While the nation debates the path forward for immigration reform, a network of more than 60 businesses from coast to coast is hard at work writing the next chapter in the story of America as a nation of immigrants.

From Los Angeles to Miami, we have found that businesses have the space, opportunity and motivation to make a real and tangible difference for their foreign-born workforce.

Our two businesses – AltaMed Health Services in the L.A. area and the Betsy-South Beach in Miami – have joined forces with the Bethlehem Project, an innovative partnership that provides citizenship assistance to green card holders at the worksite. It has been valuable both for us as employers and for our employees, and we encourage other business leaders to participate.

The project is named after Bethlehem Steel, which in 1915 became one of the first American companies to offer English classes to its immigrant employees. Since the Bethlehem Project’s launch in January 2013, it has grown quickly, with sites in Miami; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; San Jose; and San Diego – and new cities on the horizon.

The program brings together our partner businesses with leading local non-profit service providers to offer informational workshops, application guidance, and English-language and civics tutorials for employees who are eligible for citizenship. All of the assistance is provided free of charge to the employer, with only a small legal fee for employees, and we offer the workshops at convenient times and locations to accommodate busy work schedules.

But the true beauty of the Bethlehem Project is that employees get the chance to pursue their American dream, with their employers’ support.

Marvin Tobar has been working at AltaMed as an X-ray technician for eight months – but he has been in the United States for more than 24 years.

Navigating the complex and confusing world of individuals and organizations providing citizenship services made citizenship a struggle for him. He wanted to make sure that the help he received was from a trustworthy source.

So when he heard about AltaMed’s participation in the Bethlehem Project, he immediately signed up.

For Marvin, pursuing citizenship means the opportunity to obtain federal scholarships and grants to continue his education and become a radiology technician.

We couldn’t be prouder to support Marvin as he strives to achieve his professional and personal ambitions and leave his mark on our company and our city.

Out east, Marizza Contreras is an exemplary employee at the Betsy-South Beach. She arrived in the United States in 2000 and worked in many capacities as a spa provider, yet always hoped to become a hospitality manager. Marizza now oversees the onsite luxury spa at the Betsy, which is the only outdoor facility of its kind in South Beach.

Despite all her hard work and dedication, Marizza struggled to find the time or money to apply for citizenship. Then, early last year, the Betsy joined the Bethlehem Project.

Naturalized

Several months later, Marizza became the hotel’s first employee to naturalize through the project thanks to the assistance she received. The Betsy celebrated this memorable accomplishment with her, and the United States welcomed another intrepid and entrepreneurial citizen.

Marizza and Marvin are but two of the 8.8 million immigrants currently eligible for citizenship in the United States, including 1.2 million legal permanent residents in Los Angeles and more than 520,000 in Miami. Most of them have been working here for years, filing taxes and contributing to our country’s economy. Without citizenship, they are not qualified to apply for certain government aid programs, to fully engage civically or to help their families become citizens.

In that sense, the Bethlehem Project is a win-win for our businesses and for our employee participants. Workers receive critical and convenient help in the citizenship process while businesses are able to build workforce stability, encourage an inclusive work culture and tout our efforts. The local economies in Miami and Los Angeles also benefit from a new influx of productive citizens.

For centuries, immigrants like Marizza and Marvin have come to our shores to seek opportunity and move our nation forward. They have built our railroads, worked in our factories and raised their families here. Their children have gone on to teach, become doctors, and start businesses and families.

Like their predecessors, the immigrants of today are helping businesses such as AltaMed and the Betsy innovate, grow and succeed. And through the Bethlehem Project, businesses like ours are engaging in innovative partnerships that help our employees achieve their dreams – and help our country fulfill its promise.

Castuló de la Rocha is chief executive and president of AltaMed Health Services Corp., based in Los Angeles. Jonathan Plutzik is principal owner and chairman at the Betsy-South Beach in Miami.