Showing posts with label immigrant entrepreneurship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label immigrant entrepreneurship. Show all posts
TOP

My Neighbor Next Door is from...Finland

Posted by Unknown at 2:05 PM
A new blog monthly articles series from AAA Translation’s Susanne Evens, My Neighbor Next Door is from… aims to expand multi-cultural knowledge and break down divides by letting readers get to know immigrants from various countries…one neighbor, friend and/or business colleague at a time.

This month’s featured country is Finland. Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, bordered by Sweden to the west, Norway to the north and Russia to the east. Estonia lies to the south across the Gulf of Finland. From the late 12th century until 1809, Finland was part Sweden. It was then incorporated into the Russia Empire as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, until the Russian Revolution of 1917 prompted the Finnish Declaration of Independence.

We recently interviewed Mia Eriksson, who was born and raised in Finland and has been a full-time neuroscience student at Texas Christian University (TCU) since 2012. She also works as a teaching assistant in a chemistry laboratory at TCU.

Q. What are the cultural differences you notice between Finland and the USA?
Everything is different. Here, people always smile, which can be exhausting. In Finland, people don’t smile as much. It’s not to be mean or rude. When someone in Finland smiles, you know it is genuine. Also, Finland is much more socialistic. Education all the way through university is free, and healthcare is free. Here, you have to pay a lot for that. Another difference: in Finland people stay to themselves more than here; we value privacy.

Q. What brought you to the U.S.?
I came to the US on a student visa in 2012 to start my studies at Texas Christian University.

Q. What is something most people don't know about Finland?
Finland is actually incredibly beautiful. We have cold winters with snow, but, in fact, it is not like that year-round. We have warm summers, and it is one of the most natural and greenest countries in the world.

Q. What do you miss the most about Finland?
I miss the privacy. I miss being able to just relax and be in my own little bubble, without having to worry about people thinking that I’m being rude or that something is wrong.

Q. What is the biggest misconception you encounter when people learn where you are originally from?
We do not have polar bears!

Q. Any other comments to add?
Don’t feel weird about asking somebody about their home country. I’ve heard the standard questions a million and one times so I have answers ready to go. I’d rather people ask than make assumptions.
0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
TOP

My Neighbor Next Door is from...England

Posted by Unknown at 10:36 AM
A monthly blog feature from AAA Translation’s Susanne Evens, My Neighbor Next Door is from… aims to expand multi-cultural knowledge and break down divides by letting readers get to know immigrants from various countries…one neighbor, friend and/or business colleague at a time.

This month’s featured country is England, which takes its name from the Angles, a Germanic tribe that settled there during the 5th and 6th centuries. In the 10th century, England became a unified state and since the 15th century, it has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the world.

We recently interviewed Ronnie Crowley, who now lives in Fort Worth, Texas and works with Quindigo Management. She moved here in May 2002 from England with her husband and two children.

Q. What are the cultural differences between England and the USA?
One of the biggest differences I see is how patriotic the general American is. The flying of flags at their home is something I would very rarely consider doing in the UK. I didn’t even own a union jack until I came to the USA. Another huge difference I have learned is that the average American is much more open to sharing about their personal thoughts and experiences. I’ve learned to expect to learn more about an American I’ve met today than what I know about someone I’ve known in the UK for 6 months! Americans also seem to be very interested in their heritage and where they come from and this is often part of the sharing. As a culture based on immigration, I’m guessing this is why roots are important.

Q. What brought you to the U.S.?
My husband’s job. He works for an aircraft manufacturer who is partnered with a US company to develop a new plane for both countries

Q. What is something most people don't know about your original country?
Most people are surprised to learn that some newspapers in England published daily a “page 3 girl” in them. A page 3 girl is a topless model!

Q. What do you miss the most?
Being able to buy a decent cup of tea when I’m out. Even Starbucks doesn’t teach them how to make it well. I’m always having to explain exactly how to do it -- and yes, I don’t want steamed milk!

Q. What is the biggest misconception you encounter when people learn where you are originally from?
People think that being from England, I have met the Queen or Princess Diana. It’s funny how many people have asked me this over the years! I’m not even a royalist, and there are many people I would prefer to meet. Another one would be that many people think we eat a Full English Breakfast regularly. When I lived in the UK I would only eat this when I was staying at a hotel and even then not every day.


0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,
TOP

My Neighbor Next Door is from...Iraq

Posted by Unknown at 7:40 AM
A monthly blog feature from AAA Translation’s Susanne Evens, My Neighbor Next Door is from… aims to expand multicultural knowledge and break down divides by letting readers get to know immigrants from various countries…one neighbor, friend and/or business colleague at a time.

This month’s featured country is Iraq. The country’s name has been in use since before the 6th century. An Arabic folk etymology for the name is "deeply rooted, well-watered; fertile.” The region of the country between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, often referred to as Mesopotamia, is the world's oldest civilization. It is here that mankind first began to read, write, create laws and live in cities under an organized government. The area has been home to continuous successive civilizations since the 6th millennium BC.

We recently interviewed a man who immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq with his family when he was a child. First, they moved to Syria in 1993; from there, they came to the U.S. in 1997. Currently, he lives in Texas.

Q. What are the cultural differences between Iraq and the U.S.?

A. The United States is a melting pot of cultural diversity. There are many types of races and religions in the U.S., and it is wonderful. In Iraq, everyone was predominantly Muslim and born in Iraq. 

Q. What brought you to the U.S.?

A. We came to the U.S. to seek a better life because Saddam Hussein was killing innocent people.  

Q. What is something most people don't know about your original country?

A. There are regular houses there. Nobody in Iraq lives in stone houses in the middle of the desert. The scenery is beautiful. There are big houses in the city and paved roads. People drive the latest cars and have the latest technology. There are also a lot of McDonald's everywhere, and a vast number of mountains. In many ways, it is just like the U.S. 

Q. What do you miss the most?

A. I miss going to my grandparents' house and seeing my whole family there. I also miss the delicious kabobs and shwarmas. I can’t seem to find kabobs and shwarmas in the U.S. that taste the same as they did back home. The meat was so tender and juicy and had the freshest vegetables.

Q. What is the biggest misconception you encounter when people learn where you are originally from?

A. They seem to think everyone from Iraq is out to get them. They couldn’t be more wrong. Some of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life were from Iraq. 

Q. Any other comments to add?

A. Throughout my time in Iraq, I hadn’t seen any crimes committed due to religious beliefs. There are crazy people nowadays that think being a Muslim is about killing people of other religions. That is a horrible thing to do. These self-proclaimed “Muslims” could be white, black or brown. Those are the real terrorists and those are the people who everyone should avoid. 

0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
TOP

St. Louis Mosaic Project Announces Immigrant Entrepreneurship Advisory Board with Visit by U.S. SBA

Posted by Unknown at 10:49 AM
As the St. Louis entrepreneurial community continues to gather national accolades, the St. Louis Mosaic Project announces its Immigrant Entrepreneurship Advisory Board with the visit of Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet. This occured at a roundtable discussion on May 1 at 10:00 am at the World Trade Center St. Louis. Betsy Cohen, Executive Director of the St. Louis Mosaic Project, emphasized the importance of Contreras-Sweet’s visit as “a fantastic opportunity for local immigrant entrepreneurs in our community to share their experiences and depict the breadth of our entrepreneurial community spanning from high tech start ups to neighborhood businesses.”

Contreras-Sweet, a successful entrepreneur and business executive, was appointed to lead the SBA in April 2014. In her role as Administrator, she continues to build upon her career in both the public and private sector, championing causes in diversity, accessibility to capital, and equal opportunities for all. Prior to her appointment, Contreras-Sweet founded the first Latino-formed commercial bank in California in more than 35 years and served as Vice President and Equity Partner for Westinghouse’s 7-Up / RC Bottling Company.

According to Cohen, “this visit is another piece to the St. Louis Mosaic Project’s commitment to supporting local immigrant entrepreneurs. Our Immigrant Entrepreneurship Program takes a holistic approach to helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into a reality. By connecting immigrants to the range of support and programming found in the St. Louis Ecosystem, entrepreneurs are equipped with the resources to grow or start their own businesses. “

The Mosaic Project’s Immigrant Entrepreneurship Advisory Board is:

Diego Abente – International Institute
Salim Awad – McQueen Awad LLC
Ola Ayeni – Claim Academy, eateria
Ed Bryant – St. Louis Minority Business Council
Eddie Davis – Center for Acceleration of African American Business
Susanne Evens – AAA Translation
Carmen Jacob – NextGen Information Services
Suchin and Shayn Prapaisilp – Global Foods, United Provisions
Raul Sanchez – Appcropolis
Geoffrey Soyiantet – Vitendo4Africa
Mark Sutherland – Elasticity
Sorin Vaduva – Serial Entrepreneur
Dr. Ibrahim Vajzovic – Real Estate, Professor
Francis Yueh – St. Louis Chinese American News
Michael Zambrana – Pangea Group


About the St. Louis Mosaic Project
The St. Louis Mosaic Project was launched in 2012 in response to an economic impact report, outlining St. Louis to be lagging in immigrant growth as well as highlighting the economic benefits of increasing its foreign-born population. The Mosaic Project’s goal is to transform St. Louis into the fastest growing metropolitan area for immigration by 2020 and promote regional prosperity through immigration and innovation. This regional initiative is professionally managed by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, World Trade Center St. Louis and a 22- Member Committee.

For more information about The St. Louis Mosaic Project, please visit www.StlMosaicProject.org

0 comments
Labels: , , ,