Business Roundtable

Cuban Parents Inspire Real Estate Executive

Natalia Macias, who immigrated as a young girl to the United States with her family, learned about hard work every day as she watched her Cuban-born parents work entry-level jobs until saving enough money to open a women’s clothing store in Louisiana. The store was a second home for Ms. Macias and cultivated her interest in business, specifically her desire to specialize in real estate.

After earning her Master of Business Administration degree at the Wharton School, she joined Tishman Speyer in 2004. Today, Ms. Macias oversees the company’s sprawling retail portfolio in Manhattan, which includes 1.2 million square feet of retail space at Rockefeller Center alone. She draws on her parents’ example every day to inspire her professional efforts. “My parents instilled in me the importance of values like independence, strategic thinking and resourcefulness,” she says. Without their willingness to risk leaving Cuba, she would not have had the opportunity she enjoys today.

Throughout U.S. history, immigrants have come to this country, made it their new home, contributed to its success and taught their children to do their part to make it even stronger. That historic success is at risk, however, because the current U.S. immigration system is broken. The U.S. Congress has been considering reforms to strengthen national security and boost economic growth for years but so far has failed to act.

This report outlines the economic benefits that accompany sensible immigration reform and tells the stories of several business leaders who came to America as immigrants.

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https://s3.amazonaws.com/brt.org/archive/0_immigration_report/2014.06.06%20BRT%20Immigration%20Report.Contributing%20to%20American%20Growth.pdf

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Natalia Macias

Cuban Parents Inspire Real Estate Executive

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Tell Congress the Time to Act on Immigration is Now