In the News

 

Forum will explore value of immigrants to the labor force

Christina Killion Valdez

February 3, 2009

 

Pilar Duque, a Colombian national living and working in Rochester, knows the difficulty of learning a new language and culture. She also knows the value.

 

As a member of a core leadership team of volunteers with a new initiative called VOICES, Valuing Our Immigrants Contributions to Economic Success, Duque is helping the larger community understand the assets that immigrants bring to the work force.

 

"I see a lot of pride in working hard," said Duque, who helped moderate a Spanish-language focus group of immigrants as part of the initial VOICES initiative. "When they experience barriers, they work harder to overcome them. It's very inspiring."

 

Hard work might be one of the assets highlighted during a town meeting Thursday, the next phase of the initiative, which opens up the dialogue to the community.

 

"Everyone is invited," said Kay Hocker, executive director of the Diversity Council, which started VOICES with a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and the help of several local partners.

 

Seeing a need to counter anti-immigrant sentiment, which is on the rise according to a recent racial attitudes survey, Hocker said the initiative got underway in June.

 

The project started with about 20 members in a core leadership group, about half of them immigrants, Hocker said. That group quickly realized it didn't have all the answers, she said. To get the voices of immigrants heard, the group decided to host focus groups based on 10 of the most common languages: Khmer, Spanish, Bosnian, Vietnamese, the languages of India, Somalia, Arabic, Lao, Hmong and English.

 

Each focus group is asked: What do you want the larger community to know about your contributions, what changes would like to see as a result of the dialogues, what motivates you to stay with an employer and what has helped you meet the challenges you've encountered while searching for a job or working in Rochester?

 

Some of their answers will be presented during the town meeting and followed up on with conversations with immigrants and refugees, Hocker said.

 

"It is a way to bring up the voices of people that have not had a chance to be heard," Duque said.

 

 

© 2009 Post Bulletin. Used by permission.