Center for Immigration Studies
Louisville-Based College President Applauds City’s Commitment to Diversity, International Students
Only 750 of the 12,000 students at Louisville’s Jefferson Community and Technical College are foreign-born, but college president Dr. Ty Handy calls them an inspiration. “Our international student population is absolutely an example to our other students,” he says. “Their retention rates, GPA exceed our institutional averages. They know… Read More
New Americans in Portland, Maine
A new report from New American Economy shows that immigrants in the Portland, ME metro area contributed $1.2 billion to the area’s GDP in 2016 and paid $133 million in federal taxes and $62 million in state and local taxes. The report, New Americans in Portland, ME, was developed… Read More
Foreign-Born Residents Contributed $1.2 Billion to Portland Metro Area GDP in 2016
PORTLAND, ME – Immigrants in the Portland, ME metro area contributed $1.2 billion to the area’s GDP in 2016 and paid $133 million in federal taxes and $62 million in state and local taxes, according to a new report by New American Economy (NAE), in partnership with the Portland… Read More
Iraqi Immigrant Who Served the U.S. Army Now Wants to Serve Maine
Ali Farid and his family had a good life in Iraq. His father worked as an electrical engineer. His mother was trained as an anthropologist. The family of six was safe. And, at age 18, Farid began a lucrative, albeit highly dangerous, job to support his concurrent university law… Read More
Entrepreneur Couple from Albania Spreads Good Will Through Coffee
The chance of winning the diversity visa lottery is bitterly low—about one percent. Mateo Hodo’s family won the lottery, granting them U.S. residency, in 2002, and moved from Albania to Michigan and, later, Maine. Alba Zakja won the lottery in 2009, and moved to Maine to be near Mateo,… Read More
Iranian Refugee Seeks Ways to Give Back to Her Adoptive Community
When Islamic revolutionaries overthrew the Shah of Iran in 1979, members of the Baha’i faith once again faced persecution. On a single night in December, 500 Baha’i homes were burned to the ground. One belonged to the family of Parivash Rohani, an 18-year-old girl preparing for college. “My parents were… Read More
Chicago Business Leader, Grandson of Italian Immigrant, Advocates for Restaurant Workers Across Illinois
Sam Toia, a third-generation Italian-American, whose grandfather emigrated from Sicily in the 1920’s, is deeply embedded in Chicago’s culinary world. As President & CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA), he advocates on behalf of the industry and its workers. In the state of Illinois alone, there are more… Read More
Rwandan Refugee Expands Immigrant-Focused Newspaper into Buffalo-Based Non-Profit
Shortly after Rwandan refugee Rubens Mukunzi began publishing a newspaper about immigrant and refugee life, he got a visit from the Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Kriner Cash. “He was very excited to have the newspaper, Karibu News, as a voice for refugees and immigrants in Buffalo Public Schools,”… Read More
Argentinian Immigrant Credits Boston with Enabling Business Success
Jonathan Thon, an Argentine native, first came to the Boston area in 2008 to complete a Harvard Medical School postdoc, and stayed on to become an Assistant Professor there. He knew that platelets, the cells that promote clotting, had enormous commercial and medical potential, and so in 2014, Thon… Read More
Austin Mayor Touts the Value of Immigrants as City is Recognized in NAE Cities Index
Austin, Texas, is known for being one of the most creative, innovative cities in the United States. It’s why Steve Adler is so proud to be the city’s mayor—and he knows that to maintain the city’s vibrancy it needs to celebrate its immigrant residents. In Austin, more than 18… Read More
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