This series will look at what groups make up Dayton’s immigrant population and why they came here; how immigrants contribute to the local culture and economy; and how federal policy is closing pathways to legal immigration.
Reporter Sydney Dawes is leading this coverage. Reach out to her at Sydney.Dawes@coxinc.com or 937-999-7040. Follow along with our coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bluesky.
Who is immigrating to the Dayton region, and why
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
More than 26,000 immigrants live and work in Montgomery County, making up roughly 5% of the county’s overall population.
Ohio has seen significant population growth — a 30% increase — among immigrants in the last decade.
Also, over the last decade Ohio has seen a huge increase in the senior citizen population. People 65 and older now outnumber children in more than a quarter of Ohio’s counties, according to new Census data.
Although foreign-born workers made up a small percentage of the county’s overall population earlier this decade, they represented 6% of its working-age population, 5.8% of its employed labor force and 10.9% of its science, engineering, technology and math workers, according to a 2022 report from the American Immigration Council.
How a Congolese refugee embraced Dayton
Warfare in the Democratic Republic of Congo left Huber Heights pastor Desire Ntwayingabo little choice but to flee his home, saying goodbye to his time living with his family in the mountains.
Mexican grandmother shares culture through dance, service
In addition to serving as the community engagement specialist at El Puente in northern Dayton, Imelda Ayala Ramos teaches dance through the Orgullo Mexicano of Dayton club.
“When they dance, they show movement, with colors and different accessories,” Ayala Ramos said through an interpreter. “We move in harmony, with joy in this city. And we can incorporate and integrate.”
How one immigrant forms community, honors culture
Darsheel Kaur’s family came to the U.S. from England when she was four years old to start jobs as psychiatrists at the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Her parents were from the Punjab region in India and are Sikh. The Sikh faith is the fifth-largest religion in the world.
After completing graduate school in Virginia, she chose to come back to the Dayton area. She is the founder of The HeArt, a community healing and gathering space on Salem Avenue where artists, educators, healing practitioners and others come together.
Immigrant-owned businesses and cultural events fuel economy, ‘heartbeat’ of region
Immigrants are far more likely than native-born citizens to start their own businesses, and leaders in Dayton-area entrepreneurism say these small business owners both power the local economy and make the region look more appealing to industries looking to expand to Ohio.
Despite making up just 14.3% of the U.S. population in 2023, immigrants accounted for 23.6% of entrepreneurs and 25% of all new businesses. In 2023 alone, immigrant-owned businesses generated $116.2 billion in business income, according to an analysis by the American Immigration Council.
Supporting community, honoring tradition through Rwandan cooking: Making Dayton Home
Long before SoSo Cuisine owner Solange Asingabona opened her restaurant, she was well-known among her friends and family for her cooking skills — she was often turned to as a caterer for special events.
But starting her own business — a little shop in a West Carrollton plaza on South Alex Road — felt like reaching a destination after a long, long journey.
“This is something that I did for my community, with my community,” Asingabona said.
Immigrants losing legal pathways to make Dayton home
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
President Donald Trump was elected to office on a promise to crack down on illegal immigration, railing against drug traffickers and “thugs” sneaking into the country and bringing with them violence and community decay.
But while aggressive immigration enforcement has increased deportations of people with criminal records in the country illegally, his administration’s policies are also severely limiting legal immigration — and turning people peacefully and legally living in the region for years into so-called “illegal immigrants.”
This story looks at how federal policy changes are making it harder for immigrants to legally make Dayton home.
‘The stars were aligned’: Dayton man’s journey from Lebanon
Inside Youssef Elzein’s house is a painting of his grandparents’ quaint home in Kfar Rhouman, or the “Village of Pomegranate” in southern Lebanon. It was there that his grandparents owned a citrus orchard. A younger Youssef grew up across the way.
Elzein has been living in Dayton for nearly three decades, but the painting is reminiscent of a time before Elzein’s homeland was ravaged by war.
Immigration isn’t always a choice, but helping others is, says Dayton nonprofit leader
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Immigration isn’t always a dream scenario, Catherine Bitwayiki said. She sought sanctuary in a community where she had no friends and few resources. For political reasons, it was not safe for her to stay in Rwanda.
“I believe there is a misunderstanding as to why people are here, and that makes me feel very bad,” she said. “Some of these wars that are ravaging our countries are not originating from our countries.”
Since moving to Dayton, she has dedicated herself to helping others.
Making Dayton home was a ‘miracle’ for this Colombian immigrant
Credit: Jim Witmer
Credit: Jim Witmer
Martha-Jeannette Rodriguez’s family came to Dayton in the early 2000s on tourist visas to stay with relatives in the Dayton area.
Her family applied for asylum, an arduous task. Rodriguez and her husband were required to show immigration officials paperwork related to her father-in-law’s kidnapping, reports from the Gaula military division that assists families of kidnapping victims and letters of recommendation from their church and schools. That, paired with multiple interviews to confirm the family’s background and vet them for security risks, was overwhelming.
So much was at stake for the family. If their application wasn’t approved before their tourist visas expired, they would be at risk of having to face danger in Colombia. And there was no knowing what would be waiting for them.
Ohio’s senators, Dayton’s congressman mum on restrictions to legal immigration
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
In November, immigration advocates in Springfield asked their federal representatives what would happen to asylum seekers during the anticipated uptick of immigration enforcement in their city next year.
The answer they reportedly received: “They’re not going to be safe.”
That cold comfort was reinforced in answers the Dayton Daily News received after reaching out to Ohio’s two U.S. senators and U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, with questions about whether legal pathways to residency and citizenship should be protected amid the current debate over immigration.
How much do you know about U.S. immigration law? Take our quiz
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
How much do you know about what it takes to legally immigrate to the U.S.? We worked with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality to create a quiz about what it takes for someone to legally live and work in the country.
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