4/25/2022 10:34:47 AM
On Thursday, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove and DEED’s Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Anisa Hajimumin hosted a roundtable discussion at Mercado Central in Minneapolis for a discussion on the importance of establishing an Office of New Americans in Minnesota. Mercado Central is a great example of a thriving marketplace made up of 35 Latino-owned businesses that has become a national model of community economic development.
Immigrants and refugees from all parts of the globe are an important part of Minnesota’s economy, representing a significant source of the state’s business entrepreneurs and a large part of Minnesota’s labor force – now and in the coming years. Therefore, it’s essential that new Americans are included in the state’s employment and economic growth and are supported through the integration process. That’s why Governor Walz recommends $470,000 to establish an Office of New Americans focused on supporting immigrant and refugee integration, reducing barriers to employment, and improving connections between employers and job seekers.
“Imagine what our labor shortage would be if we weren’t welcoming New Americans to Minnesota? And just as importantly, imagine what kind of wealth and prosperity we could generate for everyone in our communities if we had stronger pipelines and pathways for integrating immigrants and refugees into our state and workforce,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “It is essential that New Americans are included in the state’s employment and economic growth and are supported through the integration process.”
Roundtable participants included:
“In our experience working with the East African immigrant community, there are certain challenges that their small businesses face. Some of the banking systems in place here go against their culture, such as applying for interest-based loans. They also need to be cautious of predatory landlords who don’t always sign leases with businesses so they can be evicted at a moment’s notice. This Office of New Americans would be a bridge between the government and these small businesses to help reduce some of these challenges,” said Asad Ali Weyd, CEO of the New American Development Center.
“A lot of my employee base includes new immigrants, and they are always willing to learn and be trained. As an employer, I think you need to have patience as you guide them through the hiring process such as filling out paperwork, answering any questions they might have – those are some of things we do to support them so they can succeed at their jobs. If they have the necessary skillsets, and are willing to learn, they always do a great job,” said Pang Vang, CEO of Rainbow Health Kare. “One way the government can better support immigrant businesses is helping them bid for more government contracts. We don’t always know where to go for certain resources when applying, so this Office of New Americans could help answer those questions and be a continued support for us. Sometimes immigrant-owned businesses do a great job of getting started, but don’t know where to go from there, so this office could help in growing their businesses as well.”
“Early in the pandemic, we had to shut down our business and it was devasting because it was our only source of income. Then, in early summer of 2020, our business along with many others on Lake Street suffered from the riots after the death of George Floyd. If it wasn’t for the two grants we received from DEED, I would have had to close the business for good. It’s important for DEED to continue this work and establish an Office for New Americans so we have a permanent place we can go to for help,” said Isis Gastelum, owner of Pro Nat in Mercado Central.
“When I began my role at DEED, I helped connect small business owners to COVID relief grants in the summer of 2020. However, I immediately noticed one of the requirements small business owners needed to be eligible for the grant was to be registered with the Secretary of State’s office. I met with the Secretary of State’s office to determine how they could make it easier for business owners, especially people whose primary language is not English, to understand the registration requirements,” said Anisa Hajimumin, Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs for DEED. “After having these conversations, we were able to get the Legislature to change the eligibility requirements for the 2021 COVID Relief Grants, making it easier for business owners to qualify. That is the kind of change we want to continue to carry out across the state with an Office of New Americans.”
You can watch a recording of the full discussion on DEED’s YouTube channel.
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