May 2, 2015 5:00 pm
Published by Michael
Wisdom operates two other shops, including a flagship retail store on Orange Street in New Haven and another retail store on Montowese Street in Branford.
The 2015 report commissioned from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, a philanthropic organization based in New Haven, titled “Understanding the Impact of Immigration in Greater New Haven” offered a glimpse of how immigrants are affecting the development in the area and the state.
“The Community Foundation has a long history of working with immigrants and their families, and we believe that immigrants are critical assets and are committed to making New Haven a more welcoming community,” Ciociola said.
The report’s conclusion isn’t necessarily based on a higher number of immigrant-owned businesses in the region Buchanan said a total number of immigrant-owned businesses isn’t available but rather, it found that immigrants are disproportionally more likely to open a business than native-born residents.
Peter Gioia, vice president and economist at the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, agrees that immigrants are more likely to open up businesses, but noted there seems to be a worry that immigrants come here and take American jobs.
For their study, Buchanan said researchers spoke only to businesses in New Haven, though the Community Foundation’s footprint encompasses Greater New Haven.
“I think as far as New Haven goes, it is representative of New Haven’s business culture where there are a lot of small businesses and kind of a diverse group of services,” Buchanan said.
Of the 34 business, 18 were owned by immigrants or children of immigrants, representing 14 countries of birth or ancestry not including the United States.
“As a business owner, it’s an attractive place to set up business just because they will have a higher concentration of people, of students, of younger people,” Buchanan said.
A Survey of Business Owners found that in 2007, there were 23,409 immigrant-owned businesses, or 7 percent of all businesses, in the state. Census’ 2007 Survey of Business Owners “Immigrant business owners in Connecticut are more likely to operate independent small businesses than native-born owners: In 2007, 94 percent of immigrant-owned firms were independent small businesses, compared to 68 percent of all native-born owned businesses,” the report states.
Using data from the 2009-13 American Community Survey five-year estimates, a report by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas and the Fiscal Policy Institute titled, “Bringing Vitality to Main Street: How Immigrant Small Businesses Help Local Economies Grow,” found that nationwide, immigrant-owned businesses earned $13 billion in 2013, compared to $37 billion for U.S. For their report, Kallick said they focused on people who owned incorporated businesses, rather than including people who may have circled the “self-employed” box that could include work that doesn’t necessarily constitute owning a business.
Ecuadorean native Segundo Aguayza is a self-employed business owner who has lived in the New Haven area for 23 years and currently resides in East Haven.
The drivers are not employees, but rather work as independent contractors that Aguayza pays to operate the vehicles in four towns he’s authorized to work in East Haven, Hamden, New Haven and West Haven.
Most of the businesses owned by immigrants are categorized as small businesses. According to Kallick’s report, among Main Street businesses, immigrants owned 53 percent of grocery stores, 45 percent of nail salons, 43 percent of liquor stores and 38 percent of restaurants.
Kallick’s report created a concept for “Main Street businesses” based on businesses that contributes to the general street life of communities.
