During a student led discussion at APSU, Claudia Delgadillo shared her story of growing up as an immigrant in the U.S. and how she hopes to give back to her new home. Anthony Cross, president of APSU’s College Republicans, also helped lead the event as part of the “Map the Impact” initiative to show how immigrants affect a community.
“The media may portray me in a certain light but at the end of the day, I am human,” Delgadillo said. “I want to give back to this wonderful country that has given so much to me.”
Delgadillo said she came to the U.S. in the first grade, and did not discover she was an undocumented immigrant until she tried to apply for college and found she did not have the proper paperwork. Delgadillo said she has found colleges that will accept her and plans to pursue a law degree to defend the rights of and providing services to immigrants and victims of domestic violence.
New data from the New American Economy details the impact of immigrants on Tennessee’s 7th District, which includes Clarksville, Franklin, Waverly, Lawrenceburg and goes as far west as Hardeman County.
• There are 27,907 foreign-born residents who make up 3.9 percent of the area’s population.
• Immigrants paid $197.6 million in local taxes and held $644.6 million in spending power 2014.
• Immigrants are 14.3 percent more likely to be entrepreneurs than the native population, and there are 1,456 immigrant entrepreneurs in Tennessee’s 7th District.
• Immigrants own 6,173 homes and help build the area’s housing wealth, by moving into declining neighborhoods.
• Immigrants make up 9.9 percent of the arts, entertainment, recreation and accommodation and food services industries.
• Immigrants make up 7.2 percent of the professional, scientific, management and administrative and waste management services industries. They also make up 7 percent of the general services industry.
More information can be found at www.NewAmericanEconomy.org.
