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Four Immigrants on Long Island Tell Their Stories

Posted December 19, 2010 by Ted Hesson
Categories: National

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week showed that from 2005-2009, the number of immigrants on Long Island increased to more than 16 percent of the estimated 2.87 million people in Nassau and Suffolk counties. In 2000, foreign-born residents accounted for 14.6 percent of the population.

The growing number of immigrants on Long Island mirrors the trends of the early 20th century, when the area experienced an influx of European newcomers.

The immigrants of today have plenty in common with those of past generations, Newsday’s Olivia Winslow reported in a December 19 article. “Similarities in their lives and those of newer Long Island immigrants can be found in a hard-work ethic and devotion to family,” she wrote.

With the new population data in mind, Winslow compiled the stories of four local immigrant women—from China, India, Chile, and El Salvador—looking at their successes and struggles in the US.

Click here to read the stories of Suey Tom, Onai Singh, Isabel Sepulveda de Scanlon, and Yanira Chacon.

Here’s a 2008 profile of Yanira Chacon by Long Island Wins: