Dayton, Ohio, Welcomes Immigrants as Policy Point

[The Northerner]

On the same afternoon thousands of Hispanics in Alabama took the day off to protest the state's strict new immigration law, Mexican-born Francisco Mejia was ringing up diners' bills and handing containers piled with carnitas to drive-thru customers on the east side of Dayton.

His family's Taqueria Mixteca is thriving on a street pockmarked with rundown buildings and vacant storefronts. It gets packed with a diverse lunchtime clientele of Hispanic laborers, white men in suits and other customers, white and black. "Business is very good," Mejia said, smiling broadly between orders.

It's the kind of success story that leaders in Dayton think offers hope for an entire city. It has adopted a plan not only to encourage immigrants to come and feel welcome here, but also to use them to help pull out of an economic tailspin.

Dayton officials, who adopted the "Welcome Dayton" plan unanimously on Oct. 5, say they aren't condoning illegal immigration; those who come here illicitly will continue to be subject to U.S. laws.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/dayton-ohio-welcomes-immigrants-policy-point-14803623

[kestrel91316]

1. I follow Dayton mayor Gary Leitzell avidly, but only because he has

a most awesome old house restoration blog called This Old Crack House, lol.

http://thisoldcrackhouse.blogspot.com/

He had the blog for a few years before running for mayor.

[pampango]

2. "Immigrants are hard workers with a propensity to create jobs, and this will invigorate the economy"

"We will be more diverse, we will grow, we will have more restaurants, more small businesses," said Tom Wahlrab, the city's human relations council director, who helped lead the plan's development.

Besides thousands of Hispanics, there are communities in Dayton of Iraqi refugees, Vietnamese and other Asians, Africans from several countries, and Russians and Turks who, officials say, are already living here quietly and industriously.

Opponents fear it will encourage illegal immigration and give preferences to immigrants.

"If Dayton wants to help build its economy by letting people know that legal immigrants are welcome, that's their prerogative," said Steve Salvi, founder of Ohio Jobs & Justice PAC, an advocacy group that focuses on illegal immigration. "But when they accept a plan that clearly has the purpose of including those (illegal) people, that's a problem for everyone."

I'm happy that Dayton has adopted these immigrant-friendly policies. It is a pleasant difference from the "drive 'em away" anti-immigrant politics of southern republicans.