国际英语资讯:Spotlight: U.S. western city embraces immigrants as officials bash White House rhetoric_时事

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: U.S. western city embraces immigrants as officials bash White House rhetoric

DENVER, the United States, Sept. 30 -- In the vast American West, where conservative states spread out, strict immigration laws are slowing population growth and reducing demographic diversity.

But not in Denver, the Colorado state's capital city. Here, local officials openly express their desire for more diversity and vocally criticize the U.S. federal government for initiating trade wars and ramping up anti-immigrant policies.

IMMIGRATION HUB

Last week, 200 immigrants from 61 countries were admitted to U.S. citizenship in south of Denver at a large naturalization ceremony.

It was part of the 200 ceremonies held by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) nationwide in a week commemorating the U.S. Constitution, when 30,000 people were naturalized.

Denver's USCIS office completed 7,600 naturalization application in 2017, and 9,400 in 2018. That number is expected to rise again in 2019 as immigrants are choosing to the city for its liberal and business-friendly atmosphere.

Denver is becoming more and more welcoming to people of ethnic diversity, said Marin Toscano, owner and founder of Foodbridge, a noNPRofit group claimed to support minority-owned catering businesses.

And Toscano's noNPRofit is at the right place at the right time. Denver has a greater demand for authentic ethnic cuisine as small, ethnic businesses are on the rise. Among the local foodies, one who called Boulder had even been in China's Yunnan Province as a Fulbright Scholar to study Chinese cuisine.