01 June 2006
What Immigrants Say About the United States
“In America everyone is different. Everyone is welcome.” Paul Pickman, a documentary filmmaker in Belarus, now owner of Kaskad, a Russian-language newspaper in Baltimore, The Baltimore Sun.
“When you come to the States, you come with the mentality of making money and succeeding. You don’t think about society. After you are here for years, you start thinking about those things.” Ernesto Diaz, director of logistics for Balducci’s, a gourmet food chain in Maryland, The Washington Post.
“We stress the American Muslim identity, that home is where my grandchildren are going to be raised, not where my grandfather is buried.” Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Sacramento Bee.
“Our kids have a good opportunity here to have a good education and have a good job.” Suzana Hotaj, Albanian immigrant who works at Wal-Mart, The Kansas City Star.
“This is one of my American dreams, to be an owner of a business being run by immigrants who have a common goal.” Silverio Moog, Philippine immigrant and one of 50 co-owners of a cooperative formed by the surviving workers from Windows on the World, the restaurant atop the World Trade Center, The New York Times.
“There are a lot of jobs around, good school systems, and lots of opportunities to open a business and get an education and learn English.” Rahima Poljarevic, Bosnian immigrant, The Kansas City Star.
“When you come here as an immigrant, you are taking a chance, and that is what starting a business is all about.” Michel Zajour, president of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, The Washington Post.
