Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. I I JA N UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 14 ese people are younger, they have skills and they have children. ey are exactly what Maine needs to solve its demographic challenges, and the sooner our politicians recognize this, the faster we'll be able to work towards solving the state's economic needs." ere were 44,687 immigrants in Maine in 2013, comprising 3.4% of the state's population, accord- ing to the 2013 American Community Survey. Some 3.2% of business owners in Maine are foreign-born and generate total net business income of $120 mil- lion. Undocumented immigrants paid $3.7 million in Maine state and local taxes in 2010, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. If they were to have legal status, they would pay $4.5 million in state and local taxes, including $2.9 million in sales taxes and $1.1 million in state income taxes. Students also are contributing, with close to 1,200 foreign students in the state contributing $44.1 million to the state's economy in tuition, fees and living expenses for the 2013-2014 academic year, according to the Association of International Educators. e number of immigrants in Maine with a college degree rose by almost 54% from 2000 to 2011, according to the Maine Policy Institute. Additionally, many of them are in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fi elds. It's estimated Maine will need to fi ll 23,630 new STEM jobs in 2020, and immigrants will play a key role. A recent National Science Foundation study found that immigrants already are playing an increas- ing part in the U.S. science and engineering workforce. Can New Mainers make up the defi cit and keep the state viable going forward? "I think they've already done that," says Reza Jalali, coordinator of multicultural student aff airs at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. "Lisbon Street in downtown Lewiston was dead a few years ago. Once the Somalis arrived, they started stores and then families moved into apartments that used to be empty, which attracted investors to buy and rehab more buildings, which meant jobs for local carpenters. And so it goes." e same is happening in Portland, where a gro- cer or restaurant may initially serve their nationality group, but locals wishing to expand their palate will fi nd their way into the neighborhood, he notes. " ere are about 20 nail salons and fi ve Indian restaurants in Portland. ey're hiring people, they're buying food and paying taxes," adds Jalali, who came to the United States as a refugee from Iran in May 1985. "From one end to the other of Forest Avenue, most of the businesses are immigrant-owned. Iraqis came here and started Iraqi food stores because they knew other Iraqis would want to cook Iraqi food. So we have four to fi ve Iraqi stores in Portland, one in Westbrook and one in Biddeford." A new start Nagham Rikan, whose family owns the Babylon Restaurant that anchors the top end of immigrant businesses on Forest Avenue at Deering Junction, exemplifi es the bumpy road New Mainers have to travel to make a new start. In 2000, she and her parents, fi ve sisters and two brothers moved from Najaf, southern Iraq, to Jordan, where they stayed as illegals until 2008. While her father had a bakery in Iraq, her younger brother was the only one who could work in Jordan. G R E AT E R P O R T L A N D F O C U S Background of new Mainers S O U R C E : Portland Adult Education New Mainers Resource Center Report to Legislature, 2014 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Doctor of Dentistry PhD Doctor of Medicine Law Degree Master Degree Bachelor Degree Associate Degree Some College High School 3 21 6 120 18 9 26 2 1 0 10 20 30 40 50 Law Social Sciences Science / Math Education MD Health Engineering IT Admin / Business / Economic 45 25 24 17 26 14 19 24 16 Educational background Professional background Business clusters along Forest Avenue tell the story of immigrant contributions to Maine's economy New Mainers in P O R T L A N D B y L o r i V a l i g r a T he drive west along Forest Avenue from Woodford's Corner to Deering Junction takes you through some of Portland's most traffi cked streets and intersections. It also takes you down blocks dotted with restaurants, grocery stores, car sales and repair shops and even childcare bearing international names like Sindibad Market, Ahram Grocery, Babylon Restaurant, Sengchai ai Cuisine and Tandoor Bread. Walking the blocks, which run from about 600- 1200 Forest Ave., you notice the smell of exotic spices and the sound of diff erent languages linger- ing in the air. e area has become a cornucopia of multiculturalism, with purveyors who came here from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere as immigrants or refugees. Many chose Maine because they have friends or family here. Others cite the state's safety and opportunity to establish a new life. ese new Mainers — many of them are resi- dents and can work as soon as they arrive — also exemplify the type of people the state needs to attract to be vibrant and to grow, experts say. Other areas of Portland also have clusters of immigrant- owned and operated businesses. ere are close to 80 such businesses in Portland, according to CEI, which is more than the listings for the stores on Lisbon Street in Lewiston. Other immigrants have spread around greater Portland to nearby South Portland, Westbrook, Saco and Gorham. "Maine needs to understand that these immi- grants are going to save the economic vitality of the state," says Sally Sutton, program director of Portland Adult Education's New Mainers Resource Center, which educates and councils immigrants so they can get jobs. "Our death rate is higher than our birth rate.

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