These stories talk about how some cities in America have suffered from economic decline as well as a population decline. Factories and jobs have moved elsewhere and the overall quality of living has gone downward in places like Utica, Louisville, Detroit,  and Pittsburgh. These one-time manufacturing hubs, often called Rust Belt cities, are trying to revitalize their economies by attracting immigrants because they are hardworking and often entrepenuerial. 

One issue that many immigrants face is the idea that they are a burden to our economy. Some stereotypes portray immigrants as low-skill workers that come here to steal jobs from blue collar Americans because they are willing to work for a lower wage and bust unions. Others say that immigrants are a drain on social services and tax dollars. But the New Economy Initiative program and Refugee Collaborative Efforts show that refugees and immigrants are capable of creating jobs and driving economies as well as rebuilding cities to their former glory. The mayor of Utica says that if it were up to him, he would allow Utica to take on an even bigger role for refugee resettlement than it already is (one fourth of its population is made of refugees).

The Mohawk Valley resource center said they gave a little over $1,000 to each incoming refugee. The refugees are also on the hook to pay back the government the airfare to come to the country. They do in fact require aid to get on their feet here, but Ibrahim Rosic, a Bosnian who was disabled after stepping on a land mine in 1994, is an example of a refugee who is paying back to his community. He works two jobs as a professor at local universities. He has one prosthetic leg and his other leg does not have a knee after undergoing surgery long ago, but he does not wait on the government checks and instead is here to show that he is a valuable asset. 

I am happy to see these programs in action have a positive impact on real people. There has been endless debate the role on immigrants and refugees in the economy, and these stories illustrate the positive impact they can have. They can be CEO's, such as Hamdi Ulakaya. They can be engineers such as Rosic. Instead of presenting issues with no solution, these stories show the positive impacts. It gives proof for future programs that they can work. As a midwesterner, I hope that more rust belt cities continue to attract immigrants and refugees rebuild to become economic centers once again.

Part II: Answers from a friend

I usually don't hear news stories from this perspective. Most things I hear regarding immigration have to do with the Mexican border or about Islamic terrorism. No, I already had a positive opinion on immigrants and refugees, and I believe that these news stories gave an accurate portrayal. I would show these stories to someone who is ignorant on these issues so that they could learn about it.

Part II: My Reflection

Their response was not that surprising because we had approximately the same views on the topic. I think that this assignment was helpful because often in class when we talk about the "in the news" at the beginning of class we are discussing current events that are negative and have not been resolved. This gives a sour taste that things are getting worse in the US. This may be so in some ways, but at the local level you can see that there is heavy involvement and support from local government and non profit groups. This makes me confident that I could go down this career path if I choose to and get involved with immigration at some point in my future.