “I always used to be helping my mom, so in the future I wanted to have my own business,” she said. She moved to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 14, and brought… Read More
Migrant Workers Keep New Jersey’s Blueberry Farms Local
New Jersey’s blueberry crop is worth $79.5 million a year, making it far and away the state’s most lucrative crop — and it is immigrants who help farmers to bring in the harvest, says Dory Dickson, director of the nonprofit group Migrant Worker Outreach. Although some farmers use mechanical harvesting… Read More
British Chef Cooks Up the Quintessential American Dream
British immigrant Mark Elliott opened his first restaurant, Elliott’s on Linden, in the fall of 2000, serving up southern staples such as shrimp and grits alongside more creative culinary endeavors like elk chops with lemon-sage marmalade and pomegranate jus. The fine-dining eatery was a hit: Within months, Elliott… Read More
What Arizona v. United States May Mean for States with Similar Immigration Laws
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Arizona v. United States, a case addressing the legality of the Arizona immigration law known as SB 1070. According to the statement of legislative intent, the law was designed to make “attrition through enforcement” the official policy of all state and local agencies in Arizona. Following the passage of SB 1070, numerous other states—including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, and Utah—passed legislation with similar provisions, which have also been challenged in court. Read More
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