Caller Times: Corpus Christi leaders hope area can be one of the nation’s ‘Gateways for Growth’ for foreign talent

With a number of international companies making South Texas their choice to establish new businesses, community leaders in Corpus Christi want to do what they can to integrate that foreign talent into the area.

The ultimate goal? To foster local economic growth.

“I just see that there’s so much potential with what’s going on in Corpus Christi,” said Gilda Ramirez, vice president for small business and education at the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber, in partnership with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, was one of 25 recipients of the Gateways for Growth Welcoming New Americans Grant. It was awarded by New American Economy — a national organization that supports immigration reform to create jobs for Americans — and Welcoming America — a nonprofit organization that promotes inclusion for immigrants and all residents.

The grants provide direct technical assistance from the two organizations to develop strategic plans for “welcoming and integrating immigrants and international talent,” according to a prepared statement. The idea is to determine the contributions immigrants can make to a community (i.e., increasing the tax base, starting new businesses and creating jobs, providing a more diverse population) and develop strategies to further or maximize those contributions.

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