“I can see how much effort it took so many people to make all the pieces work seamlessly. I have attended other online trainings that were maddeningly dysfunctional… I will recommend this workshop to my colleagues.”

Carrie Mitchell, Curriculum and Staff Co-ordinator, Framingham Adult ESL Plus, Framingham, MA,
and participant in The ILC online teacher workshop 2012. See below for more reactions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Educators from 14 states participated in the first online teacher workshop hosted by The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.’s (ILC) Public Education Institute.

In yet another stride at strengthening its national presence, “Teaching Immigration Across the Curriculum,” an annual, on-site ILC workshop since 2004, made its online debut with a successful pilot on July 10, 11 and 12, 2012.

The workshop employed an innovative style that enabled heightened engagement despite the impersonal medium. This intensive format utilized interactive webinars, videos, shared documents and live chat all hosted on a brand new website. For three hours each day, K-12 and community educators as well as directors of immigrant organizations interacted in real time with presenters and with each other. They posed questions and shared their own immigration resources and teaching techniques in live documents.

The initiative was led by The ILC Public Education Institute Director Dr. Marcia Hohn with support from Project Co-ordinator Ewa Goodman and Assistant Director Denzil Mohammed, who created the online platforms. Two teachers helped in developing the curriculum and facilitating the live chats, former Boston College social work master’s students Maureen Lothrop and Jenny Maenpaa, who had toured The ILC last summer with Dr. Westy Egmont as part of a cross-continental investigation into immigrant integration.

As in previous workshops presentations we made by Dr. Hohn (“Timeline of U.S. Immigration,” “Immigration Policy and Politics”), Dr. Lorna Rivera of the University of Massachusetts Boston (“The Sociology of Immigration”) and Sophia Kim of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (“The American Dream”).

Participants were unanimous in their praise of the workshop’s relevant content and innovative format. The workshop will now take place multiple times a year beginning in February 2013 for individuals involved in immigrant education and training nationwide. Get more information on our Immigrant Student Success page. Here’s what some of the 2012 participants had to say:

 

“Thank you for an awesome workshop. Please give my regards to everyone for excellent presentations all around. I will be doing some workshops in the coming academic year, and you guys have set the bar high. A tough act to follow!”

Bryan Meadows, PhD, Assistant Professor,
Fairleigh Dickinson University, NJ

 

 

“You all did a wonderful job, and I am truly delighted to have been a participant! It certainly reignited passion for the subject area and provided a viable outlet for information sharing. Way to go!”

Kathy Clark, ESOL Co-ordinator, Daytona State College, FL

 

 

 

“Thank you! You have a great team of dedicated educators who fit so much information into this valuable workshop.”  

Carol Curry, Program Manager, Northern Valley Catholic Social Service
at the Corning and Red Bluff Family Resource Centers, CA

 

 

“Thank you all for including me in such a wonderful experience and for elucidating so many on the virtues of honoring ALL individuals.”  

Lisa Hantman, Grade Three Teacher, Philadelphia public schools, PA

 

 

Two world-famous industry and government leaders, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch, spoke about the importance of immigration reform at The New England Council event last night in Boston in front of an audience of 250 people that included ILC staff.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino introduced the topic by talking about the importance of immigrants in Boston. He noted the importance of immigrants to Boston’s economy, specifically in neighborhood businesses, hospitals and restaurants.  The ILC-commissioned research about neighborhood businesses, the health care industry, and leisure and hospitality supports this.

Menino concluded saying, “Immigration is not a Democrat or Republican issue, it’s an American issue. It goes to the heart of what we want our country to be. We should be less concerned about where people come from and more concerned about where they are going.”

On Education

Bloomberg expressed concern that the U.S. could lose its superiority in higher education because foreign students are educated here and sent back to their home countries to pursue their research, saying, “We’re taking the best and the brightest. They get their PhDs, or their masters, and then we send them overseas. They can’t teach here, they can’t do their research here.”

On the Economy

Both gentlemen stressed the importance of immigration to growing the U.S. economy and to new business start-ups in particular. They agreed that foreign-born graduates with science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) degrees should be issued green cards instead of relying on the H1B visa system in place today.

 

Immigrants, Bloomberg said, “help our economy grow, put Americans back to work and make sure industries of the future are created here.” He also talked about the importance of immigrants to neighborhood revitalization and proposed that the federal government encourage immigration in declining U.S. cities. “People don’t come here to put their feet up and collect welfare. They come here to work.”

Murdoch talked about the importance of immigrants in high-tech industries saying, “Silicon Valley is misnamed. It’s immigrant valley.”

 

On the Likelihood of Immigration Reform

Bloomberg felt that there is agreement among the American people, and the business community in particular, about the need for immigration reform. Unfortunately, he feels, progress is blocked because Congress is so polarized neither party wants to be seen working with the other on any issue, and the president will need to take the lead on this issue.

Both Bloomberg and Murdoch felt that Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is making a mistake by not embracing more open immigration policies because, as Murdoch said, “the nativists are not going to vote for Obama anyway.”

The final question of the evening asked by moderator Jerald F. Seib from the Wall Street Journal was, “Two years from now will immigration laws have changed?” The optimistic answer from both speakers was “yes.” This is an issue that cannot be ignored. In particular, Bloomberg predicted that the issue will be addressed in the first two years of the new presidential administration, before the next mid-term elections.

Bloomberg and Murdoch are two of nine co-chairs of the Partnership for a New American Economy, a national, nonpartisan group of 450 mayors and business leaders dedicated to raising awareness of the economic benefits of sensible immigration reform. The Partnership released a new report yesterday Open for Business. How Immigrants Are Driving Small Business Creation in the United States showing the increasingly important role that immigrants play in creating new businesses.

 

ILC honors three with Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards

From Cape Verde, the Dominican Republic and India, the three winners of The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.’s (ILC) 2012 Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards all journeyed to Massachusetts to pursue the American Dream. Along with their personal successes, they also contributed to the uplift of their communities and the advancement of their fields of work.

On Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, MA, The ILC honored these three Massachusetts immigrant entrepreneurs, who were chosen by selection committees from the 21 nominations received:

Larry Dossantos, 912 Auto Center, Dorchester, MA (Outstanding Neighborhood Business)

Julia Silverio, Silverio Insurance Agency, Lawrence, MA (Outstanding Business Growth)

Amar Sawhney, Ocular Therapeutix, Inc., Bedford, MA (Outstanding Science/Technology Business)

Before a full house of 150 entrepreneurs, business leaders and innovators, the awards were presented by Richard A. Davey, Jr., secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and ILC trustee; Diane Portnoy, ILC president and CEO; and Marcia Hohn, director of The ILC Public Education Institute. Click below to watch a video of The ILC 2012 Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards Dinner.

 

Larry Dossantos: 

Larry Dossantos came to Boston as a child from Cape Verde. Today, like other immigrant business owners, he plays a pivotal role in the revitalization of his neighborhood (see ILC study Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Neighborhood Revitalization).

Dossantos realized that his business, 912 Auto Center, while serving the needs of his community, was also a source of pollution. He then began using eco-friendly products, installed a rooftop garden and created community gardens for young people.

Dossantos also used his business savvy to launch a neighborhood advisory group to support minority business owners.

In photo, Diane Portnoy, ILC President and CEO, greets family members of Larry Dossantos, center.

 

Julia Silverio:  

Julia Silverio arrived in Salem, MA, as a girl from the Dominican Republic. In school, she excelled at math and English, which became useful when she moved to Lawrence, MA, and discovered that there were few services catering to the burgeoning Latino community.

Working out of her home, Silverio became the go-to person for translation, tax, insurance and travel services. She soon founded Silverio Insurance Agency, which is one of the few Latino-owned and operated businesses in the Merrimack Valley. From 2009 to 2011, the agency’s revenue grew 56 percent to hit $2.5 million.

Silverio congratulated the other nominees, saying, “We came to this country in pursuit of the American dream and a better life for ourselves and our families. By that mere fact, we are all winners.”

In photo, Silverio speaks after accepting her award for Outstanding Business Growth.

 

Amar Sawhney:  

Amar Sawhney from India is a serial and parallel entrepreneur. He has started and sold several companies and currently runs Augmenix, Inc. in Waltham, MA, and Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. in Bedford, MA.

Sawhney is linked to more than 100 patents in biotechnology and medical devices. He also cofounded Incept LLC, a platform to support other entrepreneurs.

Sawhney noted how America’s acceptance of immigrants paved the way for entrepreneurs like him. “The United Statesis singularly accepting of entrepreneurs,” he said, “providing a fertile ground on which to grow the seed of creativity and create wonderful ventures. For this adopted homeland I am very grateful.”

In photo, Richard A. Davey, Jr., Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and ILC Trustee, left, poses with ILC Immigrant Entrepreneur award winner Amar Sawhney.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Immigration Policy Center of the American Immigration Council (IPC) in Washington, D.C. published a paper written by The ILC Public Education Institute Director Marcia Hohn. Titled “Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Creating Jobs and Strengthening the Economy,” the paper details the contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs and provides policy recommendations to increase the pool of immigrant entrepreneurs who can help boost sagging U.S. employment and economic growth.

The launch took place on January 25, 2012, via tele-briefing. The paper is available here on The ILC website.

As noted in the paper, it has long been established that immigrant entrepreneurs help to drive the economy. Eighteen percent of Fortune 500 companies from Big Lots to Google were founded by immigrants.

At the launch, Dr. Hohn noted that “immigrant-owned growth businesses are hugely important to strengthening local economies as well as providing jobs essential to economic recovery. The U.S. Small Business Association estimates that small businesses have generated 64% of the net new jobs over the past 15 years and credits immigrant businesses with a significant contribution to this job growth.”

Yet restrictive U.S. immigration policies coupled with competition from other countries are forcing out immigrant entrepreneurs, many of whom were educated and trained here.

According to Ben Johnson, executive director of the American Immigration Council, “Regardless of one’s school of thought, there is very little disagreement among researchers and experts that immigrant entrepreneurship is a powerful and valuable asset to America’s economic future.”

He further explained, “While much is made of the high-tech, highly educated immigrant entrepreneur, this report reinforces that it is less about your degree or the product you produce and far more about recognizing a need in your community and having the skills and commitment to bring a dream to life.”

In the paper, Dr. Hohn writes that it is critical to understand “the range of contributions that immigrant entrepreneurs make at every level of business enterprise…revitalizing neighborhoods, fueling growth industries, advancing technology and facilitating transnational business.”

The report offers a comprehensive look at each of these areas of immigrant entrepreneurship and provides real-life examples from the Institute’s research and other studies from across the country.

Randy Johnson, senior vice president of Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said of the report, “We hope that the report’s findings will spur positive discussions regarding immigration reform but also provide new fuel for those already ongoing.”

To read more, view the full paper here.

 

Immigrant integration practices examined in London, Paris and Brussels

Malden, Paris, London  and Brussels all share one important feature. They are all home to innovative programs for immigrants and refugees.

This is what students at the Boston College (BC) Graduate School of Social Work discovered on a cross-continental, fact-finding mission to develop immigrant integration recommendations.

Led by Dr. Westy Egmont, president of the International Institute of Boston, 12 master’s students made their first stop in Malden on July 19, 2011. They toured The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. (ILC) before jetting off to London’s Jesuit Refugee Services, Brussels’ Foyer and various United Nations and government offices in Paris.

The students learned how our direct-service program assists immigrants not only with English language learning but also with Western cultural practices, job market navigation and the citizenship test. They visited classes, toured the IBM/Verizon Computer Lab and sat in on a theater class where they heard personal stories from Iranian, Colombian and Vietnamese students.

On the fourth floor, Dr. Marcia Drew Hohn, director of The ILC Public Education Institute, guided the BC students through the Institute’s research. She also gave a lesson in immigration legislation.

The students were quick note-takers, using The ILC’s example to compare and evaluate the other organizations they were about to visit.

Two months later, on September 23, 2011, the students shared their findings with immigration experts at the Massachusetts Office of Refugees and Immigrants in Boston.

In attendance were Deniz Riordan, district director, U.S. Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services; Eva Millona, executive director, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; Juan Vega, president and CEO, Centro Latino, Inc. and The ILC Public Education Institute’s Dr. Hohn, assistant director Denzil Mohammed and director of communications Karen E. Glover.

Each BC student recommended an integration initiative based on practices at the sites they visited. These included more multi-service and “one-stop centers,” cultural mediators to encourage understanding and tolerance, and a new definition of “citizenship.”

Dr. Egmont said he was extremely satisfied with the outcome of this student trip, his first such excursion, and he plans to repeat this trip with future social work students.

Conference Confirms Immigrant Entrepreneurs Spur Economic Growth and Create Jobs in Massachusetts

November 17, 2010

Babson College, Wellesley, MA.

hosted by The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.

 

WELLESLEY, MA—The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. (ILC) in collaboration with Babson College held a statewide conference at the College that confirms Massachusetts immigrant entrepreneurs are engines of economic growth and job creation in the Commonwealth.

An audience of nearly 100 state and local policy makers and community economic developers learned about the contributions of Massachusetts immigrant entrepreneurs who come from all corners of the globe and start businesses from neighborhood storefronts to science and technology firms.

Twenty immigrant entrepreneurs and researchers presented extensive documentation showing how immigrant entrepreneurs bring billions of dollars worth of education and training as well as their talent, energy, risk taking and indomitable spirit that benefit the Commonwealth and the nation.

Key findings on Massachusetts immigrant entrepreneurs presented at the Conference included:

1. Immigrants established 25.7 percent of biotechnology firms in the Commonwealth that generated 4,000 jobs and $7.6 billion in revenue in 2006 alone.
2. Asian-owned businesses grew an astounding 44 percent in the previous economic census. Asian Americans, who are mostly immigrants, created 18,801 companies from nail salons to scientific firms and paid more than 37,000 employees with an annual payroll of $1.2 billion.
3. Immigrants command ownership of 33 percent of restaurants and hotel accommodations businesses.
4. Immigrant-owned storefront businesses in economically-depressed neighborhoods revived commerce in those communities by providing goods and services for ethnic groups and native-born consumers, stimulating other business growth and making those neighborhoods safer and more attractive.

According to Director of the ILC Public Education Institute Dr. Marcia Hohn, “Immigrant entrepreneurship is an old story in America but a changing one. As we move into the new world of global business, these entrepreneurs provide crucial models, connections and cultural know-how for doing business internationally.

They create new pathways for conducting business in the global marketplace that will bring critical wealth creation and jobs to Massachusetts and the country.”

Conference presenters included Dr. Jan Vilcek of New York University and co-developer of the breakthrough drug Remicade; Yumin Choi of The Capital Network; and Richard Herman, coauthor of Immigrant, Inc. Mr. Herman addressed how immigrant entrepreneurs could be welcomed and supported in order to build wealth and benefit local economies.

 

 

Key information from the Conference on Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Massachusetts:

• Biographies of keynote and panel speakers
• Profiles of Massachusetts immigrant entrepreneurs
• Descriptions and policy/action recommendations on immigrant entrepreneurs