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Mexican immigrants eager to start U.S. businesses
Photo by Erin FredrichsTribune
Tribune
José Duran, owner of Land of Enchantment Construction Inc., stands on the edge of a concrete star that his company built at his nephew's Rio Rancho home. Duran, a native of Mexico, came to the United States in 1985. He started his own business in 2003.
Smart Box
Workers of the world
Today is International Workers' Day and National Day of Action for immigration reform. Several events are planned.
In Albuquerque: A celebration starts at 3 p.m. at Tiguex Park, 16th Street and Mountain Road. A 1.5-mile march will start at 5 p.m.
In Santa Fe: From 4-7 p.m., pro-immigrant groups, including faith groups, will rally at DeVargas Park at the corner of Guadalupe Street and Agua Fria Road.
Smart Box
Mexican entrepreneurs
• U.S. residents of Mexican heritage owned 701,078 businesses in 2002, or 45 percent of all Hispanic-owned firms.
• Sales and receipts for firms owned by people of Mexican origin totaled $96.7 billion in 2002.
• Sales and receipts for Mexican-owned firms in the retail trade sector totaled $18.9 million; 116,290 firms were construction companies.
• Of the Mexican-heritage residents in the United States who are 16 or older, 14 percent worked in managerial, professional or related occupations; 24 percent worked in service occupations; 20 percent worked in sales and office occupations; 19 percent worked in construction, extraction, maintenance and repair; 21 percent worked in production, transportation and material moving occupations.
• The Mexican labor force comprises 8 percent of the nation's workforce.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, March 2007
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José Duran spent 11 broiling summers and icy winters working construction in Albuquerque.
Each day, working for someone else, he learned something new about sidewalks, curbs, driveways. Each night, he took a bit of new knowledge home and tucked it away.
Eventually, Duran had the skills to launch his dream of working for himself.
"I used to work whatever hours the boss said," Duran said. "Now, I work the hours I want."
Duran owns Land of Enchantment Construction Inc., a small construction company on the West Side.
In achieving his goal, Duran joined a growing number of U.S. residents of Mexican origin who own their own businesses.
More than 700,000 businesses in the United States are owned by people like Duran, who gave up a paycheck for a few months to study for and get his general contractor's license.
And businesses like his aren't a small part of the economy: According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, sales and receipts for Mexican-origin-owned businesses totaled $96.7 billion in 2002.
Duran, a legal permanent U.S. resident, is one of millions of people who will celebrate their work today, International Workers' Day, a holiday that in his native Mexico leaves most businesses closed.
This year, Duran will be traveling to check out a potential job for his company.
Immigrants and their supporters will also be marching and rallying across the country, including in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, for immigration reform, marking the one-year anniversary of massive demonstrations last year.
Duran, who immigrated in 1985 from Benito Juarez, Chihuahua, has a lot to be proud of.
Growing up in his tiny town, he longed for a better life. Several of his 11 brothers and sisters did, too, and some immigrated with him to the United States and also own businesses in Albuquerque.
Duran, a shy man who often looks down at his ostrich-skin cowboy boots, was ready to be boss long before he started his company in 2003.
"Once I had the experience, I knew it was time. The hard part is when someone has the experience but not the money," he said.
Depending on the size of the job, Duran normally has between 12 and 15 employees, many of whom are Hispanic, but all of whom have permission to work here legally, he said.
Those workers are the backbone of Duran's company and part of the 8 percent of the U.S. workforce that is of Mexican origin.
Duran checks Social Security numbers to make sure employees have proper documents, in order to avoid fines of $250,000 or more from federal officials.
As for the future, Duran thinks more people will share his success story.
"I see lots of interest by Hispanics for having their own business, too," he said.
Rachel LaZar, director of the Center for Equality and Rights in Albuquerque, said there are many stories like Duran's.
"We know immigrants have a very positive impact, not just filling jobs, but actually growing the economy."
Her group is one of several that plan to take part in today's events.
"I think we need to get away from the myth of immigrants coming and taking," she said. "We know immigrants come and give to the economy, and it's time to recognize that."
