'A vibrant community': Salt Lake County recognized for welcoming immigrants


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SALT LAKE CITY — Standing in the lush dining room of Saffron Valley, an Indian eatery in Salt Lake City, restaurateur Lavanya Mahate remembers what it took for her to get there.

She immigrated to the United States in 2001. Seventeen years later, she now owns seven businesses in Salt Lake County.

"I just took the challenge of being in a new country head-on, and I did what I had to. So I prepared myself and took the opportunities at the right time, and always continued to," Mahate told KSL.

She says being welcomed by the community contributed to her success.

"If you don't feel welcomed and supported in a place, it's really hard for immigrants to go far. And we definitely need immigrants as much as immigrants need us," she said.

On Friday, Mahate and several others, including Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and Salt Lake Chamber CEO Derek Miller, gathered at the Indian restaurant for a media event to announce that the county has received a national recognition for helping immigrants find resources to succeed.

"I think Utah has been different in this national conversation around immigration for what we do positively to strengthen our newcomers as a state that's founded by refugees, by pioneers who have come here seeking prosperity and inclusion. We've not let that go," McAdams said.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's data between 2012 and 2016, more than 12 percent of people in Salt Lake County were born outside the states. And in 2014, Salt Lake County's immigrants contributed $8 billion the county's gross domestic product, according to calculations from the county mayor's office.

Between 2009 and 2014, the foreign-born population in the county grew from about 116,000 to about 139,000, the office says.

On the heels of recent national tension surrounding immigration issues, Salt Lake County is the first county in the country to receive a "Certified Welcoming" label by Welcoming America, a nonprofit that supports communities in welcoming immigrants, its website states.

Lavanya Mahate, owner of Saffron Valley, is interviewed following an announcement that Salt Lake County has been named “Certified Welcoming” by Welcoming America, a national organization that promotes a strong and inclusive economy and community at Saffron Valley in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 22, 2018. (Photo: Laura Seitz, KSL)
Lavanya Mahate, owner of Saffron Valley, is interviewed following an announcement that Salt Lake County has been named “Certified Welcoming” by Welcoming America, a national organization that promotes a strong and inclusive economy and community at Saffron Valley in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 22, 2018. (Photo: Laura Seitz, KSL)

According to the mayor, the county had to fulfill requirements in seven categories — government leadership, equitable assets, civic engagement, connected communities, education, economic development and safe communities. Outside auditors evaluated the county in all seven areas, McAdams said.

While "there's so much divisiveness in the country over immigration," the mayor said, many in the Beehive State are "trying to show that we're different here, and we do things differently."

He said the county has worked with partners in the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce and local business and education communities, as well as elected officials, law enforcement, faith leaders and others to move towards the goal making the county more welcoming to immigrants.

According to Miller, the county and chamber together created the Welcoming Salt Lake New Americans task force, a community-based initiative.

Daniel Jospeh serves lunch patrons at Saffron Valley in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 22, 2018. Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance, announced that Salt Lake County was named “Certified Welcoming” by Welcoming America, a national organization that promotes a strong and inclusive economy and community. (Photo: Laura Seitz, KSL)
Daniel Jospeh serves lunch patrons at Saffron Valley in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 22, 2018. Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance, announced that Salt Lake County was named “Certified Welcoming” by Welcoming America, a national organization that promotes a strong and inclusive economy and community. (Photo: Laura Seitz, KSL)

The initiative, launched in 2016, is meant to help communities "move beyond divisiveness and fragmentation to a coordinated web of policies and programs that ensure that all residents — including immigrants — can fully participate and belong," according to the task force's website.

"We recognized then, as we do today, the foundational role that immigrants play in the economic prosperity of our state. They positively impact our county's economy in a number of ways," Miller said.

He said receiving the Welcoming County label "reaffirms this county and our state's global reputation as a welcoming, business-friendly community that attracts the smartest, most entrepreneurial minds from across the globe."

For the restaurateur who found success in Utah, the fact that Salt Lake County earned the label is no surprise.

"We've always been (welcoming)," Mahate said, adding that she's "just happy to be a part of this vibrant community."

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