Immigrant Archive Project

Some contributions to this country can’t be measured in GDP, tax receipts, or quarterly growth.

They live in quieter places — in sacrifice, in perseverance, in the belief that the next generation might live a little more freely than the last.

I wrote a new essay this morning about the contribution you can’t measure, and why it matters more than ever in how we think about immigration and belonging in America.

If you have a moment, I’d be honored if you gave it a read.

https://theimmigrantarchive.substack.com/p/the-contribution-you-cant-measure

Long before Fernando Mendoza… Indiana University already had a Cuban star.

This season, Cuban-American quarterback Fernando Mendoza became a national sensation—winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the Indiana Hoosiers to an undefeated season and the program’s first national championship.

But watching Indiana’s rise reminded me of something else:
Long before Mendoza lit up the scoreboard, IU already had a Cuban who became a beloved figure on campus and a respected leader in higher education.

His name is Gerardo Gonzalez. I interviewed him for the Immigrant Archive Project, and his story carries lessons that go far beyond education.

He remembered the day a telegram arrived from the Cuban government granting his family permission to leave. Then he shares a detail you don’t forget: once the family requested permission to leave, their belongings were effectively inventoried, and they couldn’t sell or give things away. So, under cover of night, his father and friends quietly swapped mattresses—leaving his grandmother a better one, a small act of love carried out in secrecy.

That story captures the immigrant experience in one small scene:
joy and grief living in the same moment… and love expressed through sacrifice.

He arrived in the U.S. at 11 years old, before meaningful ESL support existed. After a humiliating school incident, he stopped raising his hand, stopped participating, and focused on staying invisible.

And then came the message so many immigrant parents delivered with absolute certainty:

“Get an education. It’s the one thing no one can take from you.”

His father—an auto mechanic—would hold up his hands, worn and weathered by years of labor, and tell him to build a future where his own hands wouldn’t have to look like that.

Mr. Gonzalez went on to become Dr. Gerardo Gonzalez, and Dean of IU’s School of Education and a leader who shaped the next generation of educators and school administrators.

And when I asked him how his immigrant experience influenced his leadership style, his answer was simple and profound:

He tried to treat every person who walked into his office as if what they brought to him was the most important thing in that moment.

Because he understood something many leaders forget:
It takes courage to walk into the dean’s office.
It takes courage to ask for help.
It takes courage to be seen.

Mendoza’s championship was a stadium moment the nation won’t soon forget. Dr. Gonzalez’s legacy is quieter, but just as enduring: helping others feel seen, valued, and capable.

Two Cubans. Two arenas. One quintessentially American story.

The Real Cost of Immigration Policies & Tariffs on Housing

New analysis reveals how restrictions on immigrant labor and rising tariffs could significantly inflate home construction costs. In Phoenix, builder Nathan Anderson estimates a 17% increase in labor costs and material price hikes that could push a $2.65M home’s price up by $236,000—if the market can bear it.

From foundation to roofing, immigrant workers play a critical role in residential construction. Without them, labor shortages could drive prices even higher. Is the housing market ready for this impact?

Read more on what this means for builders, buyers, and affordability.

How Trump’s Tariffs and Immigration Policies Could Make It More Expensive to Build a New Home Take a line-by-line look at the estimated costs of building this four-bedroom home in Phoenix, Ariz., under President Trump’s agenda.