Carmen's Story: Celebrating the Contributions of Latinx Entrepreneurs in Minnesota

Carmen is like most of the immigrant and refugee women I know who strive to better their lives and those of their families and communities. Despite the greater health risks due to the global health pandemic, Carmen, who owns Pro Cleaning Services in Southern Minnesota, continues to provide services and make a difference.

Carmen is one of the many hard-working women originally from Mexico who are living in Minnesota. Like many immigrants, Carmen has the vision and goals to improve not only the life of her family but also of her community. Her vision for her business is to be able to grow and continue to provide great service in her community, both with her residential and business cleaning services. As her business grows, she would like to offer employment to other women in her community. She believes in work well done and she strives to offer her personal touch in everything she does. She views her success as the success of her own family and her community.

Carmen is among many immigrants whose hard work and drive to build a good life for their family make Minnesota a better place to live. Immigrants contribute economically and culturally to Minnesota society in countless ways, including as entrepreneurs to meet the needs of their broader community. Minnesota has a long tradition of immigrants contributing to our communities through business and community development. For example, William Mayo, who immigrated to Minnesota from England, began practicing medicine in Rochester in the late-1800s, and his children went on to found the Mayo Clinic. Across generations, Minnesota has benefited from immigrants choosing to rebuild their lives here, with us.

In October, as Hispanic Heritage month comes to a close, we are celebrating the contributions of Latinx entrepreneurs to Minnesota. Please join me in thanking Latinx entrepreneurs, like Carmen, in our communities who make Minnesota a better place to live for all of us.

Carmen, propietaria de Pro Cleaning Services en el sur de Minnesota es una mujer maravillosa y muy trabajadora nacida en México que vive en Minnesota por más de 20 años. Como inmigrante y como mujer, Carmen tiene la visión y los objetivos para mejorar no sólo la vida de su familia sino de su comunidad. Su visión de negocio es poder crecer y seguir brindando un gran servicio en su comunidad, tanto con sus servicios de limpieza residencial como limpieza de negocios. A medida que su negocio crece, le gustaría ofrecer empleo a otras mujeres de su comunidad. Ella cree en el trabajo bien hecho y se esfuerza por ofrecer su toque personal en todo lo que hace. Ella ve su éxito como el éxito de su propia familia y su comunidad.

Anisa Hajimumin, Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs