The key to successful immigration? Business
Last week, my son's sixth-grade Spanish class held an end-of-the-year Hispanic food fiesta. Everyone was asked to bring something, and so I took the opportunity to pick up homemade ice cream and fruit bars from La Rosita, a local neveria (loosely translated as "ice cream shop") on the west side of town. I love patronizing this establishment, not only because their homemade frozen treats are among the best in the city, but because theirs is a success story that is so stereotypically American: the owner came to the United States from central America, settling first in Chicago and then moving to South Bend, Indiana to fulfill his dream of starting his own business.
La Rosita is one of many such establishments. As I drove down Western Avenue, I remarked with great delight on the number and variety of businesses catering to the Spanish-speaking members of our community: restaurants and grocery stores, bars, taquerias, machine repair shops and mechanics, cellphone shops, clothing stores and tax preparation services, to name just a few.
