5 Reasons Why Immigrants Make New Jersey Better

New Jersey owes a lot to its immigrants, according to Jon Whiten.

“In many of New Jersey’s cities, immigrants are literally the backbone of the economy,” said Whiten, vice president of think-tank New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP).

Whiten recently gave Patch five reasons why immigrants make the Garden State a better place.

• Entrepreneurial spirit: “New Jersey has the third highest share of immigrants who are ‘Main Street’ small business owners. In many of New Jersey’s cities, immigrants are literally the backbone of the economy.”
• Diversity: “New Jersey has the [country’s] third-highest share of immigrants, and arguably has the most diverse immigrant population in the nation.”
• Economic strength #1: “Undocumented New Jerseyans help keep the state’s economy moving. If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from New Jersey, the state would lose $25.9 billion in economic activity and 4.9 percent in gross state product, the largest percentage loss of any state [in America].”
• Economic strength #2: “New Jersey has the nation’s fourth highest number of H-1B visa holders.” (H-1B visas allow U.S. employers to temporarily employ skilled foreign workers)
• Tax contributions: “Undocumented immigrants pay $590 million in state and local taxes each year.”

Whiten isn’t alone in his reasoning. A recent study from financial services provider WalletHub ranked New Jersey the second most-affected state in the nation when it comes to its immigrants’ economic impacts, placing the Garden State behind only California.

According to WalletHub, New Jersey ranked:

• 1st in “percentage of foreign-born STEM workers”
• 2nd in “percentage of jobs generated by immigrant-owned businesses”
• 3rd in “median household income of foreign-born population”

According to “The Contributions of New Americans,” a report from the Partnership for a New American Economy (NAE), foreign-born immigrants made up 22 percent of the New Jersey’s population and contributed $19.6 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2014, about 23.6 percent of the Garden State’s total share that year.

• See related article: N.J. Immigrants Are Taxpaying And Hardworking Residents, Study Says

But although statistics and economic reports are important, the human side of the immigration story is just as crucial to understand, some pundits say.

Read a few positive, inspiring stories about New Jersey immigrants below.

NAPS ON A BENCH

Horatio Alger-style stories don’t come much more picture-perfect than the life of New Jersey Institute of Technology alum and Dominican Republic native Marino Duran, who recently earned himself a top job as an engineer for General Motors.

While enrolled in community college, Duran took up a spirit-crushing daily grind, including a four-hour, round-trip bus commute to campus. Without the benefit of parents who could support him financially, Duran worked full-time to pay his tuition while also attending night classes, burning the candle on both ends in his attempt to make the American Dream work

One semester, Duran worked three jobs to cover tuition and the rent for his apartment.

“There were days where I literally slept on the couch at work because I missed the last train and would have to wait until 5 a.m. and walk 30 minutes to the train station so I could get home and rest,” Duran remembered. “Sometimes while waiting at the train station, I’d nap on the bench.”

“A lot of hard work and planning went into it all,” Duran said. “I admit there were times I wanted to give up. But then I remembered that no one in my family had ever gone to college. I was the first, and now I had a chance to become something I always wanted to be… an engineer.”

Ultimately, Duran ended up accepting an offer to work as an embedded systems integration controls engineer responsible for examining the electrical design systems embedded in all GM automobiles and ensuring that they meet specifications.

“It wasn't easy, and many things went wrong along the way,” Duran explained. “But I stayed focused and persevered because my ‘why’ was stronger than that [initial] ‘no.’ It was stronger than the four-hour commute, stronger than the restless nights napping on the bench, stronger than [holding] three jobs and stronger than those countless nights of studying.”

• See related article: Immigrant's Success Story Inspires In N.J.

SYRIAN REFUGEES

For the most part, the dozens of Syrian refugees who have settled in New Jersey over the past few years have found some semblance of stability as they attempt to integrate themselves into the unique culture of the Garden State as immigrants.

Take the case of Hussam Al Roustom, a refugee from Syria.

Since arriving in June, Al Roustom, his wife, their 3-year-old daughter and their 7-year-old son have been living in an apartment atop the Kwick Discount Center grocery store in Jersey City.

In April of 2015, Al Roustom sat in a Jordanian refugee camp with no idea that a government committee was deciding where he would start his life. He was waiting because each organization selects a prescribed number of refugees in several rounds - somewhat like a draft conducted by professional sports teams to choose players, according to a New York Times report.

Those lucky enough to get picked include Sandy Khabbazeh, 26, a Syrian refugee who has found refuge in the Ponds Reformed Church in Oakland, according to mycentraljersey.com. Her mother, father and older brother are still trapped in Aleppo, Syria, surrounded by ISIS forces.

“I got help,” Khabbezah, whose family in Syria sent her here for fears that ISIS was targeting women, told mycentraljersey.com. “Help and support. I found a family here. I love America. I found peace here. I still hope. I do.”

• See related article: Syrian Refugees In N.J.: Who Are They, And Where Do They Live?

ARAB-AMERICAN SUCCESS STORIES

When you think about the American Dream, think about Arab-Americans.

That’s the motivation behind West Caldwell resident Abe Kasbo’s documentary, “A Thousand And One Journeys: The Arab Americans.”

According to Kasbo, the film covers almost 200 years of contributions from Middle East, North Africa and Arabian Peninsula immigrants, painting a portrait of the Arab-American immigrant experience through the stories of people who “immigrated in pursuit of the American Dream,” including Senator George Mitchell, Jamie Farr, Ralph Nader, Danny Thomas, General John Abizaid, Anthony Shadid and Helen Thomas.

“At a time when the media tends to paint Arab peoples and culture with the broad brush of terrorism, it is increasingly important to present a positive image of the many people of Middle Eastern, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula who have made America their home, and highlight their American journey as an important part of the larger American experience,” Kasbo told Patch.

• See related article: N.J. Resident Hopes To Promote Positive Arab Image With Documentary Film

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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