Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that Western Union will fund the New Americans Small Business Series, an innovative series of quarterly events that will foster small business growth in immigrant communities throughout Chicago. Mayor Emanuel made the announcement alongside U.S. Representative Luis A. Gutierrez. “Investing in immigrant and Latino communities will benefit the city of Chicago and the nation because immigrant families, students and small businesses are and always have been the backbone of the city and are helping to build stable and thriving neighborhoods today,” said Representative Gutierrez.

The City of Chicago’s Office of New Americans (ONA), alongside the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), will create temporary one-stop locations in community settings to foster small business growth and expansion. The series will be financed by a $30,000 donation from Western Union, which has committed to financing four events a year through 2014. This first event will take place on March 31, 2012 from 10am to 1pm, at the National Museum of Mexican Art, located at 1825 W. 19th Street.