The American Dream is still firmly in reach here in St. Louis,” says Arrey Obenson, president and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis.
As Obenson explains, the region offers myriad factors that make it a welcoming city for newcomers. The cost of living is affordable compared to other parts of the United States. It’s a relatively short drive to nearly anywhere in the metro area. And with its access to public parks and museums, it’s a great place to raise a family. “The community has always come together to provide the basic needs that put people on a path to success,” Obenson says.
In fact, the metro area saw the highest year-over-year percentage increase in its foreign-born population—a 23.2 percent rise—among the largest cities in the U.S. from 2022–2023, according to Census data. The metro area’s Latino/Hispanic and Black populations grew as well. “Our City’s strength is in our diversity and the communities that we create when we open our arms to New Americans,” said Mayor Tishaura Jones.
For refugees and immigrants, the International Institute plays an integral role. Several years ago, it was expected that St. Louis would welcome 800 Afghan arrivals, but as of mid-2024 that number was on track to double. The growing Afghan population wasn’t by chance; it was thanks in large part to the institute’s work. “We made a tour across the United States, engaging with various Afghan communities, showcasing what we have done in St. Louis so that people can move here,” Obenson says. Members of the Afghan community have created multiple new businesses, and established a community center and chamber of commerce.
The Latino Outreach Program, led by Arch Grants co-founder Jerry Schlichter, was inspired by the work that was done to expand the Afghan community and in direct response to the new immigration pathways established by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. “We started seeing secondary migrants coming from other cities in America, so we started traveling to other cities that had received a lot of immigrants,” Obenson says.
The program aims to attract immigrants who are already in the United States and have employment authorization. “Employment authorization costs about $600 to file, so we invested in our immigration department so that we can attract people here,” Obenson explains. “Provide them with short-term housing; support them to get the employment authorization; and provide them with things like a mobile telephone, access to the internet, and English language classes; and then help them get into a job.”
Since the program began in October 2023, more than 70 Latinos have arrived and are working in the region. Obenson hopes the program will meet its goal of 500 Latinos moving to St. Louis in the next few years.
This work isn’t done in isolation, though.
Welcome Neighbor STL has also been helping refugee families since 2016, when it organized a toiletry drive for newly arrived Syrians. The organization works in an organic way: If a new American family has a need, the organization pairs them with volunteers. Welcome Neighbor STL provides driving lessons, helps with citizenship classes, and hosts social events so that families can feel part of the community. Its supper club dinners have raised more than $500,000 for families across more than 300 events.
Casa de Salud provides health services for uninsured and underinsured patients. Much of its work is focused on the immigrant and refugee population because the organization understands that significant barriers exist when it comes to accessing care.
For more than a decade, the St. Louis Mosaic Project has been working to increase the region’s immigrant population. The initiative encourages local business leaders to hire international talent, ensure immigrant entrepreneurs have access to essential resources to start and grow their businesses, and work with colleges and universities to reduce barriers for international students in the hope that they might stay in St. Louis after graduation. There are currently more than 1,000 ambassadors and 50-plus ambassador companies.
According to the Mosaic Project, those who are “foreign-born in the St. Louis region are 60 percent more likely than a native-born to start a business.”
“What we have done, essentially, is make St. Louis an attractive location not just for Afghans and Latinos, but for the immigrant population across the United States, and also internationally,” Obenson says. “Since [January 2023], we have brought in over 750 people into this community representing 21 countries and speaking 55 languages. We’re seeing a wide variety of refugees coming to St. Louis, and I think that’s the beauty of our work, and it makes me excited about what the future is going to look like for St. Louis.”
