Studio 2 recently hosted a conversation with stakeholders in Southern Chester County at Kennett Library on how the dependence on immigrant labor by the local mushroom industry highlights flaws in federal policy, reports WHYY.

Participants in the discussion included Zeke Hernandez, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and author of The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers,  Nancy Ayllón-Ramírez, a Kennett Square-based immigration attorney whose father worked for decades in the local mushroom industry, and Guy Ciarrocchi, former CEO of the Chester County Chamber of Commerce and senior fellow at Commonwealth Foundation. 

The discussion focused on the effects of immigration on a specific small community, staying away from the national-level debate currently dominating the political discourse. 

“We are going to ground the immigration debate in one community,” said Avi Wolfman-Arent, who hosted the discussion with Cherri Gregg. “This community.” 

Southern Chester County is America’s mushroom capital. 

“For decades, the people who’ve worked in these mushroom picking and packaging facilities have largely been immigrants,” said Wolfman-Arent. “So today we’re going to ask why did they come here, how and what happens or what would happen to this community if America’s immigration system were to change dramatically?” 

Listen to the discussion about the mushroom industry in the county at the WHYY. 

_______