revitalization in heartland of america: welcoming immigrant entrepreneurs for economic development

8/13/2019 Revitalization in Heartland of America: Welcoming Immigrant Entrepreneurs for Economic Development

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REVITALIZATION

IN THE HEARTLANDOF AMERICA

Welcoming Immigrant

Entrepreneurs for

Economic Development


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Revitalization in the Heartland of America: Welcoming Immigrant Entrepreneurs for Economic Development | Paul McDaniel

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAUL MCDANIEL

Paul McDaniel is the Entrepreneurship and

Innovaon Fellow in the Immigraon Policy Center

at the American Immigraon Council. Previously,

he served as Project Researcher in the Center for

Cizenship and Immigrant Communies at Catholic

Legal Immigraon Network (CLINIC). Prior to his work

at CLINIC, Paul was a Researcher at the University

of North Carolina at Charloe where he worked on

several community-based research projects with

the Department of Family Medicine at Carolinas

Medical Center, Levine Museum of the New

South, Charloe Mecklenburg Schools, Crossroads

Charloe, Lan American Coalion, and Community

Building Iniave. He has worked on research about

immigrant entrepreneurship, immigrant selement

and integraon in new immigrant gateways and

desnaons, immigrant access to educaon and

healthcare, and community recepvity. Paul holds

a Ph.D. in Geography and Urban Regional Analysis

from the University of North Carolina at Charloe.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

For their comments on earlier dras, we wouldlike to thank Betsy Cohen, Director of the St. Louis

Immigraon and Innovaon Iniave (St. Louis

Mosaic Project); Steve Tobocman, Director of Global

Detroit; and Himar Hernandez, Associate Director

of Community and Economic Development at

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

ABOUT THE

IMMIGRATION POLICY CENTER

The Immigraon Policy Center (IPC), established

in 2003, is the policy arm of the American

Immigraon Council. IPCs mission is to shape a

raonal conversaon on immigraon and immigrant

integraon. Through its research and analysis, IPC

provides policymakers, the media, and the general

public with accurate informaon about the role of

immigrants and immigraon policy on U.S. society.

IPC reports and materials are widely disseminated

and relied upon by press and policymakers. IPC sta

regularly serves as experts to leaders on Capitol

Hill, opinion-makers, and the media. IPC is a non-

parsan organizaon that neither supports nor

opposes any polical party or candidate for oce.

Visit our website at www.immigraonpolicy.org

and our blog at www.immigraonimpact.com.

ABOUT SPECIAL REPORTS

ON IMMIGRATION

The Immigraon Policy Centers Special Reports are

our most in-depth publicaon, providing detailed

analyses of special topics in U.S. immigraon policy.

CONTENTS

Faced with Demographic and Economic Decline, Places Seek Ways to Jumpstart Growth 2

Detroit 4

St. Louis 5

Rural Communies in Iowa 7

Immigrant Entrepreneurship, Local Place Revitalizaon, and Immigraon Reform 8

Conclusion and Recommendaons Moving Forward 9

Endnotes 11
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0013sB3H4Ngeb8u23v8DTLYuHff5o3A9Y7fC7wsO-myYRJX8RIQtjCJU2lT5w5MoDBNruFtlQCCVis4BypKz358QSnkHIGy4kZ3WjQGc9mhqFGdO-75dEFf5V4SGNJr23Hf&id=preview&id=previewhttp://www.immigrationimpact.com/http://www.immigrationimpact.com/http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0013sB3H4Ngeb8u23v8DTLYuHff5o3A9Y7fC7wsO-myYRJX8RIQtjCJU2lT5w5MoDBNruFtlQCCVis4BypKz358QSnkHIGy4kZ3WjQGc9mhqFGdO-75dEFf5V4SGNJr23Hf&id=preview&id=preview


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A potent combinaon of declining populaon growth and economic stagnaon has led many cies

and metropolitan regions to rethink how to reinvigorate their communies. The Midwest is a primeexample of this trend. According to the Chicago Council on Global Aairs, the Midwest cannot hope

to keep up with other regions or internaonal competors without a vital entrepreneurial sector.1The

Council notes that immigrants, risk takers by nature, are unusually successful entrepreneurs, more

than twice as likely as nave-born Americans to start their own rms.2As a result, immigraon is one

of the strategies to which communies are repeatedly turning to fuel economic growth. A budding

place-based awareness of the important contribuons that new and exisng immigrants make to

neighborhood revitalizaon is seen in the increasing number of cies pursuing a nexus of immigrant

welcoming, integraon, and economic development iniaves. In this report, we focus on the journeys

of three placestwo cies and one statein their eorts to implement strategies for future economic

success that depend on immigraon. The iniaves are taking place against a backdrop of tepidprogress toward comprehensive federal reform of the U.S. immigraon system.

FACED WITH DEMOGRAPHIC AND ECONOMIC DECLINE,

PLACES SEEK WAYS TO JUMPSTART GROWTH

For some cies, parcularly those in the Rust Belt, stagnant populaon growth or outright populaon

declinedue in part to aging and out-migraon of the nave-born populaonis a serious concern.

Community leaders who seek to turn this trend around look at a variety of strategies. Increasingly,

aracng immigrants is on the list. Backed by a broad base of quantave and qualitave research,

these places are pursuing strategies to aract, welcome, and retain newcomers. Immigrant workers,entrepreneurs, and small business owners in some towns already have helped stem populaon decline,

alleviate skills gaps, and revitalize local economies.

As numerous studies have documented, immigraon has re-emerged over the past 25 years as a potent

force inuencing the size and composion of the populaon in U.S. cies. According to economist

David Card, immigrants impact on populaon growth has a corresponding posive impact on a regions

wages, housing prices, rents, and cultural diversity.3Similarly, the Brookings Instuon nds that

immigraon has a posive inuence on metro areas by reversing populaon losses, expanding the

workforce, boosng home values, and reducing vacancy and foreclosure problems.4Further, the Fiscal

Policy Instute has examined the economic role of immigrants in the countrys 25 largest metropolitan

areas (Figure 1) and nds that immigraon and economic growth of metro areas go hand in hand.5

Economist Jack Strauss notes that rising rates of immigrant entrepreneurship over the last decade

have led to greater job creaon in metro areas.6He observes that this has considerable public policy

implicaons as many cies are currently promong more immigraon to improve their economy.

Hence, it is crical to analyze the eects of immigraon on job growth and unemployment.7Strauss

points specically to many metro areasparcularly in the Midwestthat are confronted with aging

populaons and low employment growth.8Findings such as these oer a guidepost to the growing


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number of cies across the country that are launching immigrant welcoming and integraon iniaves

as a foundaon of their economic development strategies.

Entrepreneurship is one of the primary drivers of any local economy. It generates new employment

opportunies for local residents and promotes greater regional economic development. Because

immigrants are more entrepreneurial and have higher business formaon rates than the nave-born

populaon, immigrant-owned businesses make sizeable contribuons to the U.S. economy naonally

and locally.9In many places, immigrant entrepreneurs play an important role in a local communitys

business development. They open retail shops, restaurants, and markets, and start service businesses

as CPAs and electricians. They ll in the gaps within certain niches where parcular goods and services

are needed.10And immigrant businesses can help to revitalize streetscapes and neighborhoodsplaces

within a town or city that may have been in decline and at risk of becoming areas of blight. Recognizing

the importance of immigrant entrepreneurs in local economies, a growing number of iniaves have

sprung up in cies and towns throughout the Rust Belt and beyond.11Public and private organizaons

and partnerships are launching business incubators for immigrant entrepreneurs, and are seeking

ways to help skilled immigrants put their foreign credenals to use in the U.S.12Consider the following

examples of Detroit, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; and rural towns throughout Iowa.

0 10 20 30 40 50

Phoenix

Philadelphia

New York

Minneapolis

Miami

Los Angeles

Houston

Detroit

Denver

Dallas

Chicago

Boston

Balmore

Atlanta

0 10 20 30 40 50

U.S. Total

25 MSAs Total

Washington

Tampa

St. Louis

Seale

San Francisco

San Diego

San Antonio

Sacramento

Riverside

Portland

Pisburgh

Foreign-born share of populaon

Foreign-born share of business owners

Figure 1.Immigrant Business Ownership in the 25 Largest Metropolitan Stascal Areas in 2010

Source: David Dyssegaard Kallick,Immigrant Small Business Owners: A Signicant and Growing Part of the Economy(New York, NY: Fiscal Policy

Instute, ). Note:In , these metro areas made up 4 percent of the U.S. populaon and 66 percent of the foreign-born populaon.


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Detroit

Detroit, Michigan is a prime example of a Rust Belt city experiencing post-industrial populaon

decline (Table 1) and economic sluggishness. Local and regional leaders who are devising strategies

to restart Detroits populaon and economic growth have singled out immigraon, entrepreneurship,

and innovaon as potenal growth strategies. Leaders from southeast Michigan in 2010 released

a comprehensive study documenng the impacts immigrants have on the regional economy and

idenfying strategic iniaves that would help revitalize the broader regional economy.13The results

of the Global Detroit report led to the creaon of the Global Detroit iniave, a regional eort to

revitalize southeast Michigans economy.4

Table 1. Populaon of Detroit, Michigan, 1950 to 2012

Census

Detroit City

Populaon

Percent

Change

Detroit

Metropolitan

Area Populaon

Percent

Change

1950 ,84,68 - 3,6,7 -

1960 ,67,44 -.7 3,76,36 4.7

1970 ,4,63 -.3 4,37,47 4.

1980 ,3,368 -. 4,33,36 .

1990 ,7,74 -4.6 4,38, .7

2000 ,7 -7. 4,4,7 .6

2010 73,777 -. 4,6, -3.

2012 Esmate 7,47 -.7 4,,6 -.

Source: Decennial Census and American Community Survey.

One focus of Global Detroit is strengthening, growing, and revitalizing Detroit neighborhoods through

immigraon. This emphasis acknowledges that immigrants are essenal to urban populaon growth

and stability.Detroit recognizes what other welcoming cies understand: that immigrant populaons

help to stabilize residenal neighborhoods, revitalize commercial retail corridors, and bring a diversity

of culture, food, language, goods, and servicesall of which help decrease blight and abandonment;increase job creaon, employment, and property values; improve neighborhood quality of life; and

foster a greater vibrancy and richness for the urban experience throughout a city.6The Global Detroit

report notes research showing that the foreign-born populaon in metropolitan Detroit is stascally

more likely to start new businesses than the nave-born populaon and is therefore a driver of new

business and job creaon in the area. Immigrants are also more likely to be the innovators behind new

technology and patents that also lead to new industries and new jobs.7


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In Detroit, immigrants have already been moving to and starng businesses in neighborhoods such as

East Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Southwest Detroit.18

Global Detroit is working to further encourageimmigrant-led neighborhood revitalizaon. As the Global Detroit report notes, nothing is more

powerful to remaking Detroit as a center of innovaon, entrepreneurship and populaon growth, than

embracing and increasing immigrant populaons and the entrepreneurial culture and global connecons

that they bring and deliver.19Indeed, a 2013 study of several cies, including Detroit, documents

the important role that immigrant small business owners play in helping to revitalize depressed

communies and economies.20In places such as Detroit, the study notes, immigraon is slowingand

in some cases reversingdecades of populaon decline in American Rust Belt communies.21

Global Detroit is already producing posive results for the Detroit region. The iniave has sparked

eorts in southeast Michigan to make the region more welcoming to immigrants and to capitalize on

the economic opportunies the regions internaonal populaon brings. Within the programs rst

two years, over $4 million in philanthropic funding had been raised for innovave iniaves which

the Global Detroit study idened.22These include internaonal student retenon, the Welcoming

Michigan campaign, an urban neighborhood microenterprise training and lending program, the Global

Detroit Welcome Mat network of immigraon services, and ethnic and minority media reporng on

entrepreneurship. As the iniave connues, other posive outcomes include eorts focusing on

neighborhood revitalizaon. Global Detroit raised $2 million from the Kellogg Foundaon to launch

ProsperUS Detroit, a microentrepreneurship and community-building iniave.23The iniave

oers access to microloans, entrepreneurship training, and free or low-cost technical assistance.

The communies to which immigrants have moved, suggests Steve Tobocman, the Director ofGlobal Detroit, have seen stabilizaon and revitalizaon. Despite Detroits 2013 bankruptcy, local

leaders arent backing away from the iniave. Tobocman stated: I dont think were oering that

immigraon is a panacea. But that being said, I do think it [immigraon] may be the single great

urban revitalizaon strategy in modern-day America, and its one that doesnt cost tax dollars.24

Tobocman went on to suggest that immigraon reform would help the city. Internaonal immigraon

seems to be by far the most important populaon growth or populaon stabilizaon strategy.25

St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri, is another example of a place that has experienced a demographic dilemma in

recent years (Table 2). Like Detroit, St. Louis is dealing with the issues of recruitment and retenon of

nite human capital. As a result, local leaders who care about both the St. Louis region and immigraon

reform commissioned an economic study to discover just what the impact of immigraon has been

for their region. The 2012 research report from the Simon Center for Regional Forecasng at Saint

Louis University, by economist Jack Strauss, documents the St. Louis regions relavely small immigrant

populaon compared with other cies of similar size. The report stascally demonstrates that the city


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is missing out on the economic contribuons more immigrants would bring to the area and notes that

the relave dearth of immigrants helps explain the areas poor economic growth.26

The report foundthat immigrants are 60 percent more likely to be entrepreneurs in the region. But the relave lack of

immigrants is one factor in explaining the regions relave shortage of new business startups.27

Table 2. Populaon of St. Louis, Missouri, 1950 to 2012

CensusSt. Louis CityPopulaon

PercentChange

St. LouisMetropolitan

Area PopulaonPercentChange

1950 , - ,, -

1960 , -. ,, .

1970 , -. ,, -.

1980 , -. ,, -.

1990 , -. ,, -.

2000 , -. ,, .

2010 , -. ,, .

2012 Esmate , -. ,, .

Source:Decennial Census and American Community Survey.

The Simon Center report served as the impetus for the St. Louis Mosaic Project. In June 2013, the St.

Louis Regional Immigraon and Innovaon Steering Commiee, part of World Trade Center St. Louis,

became the St. Louis Mosaic Project with the goal of making St. Louis the countrys fastest-growing metro

area for immigrants by 2020. The Project seeks to promote regional prosperity through immigraon

and innovaon.28Betsy Cohen, the director of the Project, remarked that this iniave will play a key

role in not only making foreign born individuals feel welcome on our buses and trains, but also in our

communies, and thats something that will help us to aract and retain the entrepreneurial, innovave

people that will help our region to grow.29As Cohen indicated, immigrants are economic drivers in the

regions where they live. We need to pick up our pace if we want to keep up. 30

Although the program is new, the St. Louis Mosaic Project is already working on immigrant engagement

acvies and is seeing posive results. The Professional Connector Program, for example, opens

opportunies for foreign-born professionals to network with well-connected and globally-minded

professionals in the St. Louis bi-state region.31Other acons include broad regional messaging about

the posive impacts of entrepreneurship and populaon growth, as well as the assets St. Louis has

to oer to newcomers. In fact, most of the more than 60 naonal and regional media stories this

year about the St. Louis Mosaic Project featured local entrepreneurs. Another focus area for the


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iniave is educaon through over 250 Mosaic Ambassadors about how new cizens spur economic

growth and why immigraon and innovaon are economically important for the region. The MosaicProject is engaging local, regional, and federal government leaders to reduce hiring barriers; build

on local, Midwest and naonal dialogues for immigraon reform; and work across state lines to

improve professional re-credenaling.32Working on issues involving infrastructure for immigrants,

engaging with universies to aract and support internaonal students, and developing eecve

communicaons strategies are also focus areas.33The St. Louis Mosaic Project serves as yet another

example of a broad base of community leaders charng a course for their city and broader region to be

on a welcoming path. These leaders recognize the benets that addional immigraon would bring to

their city, and are proacvely working to aract immigrants and to implement strategies and iniaves

for more ecient immigrant integraon.

Rural Communies in Iowa

Populaon decline has been an issue for rural communies throughout the Midwest and Great Plains.

While decreases in populaon have led to economic decay in small-town America, immigrants oen

help reverse that trend. Rural communies in Iowa oer examples of immigrant selement and

immigrant small-business formaon leading to revitalized or refurbished main streets and a reversal

of populaon and economic decline. According to ongoing research by the Department of Sociology

Extension and Outreach at Iowa State University, immigrant-established businesses in rural Iowa towns

include retail stores, auto repair shops, labor-contracng businesses, specialty farms, translaon

services, and small-scale manufacturing.34

The research points out that most immigrants establishtheir businesses without assistance from local banks, relying heavily on family labor, and family and

personal savings to fund business growth.35Furthermore, immigrant businesses generate tax revenues

and employment locally for the towns within which they are located. Immigrant businesses also

contribute to the revitalizaon of downtown streetscapes and neighborhoods while providing another

opon for nave-born and immigrant consumers to purchase goods and services.36

Small towns that have lost residents benet from the inux of immigrant entrepreneurs because

these places need more people and businesses and the economic boost they bring. Moreover, given

their greater isolaon and, possibly, more segregaon due to language barriers and a lack of cultural

understanding, small towns can be a parcularly hard t for newcomers. Therefore, the Iowa State

University program is working with local communies to promote entrepreneurship and immigrant

integraon as part of a community and economic development strategy in small towns. In the

southeast Iowa town of Oumwa, for example, Himar Hernandez, Associate Director of Community

and Economic Development with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, helps create

opportunies that aract new residents and encourages immigrant entrepreneurship. According to

Hernandez, First generaon immigrants are very entrepreneurial. But minority business owners face

very big challenges. Permits and regulaons, language, where do they get funding to expand, how


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do you keep the books. And I try to get them to market to more [than just] the Lano community.37

Hernandez, as a facilitator who works with potenal business owners as they navigate the businessstartup process, notes also that educang the broader community about the contribuons immigrants

bring is an important component of the two-way process38of immigrant integraon.39Its when we

get to know our neighbors by name that we start seeing them as people like ourselves, he said. 40

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach oce is also responsible for the Iowa Community

Voices program, which provides a space for educaon meengs designed to bolster the leadership

skills and civic understanding of newly arrived immigrants to Iowa.41The programs objecves include

introducing local established leadership in a community to new immigrant residents, opening a mutual

dialogue and giving new residents the knowledge and condence to acvely parcipate in the life of

their communies.42This two-way process is key to eecve immigrant integraon at the local level.

IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEURSHIP, LOCAL PLACE REVITALIZATION,

AND IMMIGRATION REFORM

The iniaves taking place in Detroit, St. Louis, and Iowa, as well as in other regions, began with local

leaders recognizing that immigrant entrepreneurship is benecial for several reasons. Immigrant

small businesses help to revitalize neighborhoods, add a boost to the local economy, and create more

jobs for the local populaon. Addionally, immigrant businesses can, in part, help with immigrant

integraon into the broader community. Immigrant and ethnic businesses concentrated in parcular

co-ethnic neighborhoods, for example, can facilitate and encourage unique social structures conduciveto upward socio-economic mobility and stronger integraon.43And immigrants themselves are more

entrepreneurial than the nave-born populaon, as the act of choosing to uproot and migrate is itself

entrepreneurial.44Furthermore, entrepreneurship for immigrants is a means of maintaining es to

tradional cultures while at the same me integrang into a new place.45

While many cies recognize the need to aract and grow their human capital, and are pursuing

producve strategies to encourage immigraon and entrepreneurship as a component of their

economic development strategies, their eorts are oen at odds with an inecient federal

immigraon system. City and regional leaders recognize that their recruitment and development

eorts cannot fully succeed if the federal immigraon system is outmoded and ineecve . In the

absence of comprehensive reform, their eorts, no maer how visionary, may be impeded.

Despite stalled federal eorts at reform, cies and states are embarking on new and excing ventures

to aract immigrants to their communies, to support new and exisng immigrant entrepreneurs, and

to more explicitly create synergy between immigrants and nave-born cizens. For example, as of

January 2014, there were 18 iniaves across the country that were Welcoming America46aliates,47

and 25 city and county-based programs have joined Welcoming Americas Welcoming Cies and


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Counes iniave.48In addion to those aliates, other iniaves are found in places throughout

the country. With this trend, there is a growing recognion of the signicance of immigraon as aneconomic factor, but also major rethinking of how individuals and communies accept and welcome

newcomers and encourage their successful integraon.

Ulmately, cies are the places where people go about their daily lives and where immigraon and

integraon policies play out on a daily basis. Clearly, the extent of a places welcoming climate and

the ability for newcomers to eecvely integrate into a community are part of a places resiliency to

economic vacillaons. William Lester and Mai Thi Nguyen, in the Department of City and Regional

Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, nd that regions with more successful

immigrant integraon were more resilient when faced with economic shocks.49And as John Mollenkopf

and Manuel Pastor of the Building Resilient Regions Research Group state, regional leaders who want

their metropolitan areas to weather the countrys inevitable economic and demographic changes will

likely need to weave immigrants into their regional narraves and visions for their regional futures,

helping to calm the polical waters by highlighng how immigrants and their children can be assets

rather than problems.50In so doing, local leaders will help facilitate a broad and much-needed

recognion that a regions resilience is based not on struggling with strangers, but rather on welcoming

with the warmth that will help newcomers maximize their contribuons to our countrys metropolitan

future.51Local leaders must help naonal leaders understand that posive impacts of immigrants in

cies are linked with the need for eecve immigraon policy at the naonal level.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS MOVING FORWARD

As the iniaves in Detroit, St. Louis, and Iowa show, cies and metropolitan areas are clearly

interested in doing something more to culvate a welcoming environment for newcomers as a

component of economic development. Cies interested in charng a welcoming path can learn from

those places already planning and implemenng such iniaves and programs. In this regard, there are

a few quesons of which to be mindful: What are parcular lessons learned from cies already on a

welcoming path? And what are parcular paths forward for other cies and towns? How can naonal

legislaon help to strengthen these iniaves or support local integraon eorts, as well as immigrant

entrepreneurs and innovators themselves?

In light of the well-documented contribuons of immigrants in local communies throughout the United

States, there are several recommendaons local, state, and naonal policymakers should bear in mind:

Policies of inclusion and welcome, which help grow opportunies for integraon into a local area,

are important at the local, state, and federal level. In parcular, access to language and cultural

competency learning, informaon about local resources, and civic engagement opportunies are

important components of integraon processes.


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Partnerships between the immigrant and nave-born business and entrepreneurship community

are important for ensuring that immigrant business owners are aware of the business resourcesavailable in a place (such as the local chamber of commerce and other business organizaons).

Entrepreneurs access to credit and capitalthrough microloan programs, business incubators in

local communies, and other methodscan also help spur immigrant small business growth, new

markets, and job creaon.

At the naonal level, policymakers should enact comprehensive immigraon reform that

modernizes the U.S. immigraon system, creang the necessary legal pathways that work for

entrepreneurs, innovators, students, families, businesses, employers, and all types of workers.

Immigraon reform, in addion to recognizing that immigrant entrepreneurs come through all

immigraon pathwaysfamily, employment, refugee, and othersshould also ensure beer

recognion of foreign-earned credenals in licensed professions so that skilled immigrants talent

isnt wasted in the places in which they already reside in the U.S.

Immigrant integraon strategies should be a component of comprehensive immigraon reform.52

In addion to modernizing and streamlining visa pathways, clearing backlogs, and providing a

pathway to cizenship for the undocumented populaon, reforms must provide immigrants and

the communies in which they live with the tools to prosper. 53For eecve legislave outcomes,

cies and towns interested in pursuing immigrant integraon and welcoming must ensure their

own voices and perspecves reach the ears of naonal policymakers. And naonal leaders in

Washington must listen to what local leaders are telling them about whats going on in theircommunies.54

To make the most of local immigraon recruitment, development, and welcoming iniaves, there

needs to be a thoughul, comprehensive eort to modernize the U.S. immigraon system. In the

meanme, local places will connue to compete for human capital. Those cies which welcome the

iniave and drive of immigrants will not only experience economic and social dividends, but will be

poised to prosper even more under a new era of immigraon reform.


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ENDNOTES

1 Tamar Jacoby, US Economic Compeveness at Risk:A Midwest Call to Acon on Immigraon Reform

(Chicago: The Chicago Council on Global Aairs, 2013).

2 Ibid.

3 David Card, How Immigraon Aects U.S. Cies,Discussion Paper Series(London: Centre for Researchand Analysis of Migraon, 2007).

4 Jill H. Wilson and Audrey Singer, Immigrants in2010 Metropolitan America: A Decade of Change

(Washington, DC: The Brookings Instuon, 2011).

5 Fiscal Policy Instute, Immigrants and the Economy:Contribuon of Immigrant Workers to the Countrys

25 Largest Metropolitan Areas(New York: Fiscal Policy

Instute, 2009).

6 Jack Strauss, Immigraon and Job Creaon: WhichComes First? (Rochester, NY: Social Science ResearchNetwork, 2013).

7 Ibid.

8 Ibid.

9 Robert W. Fairlie, Immigrant Entrepreneurs and SmallBusiness Owners, and their Access to Financial Capital

(Washington, DC: Small Business Administraon, 2012).

10 James Jennings, Marlene L. Bryant, Chia-Hui Chawla,Ann Jankie, and Jennifer Lawrence,Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Creang Jobs and

Strengthening the U.S. Economy in Growing Industries:Transportaon, Food and Building Services(Malden,MA: The Immigrant Learning Center, 2013).

11 Welcoming America, 2013, hp://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/our-aliates/ .

12 Tamar Jacoby, US Economic Compeveness at Risk: AMidwest Call to Acon on Immigraon Reform

(Chicago: The Chicago Council on Global Aairs, 2013).

13 Global Detroit, Vision-History (Detroit: GlobalDetroit, 2013).

14 Ibid.

15 Global Detroit, Final Report(Detroit: Global Detroit,August 2010).

16 Global Detroit, Final Report(Detroit: Global Detroit,August 2010); Jonathan Bowles and Tara Colton,

A World of Opportunity (New York City: Center for anUrban Future, 2007).

17 Global Detroit, Short Report(Detroit, MI: GlobalDetroit, April 2010).

18 Ajooni Sethi, Global Detroit, March 2013, hp://www.globaldetroit.com/.

19 Global Detroit, Short Report(Detroit, MI: GlobalDetroit, April 2010).

20 Andrew Wainer,A Tale of Two Cies (and a Town):Immigrants in the Rust Belt

(Washington, DC: Bread for the World Instute, 2013).

21 Ibid.

22 Global Detroit, 2012 Annual Report(Detroit, MI:Global Detroit, January 2013).

23 Ibid.

24 Ted Hesson, Why Detroit Needs More Immigrants(Fusion.net, July 19, 2013).

25 Ibid.

26 Jack Strauss, The Economic Impact of Immigraon onSt. Louis

(St. Louis: Simon Center for Regional Forecasng, SaintLouis University, April 2012).

27 Ibid.

28 Jack Strauss, Mark Tranel, and Jeremy Caddel,Immigraon Recommendaons for St. Louis Region:

How can we Jump-Start Growth?(St. Louis: WorldTrade Center St. Louis, June 2013).

29 NextStop STL, New Mul-Language Posters onMetroLink and MetroBus Vehicles Designed toWelcome Area Immigrants to the Regions TransitSystem (St. Louis: NextStop STL, September 16, 2013).

30 Tim Logan, St. Louis immigraon project aims tocommunicate, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 27, 2013.

31 World Trade Center St. Louis, St. Louis MosaicProject (St. Louis: World Trade Center St. Louis, 2013).

32 St. Louis Mosaic Project, St. Louis Mosaic Project:Regional Prosperity through Immigraon and

Innovaon

(St. Louis: World Trade Center St. Louis, June 2013).

33 Ibid.

34 Department of Sociology, Introducon LanoEntrepreneurship in Rural Iowa(Ames, IA: Iowa State University, 2011).

35 Ibid.

36 Ibid.

37 Mark Newman, Helping Oumwa grow (Oumwa,IA: Oumwa Courier, September 17, 2013).

38 Rinus Penninx, Integraon: The Role of Communies,Instuons, and the State(Washington, DC: Migraon Policy Instute, 2003).
http://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/2013_ImmigrationTaskForce_Final.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/2013_ImmigrationTaskForce_Final.pdfhttp://www.cream-migration.org/publ_uploads/CDP_11_07.pdfhttp://www.cream-migration.org/publ_uploads/CDP_11_07.pdfhttp://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2011/10/13%20immigration%20wilson%20singer/1013_immigration_wilson_singer.pdfhttp://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2011/10/13%20immigration%20wilson%20singer/1013_immigration_wilson_singer.pdfhttp://www.fiscalpolicy.org/ImmigrantsIn25MetroAreas_20091130.pdfhttp://www.fiscalpolicy.org/ImmigrantsIn25MetroAreas_20091130.pdfhttp://www.fiscalpolicy.org/ImmigrantsIn25MetroAreas_20091130.pdfhttp://www.fiscalpolicy.org/ImmigrantsIn25MetroAreas_20091130.pdfhttp://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2339192http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2339192http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/rs396tot.pdfhttp://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/rs396tot.pdfhttp://www.immigrationresearch-info.org/system/files/Immigrant_Entrepreneurs_in_Growing_Industries.pdfhttp://www.immigrationresearch-info.org/system/files/Immigrant_Entrepreneurs_in_Growing_Industries.pdfhttp://www.immigrationresearch-info.org/system/files/Immigrant_Entrepreneurs_in_Growing_Industries.pdfhttp://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/our-affiliates/http://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/our-affiliates/http://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/2013_ImmigrationTaskForce_Final.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/2013_ImmigrationTaskForce_Final.pdfhttp://www.globaldetroit.com/about/vision-history/http://www.globaldetroit.com/wp-content/files_mf/1327697728Global_Detroit_Study.full_report.pdfhttp://www.globaldetroit.com/wp-content/files_mf/1327697728Global_Detroit_Study.full_report.pdfhttp://nycfuture.org/images_pdfs/pdfs/IE-final.pdfhttp://www.globaldetroit.com/wp-content/files_mf/1327698376Global_Detroit_Study.executive_summary.pdfhttp://www.globaldetroit.com/http://www.globaldetroit.com/http://www.globaldetroit.com/wp-content/files_mf/1327698376Global_Detroit_Study.executive_summary.pdfhttp://www.bread.org/institute/papers/immigrants-in-the-rust-belt.pdfhttp://www.bread.org/institute/papers/immigrants-in-the-rust-belt.pdfhttp://www.globaldetroit.com/wp-content/files_mf/1362419020AnnualReportfinal.pdfhttp://fusion.net/justice/story/detroit-immigrants-15342http://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/EconomicimpactstudyAPRIL2012.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/EconomicimpactstudyAPRIL2012.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/Immigration%20Report_6-13%20v2.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/Immigration%20Report_6-13%20v2.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/Immigration%20Report_6-13%20v2.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/Immigration%20Report_6-13%20v2.pdfhttp://www.nextstopstl.org/10422/new-multi-language-posters-on-metrolink-and-metrobus-vehicles-designed-to-welcome-area-immigrants-to-the-regions-transit-system/http://www.nextstopstl.org/10422/new-multi-language-posters-on-metrolink-and-metrobus-vehicles-designed-to-welcome-area-immigrants-to-the-regions-transit-system/http://www.nextstopstl.org/10422/new-multi-language-posters-on-metrolink-and-metrobus-vehicles-designed-to-welcome-area-immigrants-to-the-regions-transit-system/http://www.nextstopstl.org/10422/new-multi-language-posters-on-metrolink-and-metrobus-vehicles-designed-to-welcome-area-immigrants-to-the-regions-transit-system/http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/st-louis-immigration-project-aims-to-communicate/article_17162fd7-2229-5317-8dc8-c1873d27ce98.htmlhttp://www.stltoday.com/business/local/st-louis-immigration-project-aims-to-communicate/article_17162fd7-2229-5317-8dc8-c1873d27ce98.htmlhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/immigration.asphttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/immigration.asphttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/STL%20Mosaic%20Project%20Presentation%206-27-13.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/STL%20Mosaic%20Project%20Presentation%206-27-13.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/STL%20Mosaic%20Project%20Presentation%206-27-13.pdfhttp://www.soc.iastate.edu/extension/diverse/latinoentrepreneurship/intro.htmlhttp://www.soc.iastate.edu/extension/diverse/latinoentrepreneurship/intro.htmlhttp://www.ottumwacourier.com/local/x1442566313/Helping-Ottumwa-Growhttp://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=168http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=168http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=168http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=168http://www.ottumwacourier.com/local/x1442566313/Helping-Ottumwa-Growhttp://www.soc.iastate.edu/extension/diverse/latinoentrepreneurship/intro.htmlhttp://www.soc.iastate.edu/extension/diverse/latinoentrepreneurship/intro.htmlhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/STL%20Mosaic%20Project%20Presentation%206-27-13.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/STL%20Mosaic%20Project%20Presentation%206-27-13.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/STL%20Mosaic%20Project%20Presentation%206-27-13.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/immigration.asphttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/immigration.asphttp://www.stltoday.com/business/local/st-louis-immigration-project-aims-to-communicate/article_17162fd7-2229-5317-8dc8-c1873d27ce98.htmlhttp://www.stltoday.com/business/local/st-louis-immigration-project-aims-to-communicate/article_17162fd7-2229-5317-8dc8-c1873d27ce98.htmlhttp://www.nextstopstl.org/10422/new-multi-language-posters-on-metrolink-and-metrobus-vehicles-designed-to-welcome-area-immigrants-to-the-regions-transit-system/http://www.nextstopstl.org/10422/new-multi-language-posters-on-metrolink-and-metrobus-vehicles-designed-to-welcome-area-immigrants-to-the-regions-transit-system/http://www.nextstopstl.org/10422/new-multi-language-posters-on-metrolink-and-metrobus-vehicles-designed-to-welcome-area-immigrants-to-the-regions-transit-system/http://www.nextstopstl.org/10422/new-multi-language-posters-on-metrolink-and-metrobus-vehicles-designed-to-welcome-area-immigrants-to-the-regions-transit-system/http://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/Immigration%20Report_6-13%20v2.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/Immigration%20Report_6-13%20v2.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/EconomicimpactstudyAPRIL2012.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/EconomicimpactstudyAPRIL2012.pdfhttp://fusion.net/justice/story/detroit-immigrants-15342http://www.globaldetroit.com/wp-content/files_mf/1362419020AnnualReportfinal.pdfhttp://www.bread.org/institute/papers/immigrants-in-the-rust-belt.pdfhttp://www.bread.org/institute/papers/immigrants-in-the-rust-belt.pdfhttp://www.globaldetroit.com/wp-content/files_mf/1327698376Global_Detroit_Study.executive_summary.pdfhttp://www.globaldetroit.com/http://www.globaldetroit.com/http://www.globaldetroit.com/wp-content/files_mf/1327698376Global_Detroit_Study.executive_summary.pdfhttp://nycfuture.org/images_pdfs/pdfs/IE-final.pdfhttp://www.globaldetroit.com/wp-content/files_mf/1327697728Global_Detroit_Study.full_report.pdfhttp://www.globaldetroit.com/wp-content/files_mf/1327697728Global_Detroit_Study.full_report.pdfhttp://www.globaldetroit.com/about/vision-history/http://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/2013_ImmigrationTaskForce_Final.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/2013_ImmigrationTaskForce_Final.pdfhttp://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/our-affiliates/http://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/our-affiliates/http://www.immigrationresearch-info.org/system/files/Immigrant_Entrepreneurs_in_Growing_Industries.pdfhttp://www.immigrationresearch-info.org/system/files/Immigrant_Entrepreneurs_in_Growing_Industries.pdfhttp://www.immigrationresearch-info.org/system/files/Immigrant_Entrepreneurs_in_Growing_Industries.pdfhttp://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/rs396tot.pdfhttp://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/rs396tot.pdfhttp://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2339192http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2339192http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/ImmigrantsIn25MetroAreas_20091130.pdfhttp://www.fiscalpolicy.org/ImmigrantsIn25MetroAreas_20091130.pdfhttp://www.fiscalpolicy.org/ImmigrantsIn25MetroAreas_20091130.pdfhttp://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2011/10/13%20immigration%20wilson%20singer/1013_immigration_wilson_singer.pdfhttp://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2011/10/13%20immigration%20wilson%20singer/1013_immigration_wilson_singer.pdfhttp://www.cream-migration.org/publ_uploads/CDP_11_07.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/2013_ImmigrationTaskForce_Final.pdfhttp://www.worldtradecenter-stl.com/service/2013_ImmigrationTaskForce_Final.pdf


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39 Mark Newman, Helping Oumwa grow (Oumwa,IA: Oumwa Courier, September 17, 2013).

40 Ibid.

41 Iowa State University, Iowa Community Voices(Ames, IA: Iowa State University, 2013).

42 Ibid.

43 Qingfang Wang, Beyond Ethnic Enclaves? Exploringthe Spaal Distribuon of Lano-Owned EmployerFirms in Two U.S. Immigraon Gateways,Journal ofUrban Aairs35, no. 5 (December 2013): 1-21.

44 Qingfang Wang and Wei Li, Entrepreneurship,Ethnicity and Local Contexts: Hispanic Entrepreneursin Three U.S. Southern Metropolitan Areas,GeoJournal68, no. 2/3 (February 2007): 167-182.

45 Qingfang Wang, Construcng a Mullevel SpaalApproach in Ethnic Entrepreneurship Studies,InternaonalJournal of Entrepreneurial Behavior andResearch 19, no. 1 (2013): 97-113.

46 Welcoming Americais a naonal, grassroots-drivencollaborave that promotes mutual respect andcooperaon between foreign-born and U.S.-bornAmericans. Through a countrywide network ofmember organizaons and partners, WelcomingAmerica works to promote a welcoming atmosphere

community by community in which immigrantsand nave born residents can nd commonground and shared prosperity. Read more at www.welcomingamerica.org.

47 Welcoming America, Our Aliates (Atlanta, GA:Welcoming America, 2013).

48 Welcoming America, Welcoming Cies and Counes(Atlanta, GA: Welcoming America, 2013).

49 T. William Lester and Mai Thi Nguyen, The EconomicIntegraon of Immigrants and Regional Resilience

(Berkeley, CA: MacArthur Foundaon Network onBuilding Resilient Regions, University of California,

2013).

50 John Mollenkopf and Manuel Pastor, Strugglingover Strangers or Receiving with Resilience? The

Metropolics of Immigrant Integraon(Berkeley, CA:MacArthur Foundaon Network on Building ResilientRegions, University of California, 2013).

51 Ibid.

52 NALEO Educaon Fund, Immigraon reform mustprovide the integraon services immigrants andAmerican communies need to thrive together(Washington, DC: NALEO Educaon Fund, 2013).

53 Recent comprehensive immigraon reformlegislaon introduced in Congress in 2013such asthe Senates S.744, passed in June, and the HousesH.R.15, introduced in Octoberaempts to addresscomponents of immigrant integraon, but these arejust a start.

54 Some cies and organizaons have published bestpracces guides. For example, see the New YorkMayors Oce of Immigrant Aairs Blueprint forImmigrant Integraon: Creang and MunicipalImmigrant Integraon Agenda and SupporngImmigrant Entrepreneurship; Welcoming Americas

Aliate Introducon Packet and ReceivingCommunies Toolkit: A Guide for EngagingMainstream America in Immigrant Integraon; Ciesof Migraons Good Ideas from Successful Cies:

Municipal Leadership on Immigrant Integraon; andthe Naonal League of Cies compilaons aboutexisng city-based immigrant integraon iniaves.Addionally, the Naonal Immigrant IntegraonConference (which was most recently held in Miamiin November 2013) provides a forum for a varietyof people to discuss best pracces and examples ofimmigrant integraon.
http://www.ottumwacourier.com/local/x1442566313/Helping-Ottumwa-Growhttp://www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/voiceshttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9906.2012.00644.x/abstracthttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9906.2012.00644.x/abstracthttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9906.2012.00644.x/abstracthttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10708-007-9081-0http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10708-007-9081-0http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10708-007-9081-0http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17076853http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17076853http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17076853http://www.welcomingamerica.org/http://www.welcomingamerica.org/http://www.welcomingamerica.org/http://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/our-affiliates/http://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/cities/http://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Lester-Nguyen-immigrant-integration.pdfhttp://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Lester-Nguyen-immigrant-integration.pdfhttp://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mollenkopf-Pastor-struggling-strangers.pdfhttp://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mollenkopf-Pastor-struggling-strangers.pdfhttp://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mollenkopf-Pastor-struggling-strangers.pdfhttp://s143989.gridserver.com/2013_Images/CIR-integration_overview.pdfhttp://s143989.gridserver.com/2013_Images/CIR-integration_overview.pdfhttp://s143989.gridserver.com/2013_Images/CIR-integration_overview.pdfhttp://s143989.gridserver.com/2013_Images/CIR-integration_overview.pdfhttp://s143989.gridserver.com/2013_Images/CIR-integration_overview.pdfhttp://s143989.gridserver.com/2013_Images/CIR-integration_overview.pdfhttp://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mollenkopf-Pastor-struggling-strangers.pdfhttp://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mollenkopf-Pastor-struggling-strangers.pdfhttp://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mollenkopf-Pastor-struggling-strangers.pdfhttp://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Lester-Nguyen-immigrant-integration.pdfhttp://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Lester-Nguyen-immigrant-integration.pdfhttp://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/cities/http://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/our-affiliates/http://www.welcomingamerica.org/http://www.welcomingamerica.org/http://www.welcomingamerica.org/http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17076853http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17076853http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10708-007-9081-0http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10708-007-9081-0http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10708-007-9081-0http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9906.2012.00644.x/abstracthttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9906.2012.00644.x/abstracthttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9906.2012.00644.x/abstracthttp://www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/voiceshttp://www.ottumwacourier.com/local/x1442566313/Helping-Ottumwa-Grow


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