Florida’s immigrant entrepreneurs are creating jobs and prosperity in their communities

Founded in 1988, Mary's Cafe & Coin Laundry in Miami, Fla., has been owned by three generations of one family that immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba. Photo courtesy of the owners of Mary’s Cafe in Miami, Fla., CC BY-NC-ND

Immigration to the U.S. is often framed as a problem to be managed, controlled or punished. Immigrants are often derided for crossing the border without authorization or “taking jobs” from U.S. citizens.

This rhetoric has intensified when Donald Trump has been in the White House. Trump and officials in his administrations have repeatedly characterized immigrants as a drain on national resources.