Partnership for a New American Economy

The Tennessean
April 29, 2012

As an immigrant CEO of a 12-year-old membership organization dedicated to fostering integration, economic development opportunities and Hispanic business sustainability, I know firsthand the benefit what immigration brings to our local and national economies. I came here to make a better life for myself and my family, and continue working countless hours to achieve that goal.

My story is not unique. It is repeated every day all over America. Immigrants to this country have had a powerful impact on our economy. More than 40 percent of America’s Fortune 500 companies were founded by an immigrant or a child of an immigrant, and Hispanics in particular are three times as fast to start a business as the native-born.

But this is not the immigration story I read about in the papers or hear about in presidential debates. To follow the media and political narratives about immigration, one would think that all immigrants are low-skilled, are here illegally, and plan to vote for whichever candidate wants to open the border, if they plan to vote at all.

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Yuri Cunza is president and CEO of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Partnership for a New American Economy.

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