Mshale
By Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mshale Reporter
Tuesday April 26, 2022
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic
Development (DEED) has proposed a new initiative that would deliver career
readiness services to Minnesota’s immigrant workers.
The plan was revealed Thursday during a panel discussion at
Mercado Central in Minneapolis. The department is seeking $470,000 to fund an
Office for New Americans, which would connect the state’s new residents with
resources and training designed to help them navigate barriers they face in the
workforce, according to DEED Commissioner Steve Grove.
“Immigrant workers are the backbone of our community, and we
want to ensure they have access to the aid they need to be successful,” Grove
said.
The Office for New Americans proposal comes at a critical
time when the United States is struggling to fill jobs because of a shortage of
workers. Due to two years of travel restrictions related to the coronavirus
pandemic, there are an estimated 2 million fewer immigrants in the U.S
workforce by the end of 2021, according to analysis by the nonpartisan economic
research organization, EconoFact.
According to Jennifer Byers, a director at the Minnesota
Chamber of Commerce, the state is seeing a net loss in its workforce, a problem
that has been exacerbated by pandemic related layoffs. A collaborative report
by research firm New American Economy and The Minneapolis Regional Chamber
found that immigrants have been integral in restoring Minnesota’s economy,
comprising 42.3% of workers in “essential services” in the Minneapolis-St Paul
metro. Additionally, immigrants in the area possess 11.2% of spending power, a
significant figure considering their population makeup of just under 15%.
Offices for New Americans (ONAs) are becoming key sectors in
state agencies and mayoral offices across the country. They center various
immigrant needs dependent on location, with the New York Department of State
focusing on refugee aid and Miami-Dade County placing an emphasis on
citizenship and naturalization, according to their respective websites. The
DEED Office for New Americans would focus primarily on creating career pathways
for Minnesota’s new arrivals.
The effort is being led by Anisa Hajimumin, a Somali
immigrant who is the assistant commissioner for immigrant and refugee affairs
at DEED. Hajimumin began her role in June 2020. While she acknowledged the work
DEED has done to aid immigrant workers, she said the new office would be
transformative.
“We need to be proactive about creating a welcoming, safe
environment for immigrants and refugees seeking workforce-related support,”
said Hajimumin.
One of the key focus areas of DEED’s new initiative would be
helping immigrant communities develop small businesses. Asad Aliweyd, who is
originally from Somalia, and the founder of the New American Development
Center, spoke about the challenges Somali immigrants face when entering new
business endeavors.
Aliweyd noted the myriad of cultural nuances that hold many
prospective Somali business owners back. In addition to common issues such as
language barrier and skillset deficiencies, Aliweyd said that governmental
support often lacks the knowledge and tools to effectively provide aid to
Somali entrepreneurs. Specifically, Aliweyd noted issues in small business
funding, saying that lending is often a problem due to interest-based
transactions being frowned upon in Somali culture.
“We have unique business practices in our culture that they
sometimes do not understand,” Aliweyd said. “I think the Office of New
Americans can help in providing more culturally specific aid.”
Pang Vang, the owner of Rainbow Health Kare, which provides
in-home healthcare services to people with physical or mental conditions, said
DEED’s new proposal resonated with her because she strived to hire immigrants
for her business.
“In my experience, immigrant workers have been hardworking
and willing to adapt,” Vang said. “A lot of the time, they just need a boost to
help them succeed.”
Ekta Prakash is the CEO at CAPI USA, a Brooklyn-Park based
family-services organization that aids refugees and immigrants in adjusting to
their new environments. Prakash said as an immigrant from India herself, she
liked to stay up to date with immigrant affairs at the state level, which is
why DEED’s panel interested her.
“It’s so critical right now for us to be engaged in this
conversation, so that we as a community can push for positive change,” said
Prakash.
Mercado Central is a mall that hosts Latino-owned small
businesses on Minneapolis’ Lake Street. Founded in 1992, the ideation of the
marketplace began when a coalition of community organizers recognized a need
for a space to promote Latino economic development, according to their website.
In 1997, Mercado Central opened its doors for the first time, with featured
vendors including restauranteurs, clothing stores, and gift shops. Today,
Mercado Central is a major cultural hub, housing 35 businesses owned by Latino
immigrants.
Immigrants in Minnesota make up 10% of the population,
according to the American Immigration Council. The top country of origin for
newcomers in the state is Mexico, with 12% of the total immigrant population
hailing from there, followed by Somalia (8%), India (6%), Laos (5%), and
Ethiopia (5%). More than one in ten workers in Minnesota is an immigrant, a
figure comprising a significant portion of the state’s labor force. The top
industries for immigrants in Minnesota are healthcare and social assistance,
manufacturing, retail trade, educational services, and accommodation and food
services.
Grove, the DEED commissioner, said that if the agency received the
necessary funding, he was hopeful that the immigrant community and the state of
Minnesota would flourish.
“It’s the drive and grit that our newcomers have that makes
them so central to our economy,” Grove said. “Ultimately, it’s hard to imagine
a flourishing Minnesota without immigrants.”