Center for Immigration Studies
Chamber Executive: It’s Amazing What Immigrants Can Accomplish
Wilma Cartagena grew up in Puerto Rico and moved to Washington state when she was 22 years old, still struggling to learn English. “People always tell me I have an accent, and they can be so dismissive,” says Cartagena, who went on to earn a degree from the University of… Read More
Farmer Creates Local Jobs — With Help of Migrant Labor
Jack Hedin is the owner and operator of Featherstone Farm, a four-season farm in Rushford, Minnesota, that specializes in organic vegetable production. The $1.8 million business employs 15 workers year-round and as many as 35 seasonally, the majority of whom come from Mexico on the H-2A temporary work visa. “That… Read More
Immigrants Start Businesses, Don’t Want Hand-Outs
Elizabeth Cervantes is co-founder of the Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project (SSIP), a nonprofit that advocates for immigrant rights. Based in Bolingbrook, Illinois, the organization caters to the fast-growing immigrant population in the suburbs of Chicago. “About 54 percent of undocumented immigrants in Illinois live in suburban Cook county and collar… Read More
Mental Health Counselor’s Life in Limbo Without DACA Solution
The last time Nidya was in Nayarit, a state on the west coast of Mexico where she was born, she was just 2 years old. That’s when she moved with her parents to San Diego. Since then, she has thrived. She attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, and received… Read More
Bloomberg: “Trump May Not Want Refugees, but Rust Belt Mayors Do.”
In 1997, refugee Alem Boric and a partner started Europa Market, 600 square feet of Bosnia in St. Louis. Today, what began as a corner store in the city’s Bevo Mill neighborhood is a 96,000-square-foot (8,900-square-meter) juggernaut that distributes smoked meats, cheeses, cakes and Croatian jams from the former Yugoslavia,… Read More
The Boston Globe: “The week’s top business news.”
Help wanted: people who can speak more than one language. Even as the Trump administration seeks to limit immigration, employers are increasingly looking to woo immigrants as consumers — and employees. Banks and cellphone providers are hiring employees who can communicate with potential customers in their native tongues. Software firms… Read More
Buffalo Rising: “Unite by Night”
“Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.” – William Pollard Recently, a group of friends banded together to discuss the issues of racism, bias and discrimination that face… Read More
Pork Network: “New Tool Maps the Economic Impact of Immigration.”
The New American Economy recently launched an interactive tool, illustrating the boost immigrants provide to their local economies. Using “Map the Impact,” visitors can click on their state or enter a ZIP code to quickly see the stats on tax dollars, spending power and new businesses that immigrants are bringing… Read More
Canton Repository: “The Golden Door Swings Both Ways.”
In Olathe, Kan., a young man is dead; shot by a complete stranger. Witnesses say the suspect questioned engineers Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani about their visa status, then later told them to “get out of my country” before fatally shooting Kuchibhotla and wounding Madasani and another young white man… Read More
Philadelphia Magazine: “SXSW Day 2: Mayor Kenney Keeps It Real on Immigration.”
The Trump administration has been looming over SXSW this year — there was a well-attended discussion titled “A Conversation With the Failing New York Times” and a tech rally for Planned Parenthood, for example. And on Saturday, March 11th, Philly got the opportunity to weigh in on the administration’s controversial… Read More
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