Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | November 12, 2018 | wbjournal.com The city's immigrant population has shifted in the last decade, with foreign-born residents still leaving their mark Coming to Worcester City of Immigrants Worcester Regional Research Bureau A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor F or a century starting in the 1870s, immigrants moving into Worcester almost exclu- sively came from Europe and North America. In the early days, they were largely from Ireland – which made up an over- whelming 70 percent of all Worcester foreign-born residents 150 years ago – followed by Canada and England. It's much different today. As of the last decennial Census in 2010, none of the top 10 most com- mon home countries speak English as their primary language. Brazil, Vietnam, Ghana and the Dominican Republic made up the largest share of Worcester immigrants, followed by Albania and China. "We would still be eating meat and potatoes if it weren't for immigrant businesses," said Ramon Borges-Men- dez, an associate professor of com- munity development and planning at Clark University. Immigrants are bringing their vastly different cultures to Worcester, along with an entrepreneurialism driving the city's economy and changing many of its streetscapes with Brazilian bakeries, Vietnamese restaurants, Dominican hair salons and more. "Everything you put your mind to, you can do, right?" said Son Vo, a Worcester resident and native of Vietnam. Vo grew up knowing just what it would take to run a Vietnamese restau- rant. His mother ran a restaurant in their native country, and he and his siblings loved helping out when they could. Aer trying a career in sales, Vo be- gan training with a chef friend to learn sushi and would practice religiously how to prepare different foods in his kitchen at home. Aer testing his cook- ing at an Asian market in Burlington, he was ready to go – even if his mom advised him against following her into the business. "I did it anyway," he said with a smile. Vo opened the restaurant Kaizan Sushi Bar & Grill in Sturbridge in 2007, with the help of a few friends and business partners, followed by Pho Sure in Shrewsbury in 2014. Now, he's planning to open a tapas bar on Franklin Street in Worcester this winter. Coming to America As of 2016, the largest Worcester immigrant communities hail from Ghana (10 percent), the Dominican Republic (9 percent), Vietnam (9 percent), Albania (6 percent) and Brazil Lillian Radke, a Brazilian, came to the U.S. for college and stayed after meeting her husband. She now runs Unic Pro. Son Vo started a restaurant despite cautious warnings from his mother, who operated a restaurant back in Vietnam. PHOTO/MATT WRIGHT

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