Workforce Language Services

Some corporations are responding to the increasingly adversarial immigration debate with programs like Marriott International’s “Thirst for Knowledge,” which provides language instruction and assimilation assistance for their immigrant employees. 

This program and others are backed by some legislators:

The initiative is supported by a bill recently introduced in Congress. Sponsored by Rep. Mike Honda, D-Campbell, and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., it would provide $350 million for immigrant family literacy programs, individual tax credits for teachers and corporate tax breaks for firms that offer educational workplace programs like “Thirst for Knowledge.”

In addition to support from private firms that employ thousands of immigrants from Latin America and elsewhere, the bill is backed by the Americas Society and Council of the Americas, which recently issued a report about U.S. business and Latinos’ contributions.

The report points out that Latinos make up more than 14 percent of the U.S. workforce and own more than 2 million businesses. It says that foreign-born workers have much to offer but need more help to master English and become more invested in U.S. society.

To read more about this positive move away from xenophobia and toward integration of a large population of U.S. residents, click here.