Los Profesionales

 Some of the rhetoric against Latino immigration is that they hurt our economy. Many studies show that in places where a large immigrant community settles, they tend to stabilize that city’s economy. According to the Wall Street Journal, most economists agree that immigration has benefitted the U.S. economy. They tend to fill holes in our labor market—not only as manual and skilled laborers, but also as bilingual professionals in the public health, law enforcement, and educational sectors. Immigrants are not only taxpayers, but also consumers and entrepreneurs. A local example of this is Dayton, OH. Dayton had experienced a loss in population due to the departure of several manufacturing companies. With the city’s Welcome Dayton initiative, many immigrant communities began to arrive to the area, attracted by cheap housing, and a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. But Latinos—long or short-term immigrants, and born and raised in Ohio—occupy a wide range of professional environments. The interviews in this chapter will show us how Latinos are committed not only to their own professional aspirations, but also to bringing awareness of the needs and opportunities available for other young Latinos in the state. The Young Latino Network is one example of the interests that people like Jason Estremera have in equipping young people for the professional world in the Cleveland area. Estremera, along with Jenice Contreras and Alexandra Pagán, among many other things, have a passion for creating a space where culture, business, arts, educational and civic centers come together to celebrate Latino history and identity, called La Villa Hispana. Kenneth Ramos was one of the first bilingual member of the Columbus Police Department, and Belkis Shoenhals works for a non-profit housing counseling agency committed to affordable housing development working with the Hispanic community in Franklin County. The job that all of these professionals do speak not only of their personal accomplishment, but also of the desire to give back to their community.