This woman knows all about the problems immigrants face and is doing her best to help people in her community. DP
A longtime Blaine resident who was born in Ecuador knows the challenges that newcomers face and she's trying to make the transition easier for today's immigrants.
By MARIA ELENA BACA, Star Tribune
startribune.com: As a 34-year U.S. citizen, Jenny Matute Riley says she knows what it takes to succeed in this country. As a woman born in Ecuador, who learned English at age 16 during a student exchange in Anoka, she says negative reactions to the Spanish accent that still flavors her speech remind her of what it means to be an immigrant.
Riley, now of Blaine, is translating her life experience into a life's mission, to try to pave an easier way for today's immigrants, at a time when many communities, including Blaine, are struggling to adapt to their new demographics.
With her daughter, Tania, she runs Riley & Associates, a translation service that works primarily to bridge the gap between speakers of English and Spanish, but which also offers written translation in Hmong, Lao and French. Riley also sells insurance for Blue Cross-Blue Shield, mostly to individuals and small businesses. (Her business' website is www. benefitranslate.com.)
As the years bring each immigrant wave, she's noted the different groups, and what they bring with them. The Star Tribune spoke with Riley about her views on immigration and diversity, as a citizen and an immigrant.
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