There were 22 adults originally, a mix of Spanish- and Mexican-born, Native Americans, those with African roots, and many of mixed race – black and Spanish, Native American and Spanish. These Pobladores, the community that established Los Angeles in 1781, were our first immigrants.

For the last 235 years, immigrants have been building Los Angeles, and Los Angeles has been a magnet for entrepreneurs, opportunists, and dreamers for just as long.

The vitality of Los Angeles is a reflection of the vitality of the nation as a whole. This country is a dynamic place that has drawn the best and the brightest, the risk takers, the grinders. People who work and strive. Los Angeles has its good weather and the beach is nearby, but this, too, is not a place for the lazy or complacent.

Nearly 44 percent of all business owners in the L.A. metropolitan area today are immigrants. And while everyone’s journey to Los Angeles takes a different route, the reasons people come – and stay – are often based on the belief that a diverse mix of cultures and nationalities is not only good for business – it makes Los Angeles such an interesting place to live.

This dynamic must be maintained, even as it is balanced with the need for security. While political rhetoric has turned toward “bad hombres,” the truth is that what draws people here is the opportunity not for mischief but for success. They come for UCLA, USC, Caltech; they come for entry-level jobs that pay far better than similar work in their homelands; they come for freedom.

Like many things in life, immigration is not a zero-sum game. An immigrant taking a job in the United States might wind up starting a business that employs dozens, hundreds, or thousands of other Americans. And on the other end of the spectrum, immigrants also help grow the local and national economy by taking blue-collar jobs needed to help companies make their products. That, in turn, helps businesses grow and hire more people.

If we are serious about job creation, we shouldn’t be shutting the door on anyone with the drive and desire to uproot themselves, learn a new language, and get down to work, no matter where they are from.