Business and the Workforce
Immigrants not only bring diverse skills and perspectives to the U.S. workforce, they often fill employment gaps in crucial fields. We advocate for expanded work visas and related programs so our labor force can continue to benefit from immigrant workers and remain competitive in the global economy
New Americans in Salt Lake County
New American Economy has developed a series of research briefs that examine the demographic and economic contributions of immigrant communities in counties and cities across the United States. The latest report in the series focuses on Salt Lake County and provides information on how immigrants have strengthened the local tax… Read More
Is It Time to Change the H-1B Visa Cap?
On April 1, employers will submit their petitions for H-1B visas for high-skilled temporary workers. The start of the H-1B season, when U.S. employers turn their attention toward hiring foreign talent, provides an opportunity for policymakers to consider whether it is time to change the cap on the… Read More
Why One Professor Is Teaching Her Students About the Need for Immigration Reform
Anna Ochoa O’Leary, assistant professor of Mexican-American Studies at the University of Arizona, teaches her students about how migration is changing American communities. Her syllabi always include a disclaimer that the class will discuss hot-button topics like race and undocumented immigrants. “I’m not blind to the fact that immigration is… Read More
“American Food is Immigrant Food,” Says the Owner of Food Services Business Incubator
Caleb Zigas has worked in restaurants for most of his life, from dishwasher to pastry chef to waiter, and was always struck by the fact that many talented line cooks were immigrants who had limited opportunities to be restaurant owners. “They didn’t have the same access to capital and wealth,”… Read More
CEO of $40 Million Company Says Keeping Undocumented Immigrants in the Shadows Wastes Talent and Stalls Business Growth
Thirteen years ago, Colombian-born entrepreneur Claudia Mirza and her husband, Azam, a native of India, co-founded Akorbi, a language-translation business based in Plano, Texas. Today, Akorbi has grown into a global business-solutions firm, providing localization services and multilingual staffing and marketing to companies such as Google, Aetna, and Blue Cross… Read More
After Surviving Brutal Kidnapping, Colombian Immigrant Becomes Successful Miami Entrepreneur
Cristhian Mancera loved his native Colombia and had planned to stay there forever. But when he was kidnapped at age 28, he lost faith in his country. “I was held for 10 hours and thought I was going to die. I was hit in the head multiple times,” he… Read More
Mexican Immigrant Creates Jobs and Opportunity for American Workers in Greenville
When Mexican native Ruben Montalvo first came to the United States at age 24, he was so sure his visit was temporary that he kept an open return ticket home. As valedictorian from his university, where he had received an engineering degree, he’d been reluctant to leave his cushy… Read More
Study: Immigrants Founded 51% of U.S. Billion-Dollar Startups
A new non-partisan study on entrepreneurship gives some credence to the tech industry’s stance that American innovation benefits from robust immigration. The study from the National Foundation for American Policy, a non-partisan think tank based in Arlington, Va., shows that immigrants started more than half of the current crop… Read More
‘Polish Cowboy’ and Entrepreneur Says Immigration Policy Stifles Economic Growth
“I’ve always dreamed of moving to the United States and building my company here,” says Damian Nowak, the Polish co-founder and CEO of Virtkick, a startup that helps businesses set up their own cloud-hosting networks. This dream became a reality when Virtkick became one of 10 companies selected—of 1,100 that… Read More
Colombian Immigrant Helps Foreigner Investors Create American Jobs
Patricia Moore has always had an international view of the business world. An economist by trade, she spent years as a Colombian diplomat, representing her country in Norway and Iceland. She and her husband, Ricardo, launched Dallas-based consulting firm Sentrum International and became citizens in 2006. Sentrum helps prospective investors… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
