Springfield has become a lightning rod in a pitched battle over immigration. Meanwhile, Dayton has welcomed immigrants for more than a decade, to fill vacant jobs and revitalize old neighborhoods.
Dayton, Ohio, launched an effort in 2011 to become more welcoming to immigrants. Backers say the newcomers have benefited the city, which was losing population for decades.
About 10% of the 300-plus employees at FC Industries in Dayton are foreign-born."We've always prided ourselves on being very diverse," says HR manager Beth Casella, whose grandfather Frank started the company more than 50 years ago."We want good workers," she says."We want people who can grow here and grow us to the next level. And we’re open to looking wherever that could be.
Joseph, who has business cards printed in Spanish, Mandarin and Croatian, says there was some pushback, but not much. Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan three years ago, more than 100 other Afghans have settled in Dayton. Ahmadi calls it a second chance to rebuild their lives.Anita Nzigiye grew up in Rwanda and followed her sister to Dayton. After working for a time as a home health aide, she opened a market with her family, selling east African groceries to the growing community of African transplants.
“My parents owned Evans Bakery right across the street," says Dayton native Jennifer Evans."I grew up there. Went to the local Catholic school here in the neighborhood.” To be sure, many Americans from across the political spectrum would like to see changes in national immigration policy. Evans says she would too. But however people make their way to Dayton, she tries to make them feel welcome, and thinks most of her neighbors feel the same way.
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