Omaha is immigrant ‘gateway'

Representatives of a New York-based research institution focused on Latin American issues were in Omaha on Friday, attracted by the growing Latino immigrant population.

Omaha is among five “new gateway cities” chosen by the Americas Society and Council of the Americas (AS/COA) for its project aimed at integrating more immigrants into all areas of employment.

Information gathered from Omaha will contribute to its Web site and a broader report of “best practices” that promote hiring and training of newly arrived Latinos.

Friday's visit included an invitation-only morning forum during which about 40 business leaders and community advocates discussed local efforts and programs.

Mayor Jim Suttle spoke at a luncheon meeting, open to the public, that drew about 100 to the South Campus of Metropolitan Community College.

Former Mayor Mike Fahey also spoke as a representative of the Omaha Community Foundation. The foundation and the Nebraska Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are working with the Americas organization on the initiative.

The partners plan to release a “working paper” in January that identifies local trends and recommendations specifically tailored for Omaha in areas such as financial literacy, job-skill programs and English language training.

Jason Marczak, director of policy for the Americas group, said the idea for the project surfaced during the national debate over immigration reform. He said he and colleagues recognized that a key voice was missing in that debate: that of the business community.

Marczak did not specify during the luncheon whether the program targeted documented or undocumented workers.

His group wants to promote more engagement from the private sector in integrating what it views as a critical and growing U.S. work force, Latino immigrants.

Other cities the effort is focusing on are Atlanta; New Orleans; Nashville, Tenn.; and Portland, Ore.

Contact the writer:

444-1224, cindy.gonzalez@owh.com

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